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Local Govt. Ministry launches probe

May 15, 2010 News

‘Regional Administration attempting to cover up negligence’ – NDIA

The incident involving the koker at Garden of Eden has now evolved into a verbal tit-for-tat between the Region Four Administration and the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) with the latter body debunking any claims that the structure collapsed because of its negligence.
That Authority in a statement to the media yesterday said that “the misleading and confusing statement issued by the region’s administration is aimed at covering up and distracting from its inability to properly manage the facility”.
It was also pointed out that the Ministry of Local Government will be launching an investigation into the “poor management of the facility”.
The NDIA stated that the Regional administration, rather than accepting its negligence and poor management of the infrastructure, has chosen to be involved in a “blame game” or “Duck for cover” situation.
It noted that the Regional Administration repaired the koker door five months ago, “but for some reason did not act in remedying the structural defects nor formally advising the NDIA of its condition. Residents and officials who were at the scene of the broken koker door could attest to this fact.”
The D&I entity denied that it was informed about the nature of the defective door, columns and base slab, charging that the Regional engineer never disclosed that fact to the NDIA as is now being claimed.
“In addition, at no time a formal representation was made by the region at the NDIA Board level, even though the Regional Chairman, Clement Corlette is a director on the NDIA board. The Regional Administration seems to be dodging its responsibilities in light of such a sensitive situation, when it should be supporting the current works to remedy the structure and safeguard the area from being affected by flood waters.”
The NDIA added also that it is the same Regional Administration, which claims “The Ministry has a license to usurp the functions and responsibilities of Regional elected governments in Guyana” that now wants the very Ministry to usurp its functions by repairing this structure.
It was pointed out that in the interest of farmers and residents and to fulfill its mandate in providing proper drainage and irrigation services, the NDIA immediately responded to remedy the situation even if it meant usurping some of the functions of local government.
Following the collapse of the koker on Wednesday afternoon, the Region Four Administration was lambasted over its management of the structure, but fired back, blaming the NDIA.
This newspaper has since been reliably informed that the NDIA has requested that the Regional Executive Office supply the cost of the recent repairs undertaken by the regional Administration along with a copy of the contract and all other documentation related to the project.
A mere five months after it was rehabilitated, the koker, which was said to be substandard by all accounts, broke under the pressure of a high tide threatening millions in poultry and farmlands in the process.
The koker was described by officials as being built with wood not suited to withstand the pressure of the water. There was also the fact that the wood used was not thick enough.
One of the farmers passionately stated, “Dis is nonsense. Dis ting do just de odda day and it bruck up already.”

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