Latest update April 7th, 2025 12:08 AM
Minister of Communities must investigate Region 6
Dear Editor;
Please allow me to refute the poor attempt by Regional Councillor and member of the Regional Works Committee, Sherry Ann Beharry to come to the rescue of her dear friend, the Regional Vice Chairman of Region 6, Mr Dennis Deoroop.
I am referring to an article she wrote in the Kaieteur News dated 9th October, under the caption ‘Prime Minister’s Region 6 Rep was not present’. What she wrote in that article is laughable, ludicrous and totally devoid of truth. In the very first sentence she was fictional since the PM’s Region 6 Representative did not pen many articles as stated rather many articles were written by various known letter writers including myself. What Mr Harbhajan gave was an interview to the media which was published. I am an ardent reader of all the newspapers and am aware of this fact. That is her first misrepresentation.
Then in her second paragraph, she implied that there is no evidence to support corruption in the Region or the fact that there was no consultation with the NDCs. I will deal with the consultation firstly. At the last RDC Statutory meeting held in the RDC Boardroom, myself and a team of councillors from various NDCs, a total number of 12 councillors met with the Regional Chairman and the press to provide evidence that we were not consulted. Furthermore, the PM’s Representative is neither a councillor nor any other official of any NDC so he cannot be consulted but what he said was that many NDCs were not involved in the consultation process and that is a fact.
I want to add here that the Regional Vice Chairman went afterwards to the PPP controlled NDCs and forced the handpicked Chairmen and Vice Chairmen to say that they were consulted. The Regional Vice Chairman is the First Secretary of the PPP and these officials were selected based on the recommendations of the Regional Vice Chairman so they cannot act and will not act independently or else they will lose the office the next time around. So the twelve of us are the proof that no consultations were done.
Now I will come to the statement that there is not ‘an iota of evidence’ to support claims of corruption. The letter writer herself is living evidence of things gone astray. She is one of the Councillors who certified the $150,000 work done at the Rose Hall Arch and admitted that she never visited the site of the work. But she knew the site and is aware that it is only half of a house lot. So the huge sum paid should have raised a red flag but we know the reason why she did not object but certified the work.
I was there at the RDC meeting when the Regional Chairman exposed this fact. She bent her head and remained silent afterwards. I have written a letter to the press on this matter. Also in her letter she boastfully wants the evidence to be provided so that the ‘law can take its course’, well she certainly shot herself in the head. What is fraudulent is the fact that the APNU councillor is now claiming that he signed for $5,000 not $150,000. Should this matter then not be investigated? What is the Minister of Communities doing about this? Will he condone this type of malpractice which is so prevalent in Region 6?
In closing, I want to stress that the Minister of Communities should be more cognizant of what is going on at the RDC level if he wants regional development to take place. We as letter writers have done our part and it is now his duty to act decisively or else all will be lost.
Lakram Singh
Vice Chairman of Works Committee
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
Anticipation without preparation
Peeping Tom… Kaieteur News- The Vice President of Guyana, ever the sagacious observer of the inevitable, has reassured... more
The U.S. “Joining” the Commonwealth: an unreasonable expectation
By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News- Recent media stories have suggested that King Charles III could “invite” the United... more
Weekend Cartoon
