Contract with City Hall contradicts Smart City claims – Cush signed as director

Feb 12, 2017 News

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Smart City Solutions (SCS), the company behind the rollout of the parking meter project in the city, may not have been truthful on Friday when it said that Ifa Kamau Cush does not represent them. There is evidence now to show

that Cush, who was the face of the project, remains a very vital part.
As a matter of fact, the contract (a copy of which Kaieteur News is in possession of) that City Hall signed with Smart City Solutions Inc. on May 13, 2016, includes Cush as a signatory.
He signed it as Ifabamila Kamau Cush – Director. Also signing on behalf of Smart City was Simon Mosheshvili, Chairman and Director.
Signing on behalf of the Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown (M&CC) was Town Clerk, Royston King while Mayor Patricia Chase-Green and Oscar Clarke, Chairman of the Finance Committee of M&CC, were the witnesses.
On Friday SCS responded to a charged Facebook posting by Cush, who told protestors of the parking meters that they had the mentality of slaves and indentured servants.
Cush was reportedly at the time asked for a copy of the contract.
The post sparked condemnation from hundreds of persons who found it offensive.
The issue also saw SCS, through its public relations consultant, issuing a statement.
“This statement was issued without the knowledge and authority of Smart City Solutions. Mr Cush neither speaks for nor represents Smart City Solutions.”

SCS went further.
“Smart City Solutions wishes to disassociate itself completely from this disgraceful statement issued by Mr. Cush.”
The statement of SCS said that its Managing Director of Business Development, Amir Oren, and Managing Director of Operations, Simon Moshelle, “wish to condemn in the strongest possible terms an utterly obscene and despicable statement issued by Mr. Ifa Kamau Cush.”
SCS said that it fully recognizes the democratic right of all persons and organizations to express their views, disagreement with and, indeed, protest against any matter.
“Smart City Solutions is entirely committed to freedom of speech and assembly.”
Cush was said to be the man who helped engineer the controversial parking meter deal which has divided the city and brought out businesses and workers alike to protest the project.
On Thursday, during a heated exchange on the social site, Cush in response to criticisms of the parking meter project which has seen hundreds gathering in front of City Hall calling for a scrapping of the initiative, did not hold back.
“You’re not progressives. You are freeloaders; You lack the intestinal fortitude to control your own destiny. You all possess the mentality of slaves, indentured servants, incapable of generating wealth and building capacity,” he said in tagging Arun Richard, a participant of the protest on Thursday.
After suffering the wrath of several Facebook members who were incensed by the post, a defiant Cush did not stop.
This is what he had to say yesterday in another post: “That is my personal opinion. I did not utter those statements on behalf of Smart City Solutions. The protestors represent a cabal of misfits who add no value to the productive capacity of our country. They bring no gravitas, no moral authority to the conversation.”
Cush said that a review off the profanity-laced comments on social media confirms that. “More significantly, many of these protestors are incredibly fatuous for they offer no solutions to the myriad problems afflicting young Guyanese; neither do they empathize with the victims of the PPP regime, a regime responsible for the murders of hundreds of Guyanese citizens. I remember a Guyana where, as Guyanese citizens, we put our collective shoulders to the wheel and charted our own course.”
He argued that Guyana achieved much in those days because the people were independent thinkers, masters of their own destiny.
“We did not go hat-in-hand begging for grants and handouts. We identified problems in our country, proposed solutions then solved them ourselves! That’s the thinking of independent men and women!”
The project issue has been so contentious that even former Deputy Mayor, Sherod Duncan, and other councillors at City Hall protested it, joining businesses and other workers in the picket lines.
Smart City has since agreed to halt the clamping of vehicles as questions continue to be raised over the legality.
An under-pressure City Hall on Friday met with stakeholders and said it is considering proposals to halve parking rates to $100 per hour.
However, organizers of the protests, which include businessmen and executives, are not backing down and have vowed to continue until the deal is scrapped.

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