Believe me friend, today’s offering does not represent journalistic laziness. It is deliberate repetition of a recent issue and its treatment. Merely because it has intrigued me as much as it is being, slowly but surely, catapulted onto our collective national consciousness. As it should be. After all the issue involves billions of our contributed dollars. Directly – or via loans. Of course the recent National Budget debates did motivate.
So what am I going on about? Again? (And appreciate my simple man-in-the street treatment please).
It’s about contracts! Those multi-million – sometimes billions – agreements between a contractor and an entity – government, quasi-government or private sector employer, – to execute some project or undertaking within an agreed-upon time frame, utilising the contractual fee to produce a finished work to a required standard.
Phew! – Pardon that rather long convoluted sentence before this one. But it captures – in my layman’s simplicity – the basic elements of contracts. Here we emphasise Government contracts won for national projects on behalf of all Guyanese taxpayers and every other citizen. Should we all not pay more attention to this area of national life? As I was recently motived to do? Why?
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Formalities, the chosen for us to monitor
Now I’m being realistic. Because life is still a challenge daily for us – the working- class with no American pensions – we leave certain national but specific formalities and technicalities to those we elected to serve us. Oftimes they – the elected – need professional trained personnel to advise them as well – experts.
So I’ll bet that few ordinary citizens interest themselves in, for example, the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board – the NPTAB. Just what is that? Well that body approves billions as it awards huge contracts to successful bidders. But just who are these individuals on that vital Board? How did they qualify? And even when/if “politics” somehow intruded to influence final “collective” choice, how relentlessly professional is that monitoring of the execution, then finished billion-dollar project(s)?
I became very interested in this issue of contracts-awards after bidding; qualification of contractors; Tender Boards; contracts awards by Cabinet or local district/ regional authorities etc.etc.- at the start of this year. Then this newspaper offered some very relevant analytical editorials. I’m now so hooked. So I’m seeking out a young investigative journalist to assist us all: what is the NPTAB? Just who comprises its Evaluation Committees to guarantee us quality lasting completion for our million/billions? Help poor us understand the bidding procedures for these huge contracts – buildings, roads, airstrips, drainage, irrigation.
Journalists and some of us must, with respect for the professionals, go twice monthly to check/monitor the progress of works being done in city and village. Take photographs as we try to engage the foremen and supervision. It’s our money, our loans!
I’d better not bother with the word “integrity” in my lead caption. Integrity has to do with “adherence to a code of strong moral values”, even incorruptibility. As I discern ministers Edghill and Mustapha gallantly trying to correct massive missteps involving multi-million contracts, my thoughts wander to their assessments of those chosen contractors’ professional integrity. Do today’s contractors know anything about integrity? Even as roads crumble? Discuss…
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Personal, national pride: still around?
Frankly speaking, I’m coming off as being a little “preachy” now. That’s so? Yes. For a reason.
Even the poor lads in my growing-up neighbourhood slowly but surely were made to appreciate personal pride. Being clean, bathed, well-turned out even in “old clothes” and always respectful of adults. Soon we nurtured our own pride. Not show-offish but self-respect. School and church also helped to inculcate national love of country – patriotic pride. So where am I going with all this?
I use “ignorant” to mean “uninformed, without the relevant or specific knowledge”. Often the young or immature could suffer from this form of ignorance. They never knew. Were never taught or “informed”.
But how could you explain matured Guyanese accepting the jungle-like Le Repentir Georgetown cemetery as it is for years? Ignorance or just acceptance? Giving-up? “The authorities” – City Hall, government, Civil Society constitute those who are “in charge”. But we are seemingly fashioned to accept mediocrity, stink odours, ugly surroundings, shoddy vending standards and class exist only “outside”. What say you fellow citizens? And will the contractor working on GT’s City Hall complete it in my lifetime?
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Ponder…never give up
● 1) Even Monday’s SN editorial writer has given up? By writing: “neither SOCU nor the FIU as presently constituted have sufficient resources and the intent to pursue their mandates. Moreover, political interference would cripple any attempt to proceed against anyone who had clearance from high levels.”
● 2) Former Minister David Patterson and Burnham disciple Vincent Alexander are competent monitors of government excesses – and alleged non-inclusivity.
● 3) Are contracts inflated before or after signing?
● 4) ‘Though thousands of miles away my old heart grieves for those thousands killed in Turkey and Syria this week. We here are blessed!
● 5) Coming next week: Georgetown’s City Council and Minister Dharamlall.
`Til next week
