– as disputation over Nooitgedacht road continues
Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill has issued a call for transparency regarding the tolls collected from trucks transporting aggregate in the Linden area.
Yesterday, during a programme on 104.3 FM, Edghill urged the Mayor and Town Council to disclose the financial figures related to toll collection and clarify how the funds have been utilised for road construction. “Let them declare how much money was collected and what they used the money for,” Edghill challenged, underscoring the need for accountability in local governance.
The minister’s comments come in the wake of escalating concerns about the safety of the Nooitgedacht access road. Linden Mayor Sharma Solomon had previously called for the immediate closure of the road due to alarming findings of unsafe levels of heavy metals, including arsenic, zinc, nickel, and chromium. He described the situation as “toxic,” emphasising the potential health hazards posed to residents, particularly the elderly.
The controversy centres around allegations that materials sourced from the nearby aluminium plant waste area were illegally used in the road’s construction. Edghill claimed that his team was taken to a material pit to collect samples for testing, but ridiculed this insisting that samples should be collected directly from the road. He said he dispatched his team to conduct tests, which were confirmed by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) to reveal no alarming issues, with materials found to comply with standard lateritic road construction.
Responding to the comments made by Edghill yesterday, Solomon said, “We didn’t send anybody to the pits for samples. We know they did not take them from the road, and that must be published boldly.”
He pointed out that Councilor Waynewright Bethune, who was involved with the initial testing, was not present during the sample collection. “They just scamp somebody up there, run a test, and now they want to justify their results,” he said, questioning the integrity of the sampling process.
Solomon also demanded clarity and accountability, stating that the municipality had previously indicated where samples should be taken. “We told them where they need to take the samples from, and they did not go where we told them to go,” he said.
Furthermore, he criticised the minister’s apparent lack of understanding regarding the sampling methods used, stating, “We ask them for results, the results of the sample, and we ask them for the regime to show the procedure used to acquire these samples.”
During the broadcast, the minister announced government plans to improve the 1.4 km Nooitgedacht access road. Interventions will commence immediately to establish a solid base, with aspirations to eventually asphalt the entire stretch, acknowledging its significance as a crucial thoroughfare, he said.
Edghill further stated that there are currently 26 road projects in progress, totalling $1.2 billion. He lambasted the Mayor for focusing on complaints rather than fostering development in the region. “Their complaining will cause us to come to Linden, Ituni, Kwakwani, Riverview, etc, to bring about the development in this region,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Bethune supported Solomon’s concerns, asserting that the problematic materials have been in use for at least two months. He emphasised the need for immediate capping of the road to mitigate health risks associated with increased dust and toxic exposure.
