Dear Editor,
A few months ago, I read in your newspaper whilst President Irfaan Ali was doing an outreach in one of the villages in this country, he said that the aim of this exercise was to bring the Office of the President to the people so that he can listen to the concerns of the people and bring relief to them on the spot. I applauded that statement by the president and felt that here was someone who was working for the people of this country. I felt good, but the reality is the people who are below the president are not singing from the same hymn book and do not care a hang about the people and so this letter is addressed to the president so that he can know what is going on.
On June 20, 2024, Stabroek News published a letter from the residents of my street headlined, “The Streets and shoulders of First Street Chesney/Kilcoy South are being destroyed by forbidden heavy duty trucks” in which the residents complained bitterly about the destruction of their street by heavy duty trucks caused by an Auto Electrician plying his trade on the road shoulder. The residents were hoping that the letter would have caught the eyes of the President or the Minister of Public Works and they would have done something.
After about two weeks and nothing being done, I was asked by the people to talk to the Minister of Public Works. I spoke to one Miss Gomes whom I understand to be a confidential secretary and she told me the Minister is busy and I can forward the Stabroek News letter to her and she will give it to the relevant person for action. I did what she told me. About one week after, I called her and she told me she gave the letter to an engineer for action. After not hearing from anyone at the Ministry of Public Works, I decided to try the Office of the President.
I was provided with an email address and told to email the Stabroek News letter to the Office of the President. I was pleasantly surprised when I received an email reply on July 3,2024 at 10.28 AM from Nancy Ferreira, Senior Confidential Secretary to the President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana acknowledging receipt of my email and which was forwarded to the Minister of Public Works for his attention. I immediately replied and told her that I have been engaging the Ministry of Public Works for the past two weeks without any response.
On July 12, 2024 at 10.15am I sent another email to Miss Ferreira reminding her that I am yet to receive any response from the Ministry of Public Works and I was hoping that she can get them to do something. Sadly Editor to date, I have not received any response from anyone.
Editor, as can be seen from the above, it seems like only the president can get things done in this country for the ordinary people and so on behalf of the residents of my street, I am appealing to His Excellency President Irfaan Ali to look into our problem. He can start by asking someone to show him the letter from the residents that was published in the Stabroek News on June 20, 2024. Hoping to hear from the President.
Sincerely,
(Name and Address Witheld)
