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Instead of a swimming pool we are swimming in mediocrity

Jul 23, 2009 Letters

Dear Editor,
It is clear, and rather unfortunate, that Guyanese must, at least for the time being, bear the burden of poor, undemocratic governance, worsened by a number of leaders obsessed with the accumulation of wealth.
Each hour of the day one can write or report on inappropriate behaviour by high state officials.
Today I give but one example, but only because one newspaper ran a front-page story about the state of affairs of the National Swimming Pool.

First, discussions relating to the Georgetown Development Plan (2001-2010) assumed that the swimming pool would have been constructed around the Durban Park area, behind the 1763 Monument.
We were told that this project had received the blessings and solid support of the late President, Janet Jagan, even as some of those around her attempted to use the area for, what appeared to be, a purely money making effort while ignoring the concept of good planning and the need to put this facility in the heart of the city.
I saw an initial plan, quite different from the approved one that proposed the merging of several government offices, now scattered around the city, into one large complex.
The good sense of the original plan is obvious and here, I give credit to Ms Jagan for standing up to good principles.

Suddenly, without notice, (as is the new pattern), and without consultation with the relevant authorities (M&CC) and I suspect, the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA), the state announced the building of the pool somewhere in Lilliendaal, shifting from a convenient central location.
Such a decision forces one to ask several pertinent questions of the authorities.
(1) What motivated the shifting of venues? (2) Did the planners engage in any meaningful consultation before the final decision was made?, (3) How much money was spent so far and who are the beneficiaries of these sums?, (4)Was not the millions spent dumping sand east of the 1763 Monument related to the construction of the swimming pool and if not, what was the purpose?

Finally, why was the money expended and who got the contract to dump the sand? It would also be interesting to know how many tons were deposited and at what cost?
May I also add this one to help those who profess to ‘a return to democracy,’ and are desirous of a truthful answer and not the usual rhetoric about ‘technical difficulties?’
Three decades ago, the PNC Government built a swimming pool behind Castellani House. This facility is still functional and is the venue for all international meets. It was sturdily build using locally produced tiles.
As a taxpayer and concerned Guyanese, I would be happy to be furnished with the whole truth and to know what is going on.
The government is not short of money but perhaps, short of genuine interest in the welfare of Guyanese.
I close by making a point that even though removed from the crux of this discussion, is pertinent, because only this past week, we celebrated the Police Anniversary.
Imagine, in this day and age we have Police Stations in the city, devoid of a stand by generator.
Thus celebration activities were greeted by a spate of blackouts in the city.
Hamilton Green, J.P.

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