Finally, the Sleeping Giant has been awakened…and it is angry

Feb 24, 2018 Letters

Dear Editor,

Well finally, the Sleeping Giant has been awakened…and it is angry. By this, I refer to the very shocking, scandalous and unethical goings-on that are being revealed at City Hall in Georgetown.
For two and a half years, the administration at City Hall, led by the Town Clerk, have managed the capital city much worse than someone would run a cake shop, and have refused to even take the outstanding vacation leave that is due to them, and yet the Council just sat and condoned this unpleasant situation, much to the suffering of the citizenry of Georgetown.
In circumstances that are coming to light at the moment, one can only wonder why these officers are not being sent immediately on their leave to facilitate thorough investigations and a forensic audit. How is it that if junior officers do not take their leave each year, it is forfeited, while senior officers are allowed to sit at their desks for years without budging, and in many instances, are paid in lieu of leave? This is just wrong and facilitates corruption, misconduct and maladministration.
Clearly, recent discoveries such as the works that are currently being executed by City Hall at Le Repentir Cemetery under a contract valued at over $100 million without any evidence of public tendering, and the missing financial statements for millions of dollars in funds provided by Central Government since 2015 being probed by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) at Parliament Buildings, are but the tip of the iceberg.
A forensic audit by the Audit Office of Guyana on the Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown will more likely than not lead to earth-shattering revelations. This will include an audit of Council’s revenue streams including revenue of markets; property rates, including all the illegal waivers of interest that were granted by persons in the administration and the sale of expensive equipment at rock bottom prices, as well as its expenditure channels which has seen countless contracts being given to friends without any tender or bidding processes; purchases of equipment, supplies, services and other items through methods that could not pass scrutiny.
It is my hope that there will be a human resource audit there also, to clear up the considerable nepotism, cronyism, favouritism and overstaffing; that the Parking Meter Scandal would be thoroughly investigated; that the land grab attempts in Bel Air Park, Subryanville and elsewhere would be investigated; that the misuse of Council resources, equipment and supplies would be investigated.
We await a thorough investigation into Council’s finances for the last twenty-four years.

Sincerely,
Amber Valentine

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