Corriverton Mayor, councillors “chased out of positions”, IMC installed

May 31, 2012 News

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….maintains he is still Mayor

 

The former Mayor of Corriverton, Roy Baijnauth, is furious at what he said was the manner in which he and his councillors were “chased out” of their positions in the Municipality of Corriverton, Corentyne. Additionally, he is maintaining that he is still the Mayor of Corriverton.
A few weeks ago, Minister of Local Government, Ganga Persaud, and a team of Government officials, including Member of Parliament, Faizal M. Jaffarally, installed nine Interim Management Committees (IMCs) in Berbice.
Eight Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs)– Canefield- Enterprise; Ordnance/Fort Lands 38; Enfield- New Doe Park; Kilcoy- Chesney; Maida-Tarlogie; Black Bush Polder; Bush Lot- Adventure, and Whim- Bloomfield were dissolved. The Corriverton Mayor and Town Council was dissolved soon after and IMCs were installed to manage their affairs.
Baijnauth is now contending that neither he nor his councillors was given notice that they had to vacate office and their positions. “They put an IMC in Corriverton without notifying my councillors…Nobody from the Local Government [Ministry] told us anything— [they were] hoping we would just walk off like that”.
Baijnauth stated that how he knew he was to have left office was through his Town Clerk “who received something from the Local Government Ministry without any signature– a list of names– and this was on the day before the swearing- in. However, but up to now I believe I am still the Mayor”.
Baijnauth is further alleging that he was not informed by the government, the Ministry or the PPP that his municipality was to be dissolved.
Member of Parliament, Faizal M. Jaffarally, said that there was a public enquiry in the Municipality Chambers in late 2011. “Notices were placed in newspapers and on television informing residents of the public enquiry into the affairs of the Corriverton IMC”.
He said that the investigation into the affairs of the Corriverton Mayor and Town Council was carried out by an investigator “who submits the report to the Ministry [of Local Government] and they act on his recommendation.  Based on the public outcry, an IMC should be established…The people there said that they were not being provided with quality services by the present administration operating there (in Corriverton) and they requested the council to be replaced by new body in 2011.
“After a process of due consultation with the various stakeholders of the Corriverton community including business leaders, educators, farmers, women, youths and the religious community, the Ministry appointed the current IMC.”
Jaffarally noted that some of the main findings of the investigation into the council’s operations were that the council “did not provide the kind of services as expected; that there has been a lack of interaction with residents and they were not responding in a timely manner to complaints by residents”.
Jaffarally said that while he could not comment on the late notification to the Corriverton Town Council of the dissolution of the Municipality, it was normal and lawful since “the law states that you can only dissolve a council when you’re installing a new one…you cannot dissolve a council the day before and install a new one two weeks later.
“So just before the swearing- in, the council was dissolved and the Town Clerk was present at the swearing- in ceremony for the new IMC, ” he added.
The Member of Parliament said that Baijnauth “[still] cannot be the Mayor– it’s impossible”.
There is also a grouse that the current IMC constitutes only of members of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C). Jaffarally refuted this and said that there are several members including a businessman representing the Upper Corentyne Chamber of Commerce (UCCCI), Ganesh Gangadin– “I am saying the man is not a PPP…and then he is coming from the business community”.
The Chairman of the IMC himself, Bowis Harripaul, “was selected as an old educator…he is not PPP”. He added that when an NDC or Municipality is being dissolved, the Minister can appoint whomever he wishes to appoint after intense consultations whereby the people of the community would have submitted a list of names of persons they recommend for positions on the IMC.
But Baijnauth believes the entire process was “a set- up”. “He [Jaffarally] is one of the chaps that set this whole thing up– he and [Zulfikar] Mustapha (former Region Six Chairman)– he is wicked– let him come to Corriverton with me and my councillors– I want to confront them and [let them] tell me what it is– 20 years– who won’t vex?
“And they can’t tell me I do anything wrong on the inside”. Baijnauth wants a meeting with the government officials to “let them tell us what wrong we did”.
He questioned the investigation that was done and said that it was merely an investigation carried out between the Deputy Mayor and himself “concerning a problem with me because he [the Deputy Mayor] claimed prescriptive rights on Government sea defense property–They did not come to investigate anything– they just come with a piece of paper to fool the people– they are a pack of liars!”
“Ask them how long I asked to meet with President Jagdeo– for five years– and I couldn’t meet with him because of them”.
Baijnauth claimed that the officials handled the entire process “wrong”. “We knew we had to come out of there (out of office) some time. Up to last year, I resigned and the General Secretary (of the PPP) asked me to hold on until Local Government elections but the Vice- Chairman and these two chaps wicked– that is why the PPP nearly lost the elections!”
Baijnauth added, “They just chased us out after serving for 17 years…they could have sent a letter– The Minister never met with me. “Aren’t we human beings? After serving so long; and Corriverton was the best- run town in this country– look at New Amsterdam, Rose Hall, Linden, even Anna Regina— we have things in place as much we were short of councillors.
“When we collected 60 per cent of money, we did 100 per cent of works, because we stretched the money. Nobody ain’t put it in their pockets!”
Baijnauth stated that he gave up his Canadian Residency in 1994 to “serve this country and the man responsible for that was Cheddi Jagan and not any of them farts we got there today”.

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