Committee to manage construction of Cubana Monument

Nov 04, 2008 News

The construction of at least one Cubana Monument is effectively out of the hands of the Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown. They had opted to have it erected at the junction of Camp Road and Lamaha Street.

Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Roger Luncheon

According to Cabinet Secretary Dr Roger Luncheon at his most recent post-Cabinet press briefing, Cabinet met on Thursday last and was updated on the steps being taken by Central Government to commemorate the Cubana Air Disaster.
He disclosed that plans are being made to have a broad-based committee tasked with managing the plans to have the monument constructed at a suitable location within the grounds of the University of Guyana.
Dr Luncheon related that the committee will also take on the responsibility of launching a public competition for a design of the monument.
But, according to City Mayor Hamilton Green, the efforts by the Administration to snatch the project away are simply an example of “bullyism,” which is often displayed towards the municipality.
He disclosed that, on Friday last, Local Government Minister Kellawan Lall informed him that the project will be undertaken by Central Government.
Mayor Green pointed out that on repeated occasions the Administration has successfully disrupted attempts by the municipality to undertake any meaningful projects in the city.
He cited the Stabroek Car Park as one such project which the Administration had disrupted, and has since done nothing to improve the area.
According to him, the Administration seems to have a problem if the municipality engages a project which proves to be acceptable.
The Administration’s recent reaction to the construction of the monument is inconsistent with the ‘so-called’ return to democracy, Mayor Green opined.
He said that he will have to accept the fact that “The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the Name of the Lord.”
According to Mayor Green, approval was initially given to the municipality to have the monument constructed in the city, but, for some unexplained reason, the approval was revoked.