Dem boys seh…Rohee, Kwame and Manny want hotel too

Jul 28, 2010 Dem Boys Seh, Features / Columnists, News

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When foreigners come they must have proppa places to go and to stay. Dem boys hear Bharrat seh suh before he get de flu. And de man still sick because all dem pharmacy hide dem medication from he.
Even he best friend, Bobby, who does sell all de drugs to de hospital, didn’t keep none fuh help he friend. And he friend really been in need.
And is that same need mek Bharrat want to build de Marriott. Then Manny lose he head because he want investors build a five star hotel in Wakenaam. More than half de people pun de island move out and now paying people fuh live in dem house.
Then Kwame ketch de virus and he want a hotel at Monkey Mountain fuh he and dem other monkeys.
Even Rohee get in de act. He want a local contractor who build some of dem schools, and repair some of dem hospitals, roads—even a farmer fuh build a hotel at Mazaruni. He don’t care who build de hotel once one build next to de prison. If dem people got lil bit commonsense then cockroach eat out dem boys brain.
But then again Rohee probably mekking room fun some of he friends who flying high right now. Talk half. Lef half.

Quote: “The owner is by himself. He has no guests. Those four walls kind of close in on you.” That is the fate of those other hotels in Guyana when the Marriott is completed.

NDIA seizes control of Berbice water users’ body

– after probe unearths widespread abuse

A Board of Investigators mandated to probe the operations of water users associations (WUAs), across the country, has found widespread abuse at an East Berbice operation and the Chairman has since been ordered to hand over all assets.
Kaieteur News understands that the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), an arm of the Ministry of Agriculture, has written Ramlaghan Singh, Chairman of the Numbers 52-74 Water Users Association, Corentyne, advising him that the agreement with government has been withdrawn.
The NDIA will be managing the operations of the association until elections are held.
Singh was ordered by NDIA to hand over all financial records, property and equipment.
In early June, and with millions of dollars at stake, Minister of Agriculture, Robert Persaud, had established the Board of Investigators to ensure the smooth operation and management of the association across the country.
Officials had said that millions of dollars were passing through the accounts of the associations, but there were instances where either the monies were misused or squandered, with nothing to show for it.
Some WUAs across the country have more than $15M in their bank accounts while others have managed to record a deficit.
WUAs were established as a means to allow farmers to actually collect rates, place it into the coffers of the association and then use it to improve drainage and irrigation structures across the country.
Heading the special board are Dindyal Permaul, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, along with Dharamkumar Seeraj, General Secretary, Guyana Rice Producers Association (RPA), Steve Mangal, Co-ordinator of the Guyana Agriculture Producers Association (GAPA), a representative from the respective Regional RDC, a farmer’s representative from the respective area, Deonarine Shiwsankar, Institutional Specialist, Agri Services Development Unit, NDIA Engineer, Lall Piterahaue  and Omadatt Chandan, Corporate Secretary, NDIA.
Kaieteur News was told that in mid-June, the Board of Investigators visited the association where several complaints were made.
In its recommendations, the Board of Investigators urged for early elections and advised that the current Chairman “could be” expelled by a Special General Assembly Meeting.
It also recommended that no monies be paid to the Secretary since Board Members can only receive a stipend.
The report also called for a reduction of the association’s debt.
In June, the Ministry of Agriculture has said that the purpose of the board will be to ensure that the WUAs are in conformity with established by-laws and delegation agreement, correct deficiencies, monitor and evaluate WUAs performance, ensuring there is proper accountability and there are no conflicts of interest, advise the WUAs management boards on important issues, make recommendations for the sustainability of the WUAs and make recommendations to the Ministry of Agriculture,” the Ministry stated.
The Board’s functions will kick into gear once farmers complain about the functioning of a particular WUA.
“The Ministry had seen it fit to conduct these enquiries in the interest of farmers.
Following representation to the Ministry, investigations will start at WUAs in Berbice at 52-74, Charity-Zorg-en-Vlygt, Essequibo Coast and Vergeonoegen/Naamryck, West Demerara.”
The Ministry had urged farmers and interested stakeholders to attend meetings of the Board since it would bring clarity and transparency into the operation of WUAs.
This mechanism will be used to empower farmers to manage and operate the drainage and irrigation system in a better way, the Ministry assured.
There have been several complaints about the running of some of WUAs, with farmers saying that over time, a chosen few in the hierarchy of the association used the funds to develop drainage structures in some areas while not paying attention to others. This led to losses and the frustration of some farmers.

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