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Sooba calls off meeting to address dilapidated Stabroek Market Wharf
A meeting organized by members of the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC),
The dilapidated Stabroek Market Wharf
to address issues affecting vendors occupying sections of the badly dilapidated Stabroek Market Wharf, was yesterday called off by Town Clerk (Ag), Carol Sooba.
The Council had planned to meet with the vendors to discuss the next step in their proposal to rehabilitate sections of the deteriorating wharf which many fear may collapse at any given moment.
Last month, heavy winds caused extensive damage to the already broken down vending area of the wharf. The incident created chaos among vendors and those who ventured into that section of the market to conduct business.
On June 5, 2013 a section of the wharf collapsed, injuring a market handyman. Charles Ferdinand sustained a huge gash to the head and was hospitalized for over 48 hours.
Following the incident, vendors noted the lack of concern on the part of those responsible for the maintenance for the wharf. The vendors noted that persons are putting their lives at risk on a daily basis in an effort to ply their trade by using that section of the market.
They noted too that since there are no alternatives to the situation, numerous calls were made to the authorities to have the situation rectified. However, the roof of the dock continues to hang dangerously loose, as vendors express fear that at any moment, the entire section could come crashing down.
At a press briefing held at City Hall yesterday afternoon, Deputy Mayor Patricia Chase Greene disclosed that the Council had planned to meet, discuss and update vendors on alternatives for relocation in the event of the rehabilitation of the wharf but in her usual fashion Sooba called off the meeting.
She said that the Council had long agreed to close off the wharf and relocate the vendors and remains resolute in its efforts to provide relief to them.
“Those vendors turned up here this morning willing and waiting to hear what is the next move because all they’ve been having were visits from the Minister of Local Government, the Minister of Public Works, Ms Sooba, myself and members of the Markets Committee…. We were ready to say to them that the twenty-one spots have been identified for those persons who are in immediate danger because the place is cordoned off for the rehabilitation to start,” the Deputy Mayor said.
She described the cancellation of the meeting as the most recent tactic by Sooba to frustrate the efforts of the Council.
Councillor Randwell Jordan of the M&CC Public Health and Markets Committee told media operatives that the Council will continue in its effort to ensure that it provides adequate service to the citizens of Georgetown. He noted that a section of the Merriman’s Mall has already been identified to accommodate the vendors.
“We will ensure that one way or another that will be done,” said Jordan, he noted that a meeting to address the vendors will be rescheduled.
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