Dear Editor,
While the Commission of Inquiry into events at City Hall has uncovered several deficiencies and irregularities with regards to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), the statutory meeting of the Georgetown City Hall held on Monday 19th last proved to be no less exciting. It was amazing to see how some of the Councillors who were either silent or condoned these violations in the past several years were now condemning vehemently the way business is conducted at City Hall.
The revelations of the COI have created a storm. The Mayor, her Worship Patricia Chase-Green it seems was adamant to disclose whether City Hall has a creditable system in dealing with contractual agreements. While insisting that there is a credible system at City Hall, the Town Clerk (ag) eventually agreed that there are no written contracts in the case of the cleaning of the canals along the Avenue of the Republic. This is symptomatic of how the City Council has been managed over the years with respect to several other contracts despite many previous investigations and recommendations that have all been ignored.
While a project document was procured by the City Engineer in this particular case, no evidence of a written contract could be procured. Case closed after hours of deliberations! Many other important issues are outstanding, particularly the relocation of vendors from the Stabroek Market Wharf and issues relating to the relocation of vendors at the Kitty Market which is still incomplete after some three and half years undergoing renovation. No credible reports exist of work done or still to be done.
While many may argue that the majority of employees are working diligently and honestly under the archaic and exceptionally harsh conditions, they are, however, forced to work under people at City Hall many of whom are politically oriented with little or no regard for workers’ welfare.
Imagine workers in the clogged up canals clearing and cleaning these canals in the most inhuman conditions with the help of only one excavator and a number of trucks, in waiting to carry off the debris. Many of these workers receive only a pittance while those contracted by the political players at City Hall spend millions to hire the trucks to cart off the rubbish that piles up on the side of the parapets without prior approval from the elected Councillors or any tendering process observed. Shenanigans in this case refer to secret or dishonest activities or manoeuvres by alleged corrupt City officials.
Why has it taken so long to uncover the truth? What will be done to correct these anomalies or do we need a complete overhaul of the way City Hall continues to be managed?
Yours faithfully,
Khame Sharma