Latest update October 22nd, 2026 10:00 AM
Minister Benn a ‘bully’ – Mayor
‘I take it as a compliment coming from the mayor’– Minister Benn
Mayor of Georgetown, Hamilton Green, and Minister of Public Works and Hydraulics, Robeson Benn, are at war over the construction of a monument in memory of those who perished in the Cubana Air Disaster on October 6, 1976.
At a press conference, yesterday, at City Hall, Mayor Green said that the construction of the monument commenced a few weeks ago at the junction of Camp and Lamaha Streets, but on Wednesday, the workers were ordered by Minister Benn to stop all works on the site.
According to the Mayor, Minister Benn chased the workers from the construction site.
This, Mayor Green said, is an assault on the rights of the municipality and sheer bullyism on the part of the Minister.
He added, “The Mayor of Georgetown will not be bullied.”
When contacted for a comment on the matter, Minister Benn explained that he indeed halted construction at the location, since the Public Works Ministry was never officially notified by City Hall that it would commence construction.
Construction has already commenced at the monument site at the junction of Camp and Lamaha Streets.
Minister Benn said that he had to stop the works. The Ministry does not know the size or dimension of the project and is not aware of what is taking place.
Benn said that he was passing the site on Wednesday when he observed that the construction was being undertaken in an unsafe manner; it was directly on the public road and also on Government’s reserve.
He explained that the construction was affecting road safety and the free flow of traffic.
According to the Minister, it was only yesterday morning that he was informed that the site would be used for the construction of the monument.
In this regard, he said that permission will not be granted to recommence construction unless City Hall submits the relevant documents and notification to the Public Works Ministry, clearly explaining the nature of the project.
When questioned at the press conference yesterday if it was not protocol for City Hall to notify the authorities before it commences construction of any project, Mayor Green said that he believes that City Hall is the ‘authority’ and the project is one which passed through the hands of the government.
The Mayor contended that the discussion on building a monument in memory of the disaster is one which has been in the public domain for over two years now, ever since the Prime Minister, who was performing the duties of President at the time, had promised that a monument will be built at the said location.
“If the Minister thought there was something wrong, I believe it was his responsibility to communicate this with the municipality, either directly to me or to officials in the municipality,” Mayor Green said.
He said that he is not aware that the Ministry of Works has authority over the area and holds the view that there seems to be some confusion over the matter.
When asked if Minister Benn offered any reasons for ordering workers off the site, the Mayor said, ‘bullies never give reason.’
“Even if there was something wrong at the site, I don’t think that was the correct approach. This is something that was public… it was not a secret. And I don’t imagine that if the General Secretary of the party and the President at the time, offered their public support to a project… that some other Goliath, who believes that he is bigger than those two public officials, feels he could stop the project,” Green noted.
When asked to respond to the accusation of being a bully, Minister Benn said, “He called me a bully?… I take that as a compliment from the Mayor, given his political background.”
Mayor Green has since ordered workers to resume work. (Fareeza Haniff).
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