-questions submitted to Parliament
The People’s National Congress Reform/A Partnership for National Unity (PNCR/APNU) has expressed concern over what it sees as the issue of corruption which it claims has been plaguing the Ministry of Agriculture under the People’s Progressive Party (PPP/C) administration over the years and more so in recent months, a release from the two groups stated yesterday.
It lamented that even when acts of corruption are made public, there is no official response, and as such, the Coalition asserted that it will continue to press the Minister of Agriculture to ensure that all Guyanese are given answers to the questions of corruption levelled against his ministry.
According to the release, to date, the Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, has so far failed to answer the questions of how $50 million in estimated damage to the powerhouse control room at Albion Estate was transformed to a “whopping” $600 million. Further, the minister is accused of being secretive on allegations of corruption and investigations at major agencies such as the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC), Mahaica, Mahaicony, Abary-Agricultural Development Authority (MMA/ADA), and the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), with many questions through press releases calling on him to respond going unanswered. In view of the lack of official responses to the aforementioned allegations, the opposition said it finds it necessary that the last avenue of questioning within the democracy be utilised to its fullest, and through MP and Shadow Minister of Agriculture,Vinceroy Jordan, submitted the following questions to the National Assembly “on behalf of all Guyanese who demand accountability.”
Concerning the destruction of GuySuCo’s Albion Estate power plant control room; a) could the Minister kindly state whether an inquiry was launched into the cause of the fire and the total damage sustained in the control room and powerhouse? b) also, whether it was due to negligence and who was held accountable for the damage?
Concerning the rehabilitation of GuySuCo’s Albion Estate powerhouse control room; a) could the Minister state what were the repairs done amounting to $600 million dollars as announced by him as the cost for the rehabilitation of the damaged powerhouse? b) could the Minister provide the engineer’s damage assessment report (cost included) and the engineer’s estimate for works completed? c) could the Minister detail the procurement processes followed for the procurement and supply of materials and labour to complete the rehabilitation works? d) could the Minister provide the list of contractors to supply materials and complete the works at the powerhouse control room?
Concerning the reported missing sugar at Rose Hall estate; a) could the Minister say whether any sugar went missing or could not be accounted for at the Rose Hall estate during the last crop period? b) could the Minister provide the report on the outcome of the investigation of the unaccounted sugar that led to the termination of the Production Manager and the Head Lab Technician?
