Dear Editor,
On Monday I learnt, quite by accident, that there was a public consultation sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Tuesday, March 29, 2022 at the Cara Lodge. As a concerned citizen, I turned up to hear all sides of the story. There were presentations by the EPA and Ministry of Public Infrastructure. Officers did their best to ensure that they did not anger the political bosses. The presentation by Ms. Simone Mangal-Joly was thorough and of an extremely high standard. Unhappily, the Officers in their response to her presentation, and questions asked by David Patterson, seem to trivialize the concerns expressed and I recommend to all and sundry, that they read Kaieteur News Editorial of today’s date, Wednesday, March 30, 2022. But Dear Editor, I am concerned for my country that along with others, we still hope to live in a country where integrity and professionalism can prevail. I felt a sense of hopelessness, however, since it is crystal clear that we are dealing with a government, that whether something is right or wrong, what they determine is correct.
When I entered the Cara Lodge Room, minutes before the time announced to begin the session, I was surprised that the venue identified could not accommodate the number of persons expected at a Public Consultation and I wish to emphasize ‘Public”, on a matter of such importance as the new Demerara Harbour Bridge. When the session began, I checked there were just about thirty two chairs, and while the session was going on, there were eight empty chairs. This means that the attendance was just about two dozen persons, and this included the EPA and Ministry of Public Infrastructure staff. Two persons, including one individual via Zoom, who lives in the area where the bridge is expected to be located on the East Bank of Demerara, refuted the claim by one of the staff who said they had consulted persons in that area. It is claimed from all, that we are seeing and hearing that the EPA is no more than the hand-maiden of the powers that be. This shattered to bits this whole idea of Guyana being a democracy. Yesterday’s exercise in a small room at Cara Lodge was merely a gimmick to mask the creeping dictatorship we are now in, and the question is, was this public consultation really intended for the public.
Sincerely,
Hamilton Green
