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The Durban Park Project is a white elephant
Dear Editor;
I viewed the presentation by Minister Cathy Hughes in Parliament on the Durban Park Project and found it misleading and devoid of facts. Is this what our Parliamentary debates have come to? Her meanderings on the issues were so weak that even a 4th form debater at St Rose High School could have done better.
When a Minister comes to Parliament with a full battery of advisors including spin artist Enrico Woolford on their staff, they must be better prepared. Her presentation illustrated a great degree of under preparation. Was it executive laziness?
So she started off with a statement that this Government has absolutely nothing to hide, but then went right on to cover up that her Government just spent more than $500 million on a Durban Park Project in a cloak and dagger affair with absolutely no accountability and transparency.
That was not a procurement process; that was the use of the Treasury for favoured friends and family of the PNC. All the contracts were to friends of the PNC and the Project Manager of the Project is an Executive Member of the PNC and thus as a so-called AFC member, people were expecting Ms. Hughes to take a more informed position.
So she declared that our hands are clean. Is that so? So why was there no proper tendering of the secret deals that clandestinely enriched all the henchmen of the Granger Government? One Minister got so much money on this Durban Park deal that he was able to complete the construction of a mansion on the East Bank. So whose hands are clean Ms. Cathy? None of their hands are clean. Do you want us to talk about Larry Singh?
So her lame excuse that they only had one year to complete the project illustrated two things; gross incompetence on the part of the Granger government and an obsession with petty self-aggrandizement at the expense of the taxpayers.
One year was enough time to plan a rapid expansion and refurbishment of the facilities that Burnham built at the National Park, which is accessible to all of Guyana.
But no, her President wanted to waste hundreds of millions on a project that is not accessible to all of Guyana because people from Enmore and Port Mourant will NEVER go to that park; not for fun; not for the parade; not for social engagement because of the crime perception that surrounds that area.
The Durban Park project is nothing but a white elephant and this lavish spending on this park has just served to further starve the public servants. It occupies one of the largest free spaces in Guyana but very few visitors on a daily basis. Only birds and bees visit it during the day and lovers at night.
Yes, Ms. Cathy, $500 million for Guyana’s most expensive white elephant. Is that your legacy as the Minister of Tourism? We thought Jagdeo squandered money on the Kingston Hotel, only today to find out that he has not because the Marriott is one of the most visited locations by dignitaries today.
So we have secured value for money from this Jagdeo project. The Jagdeo conceived and built Marriott today serves a great national purpose, but what purpose does the Durban Park project serve?
So thank you Bishop Edghill for raising this matter. We the people are aware of what is happening. They “pun tap” now and it is the turn for the PNC’s leadership and their loyal followers in the AFC to raid the Treasury just like how the PPP boys did in the years before.
So to Ms. Cathy – NO HANDS ARE CLEAN IN THAT PARLIAMENT or in the Ministry of the Presidency. Get your facts right!
Lisa Ally
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