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“Live within the law” – Greenidge cautions Govt.
– emphasises no new projects should be started at this stage
The political opposition has made it clear over the years, and even recently, that it will not hesitate to
APNU’s Shadow Minister of Finance, Carl Greenidge
exercise its right to approach the courts in an attempt to block any programme or action by the government it deems to be undemocratic and/or unconstitutional.
Given this characteristic, Minister of Public Works Robeson Benn expressed that one can only hope that the recently commenced US$47M road project is not delayed or obstructed by the Opposition’s affinity for court action.
Benn made those among other comments during the launch of the West Coast Demerara Road Improvement Project, where he also expressed disappointment with the challenges faced by the government during the Tenth Parliament.
Despite Benn’s hopes for the project to be spared legal challenge, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU)’s Shadow Minister of Finance, Carl Greenidge after noting the Minister’s statements said that if the Minister and the government wish for the road to be continued unhindered, “they have to live within the law. That simply means that no new projects should be started at this stage.”
Greenidge said that the Public Works Minister seems to have been confused when he made the statement regarding the opposition’s apparent “obsession” with the court. He stressed that the truth of the matter is that Attorney General Anil Nandlall has initiated most of the court action surrounding the activities of the Parliament.
The politician further stated that Benn had given the citizenry over the years, a long story about the
Public Works Minister, Robeson Benn
People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) being a well-intended victim. However, the former finance minister said that the very issues that led to the problems it faces today seem to have been overlooked by the Public Works Minister.
Benn had said, too, “The Opposition has had us going to court frequently; our Attorney General [Anil] Nandlall has had to go to court to defend frequent issues in respect to expenditure for roads and other infrastructure and initiatives the government is intending to undertake.”
But Greenidge on that very point opined that the Attorney General has been the victim of his own actions and ineffectiveness. The Shadow Finance Minister said that it is Nandlall’s advice which has led to most of the problems the PPP/C has been encountering. “So if he is in court too often then he (Nandlall) has to look at his work.”
“I also noted that Benn even referred to the court action taken by the opposition to be errant, but Mr Benn needs to be aware that that decision and assessment is a matter for the court. It was Nandlall who has been threatening to take to the courts, my comments on the Chief Justice’s decisions. Excessive resort to the court and the abuse of the threat of the use of the court is part of the PPP/C policy, so Mr Benn is not even in a position to pronounce meaningfully on such matters.”
As it relates to Benn’s sentiments on the recently launched road project, he had said, “I hope that this road project will not see another attack in the courts or any quarter in respect to the launch, the investment or the execution. There should be no hindrance towards the putting in place of this road.”
Benn stated that the current administration had lobbied for developmental projects and far-reaching investments as it is in keeping with its principle desire—”continued progress” in Guyana.
“So, we will want to hope that we don’t have a continuation of what I call errant and misguided resorts to the courts to stop what are plainly investment projects intended for the development, for the well-being of all Guyanese people and also the well-being and development of the Caribbean region,” the Minister had said.
The recently commenced roadway, which stretches some 30.7 kilometres from Vreed-en-Hoop to Hydronie, is expected to be completed in about 36 months. The contracted companies are BK International and a Jamaican company, Surrey Paving and Aggregate (SPA) Limited.
Taking the aforementioned into account, Greenidge said, “He (Benn) speaks of his hopes for this contract; he says nothing about why it has been awarded to one of the same contractors he identified as encountering delays in previous and existing contracts. Are there no other contractors operating in Guyana or is it a case of ‘I only have eyes for you?”
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