PPP Undermining Local Development and the organs

Jun 27, 2018 Letters

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Dear Editor,
As the country will once again have another round of Local Government Elections later this year under this APNU+AFC Government, much criticism is being levelled by the opposition PPP as to the development taking place under the NDC’s and Township of Guyana.
Every day we are hearing the cry of the PPP leaders that nothing is being done to enhance communities in this country. We heard of works hardly being done in certain areas that are governed by PPP. We heard the cry that the monies given to the NDC’s are not enough and more is needed. We heard that the PPP does not want more NDC’s created.
But we need to understand and know the facts about the real situation affecting some NDCs and Municipalities to function or carry out their mandate accordingly to develop various communities.
As we all know, the PPP does not want to see or take part in any development process that will better the lives of the people in the various communities. So, the facts are quite clear because the PPP-controlled NDC’s and Municipalities have to listen and act accordingly as to what they must do to hamper the village development.
PPP having their controlled NDC’s and municipalities undermining the development will be a positive for the PPP to badmouth the Government when it comes to development. But we must all be aware that it is those very entities officials who are failing the people that elected them to serve.
So, the fact is clear. It can be seen that the PPP and its elected officials are failing the people that elected them to serve. Many of those officials and I can speak for Region Five, whereby all of the PPP controlled NDC’s have their elected officials taking advice from Freedom House at Bath.
Those elected officials are failing the people and undermining development. Many times they will send the residents to the RDC to seek help to get the potholes on their streets fix or to get a dead animal away from the roadway or to have better drainage for cash crops, etc.
The NDCs have responsibilities; they must execute those responsibilities without fear or favour no matter what. They must start to do work in the community that will enhance the areas. But, No, what they do?.
Instead of the NDCs making budget proposals to fix streets and dams or drains, they proposed and spent a large amount of their budget to erect bars across the streets that need fixing. They should have fixed the streets and then erect those bars.
Can you imagine that a street bar within Bath\Woodley Park NDC, West Coast Berbice is erected at the middle of the street almost in front of my bridge? This leaves both sides of the street to damage except where the bar is erected. Is that good management?
The NDCs must be able to manage their resources and “YES” that is why I supported Hon. Minister Ronald Bulkan MP to have more NDCs created. Why? Too many of the NDCs cannot manage the areas that fall within their boundaries and hardly anything is being done.
Because of that, people are crying out for development. When one set of people from one village pay their taxes and expect to see things done within the same village, it does not happen. The NDC divert the monies to other projects in other villages within its boundaries that are hardly paying their taxes.
Creating more NDC’s within some of the areas will surely help. So, it is very hard for that NDC to manage on a day to day basis those areas. It’s hard to get work done in all of the areas, notwithstanding less than 30% of developmental works is being done within that PPP controlled NDC.
There are more large NDC’s that need downsizing within Region Five.
So, for me, I fully agreed for those large NDC’s to be downsized so that the people can see development. This is the way to go not the way the PPP is thinking, they have no plans for development because for almost two decades they shutdown local democracy.
Every time someone goes to the RDCs seeking assistance for work to be done in their community, they always say that some officials of the NDC said that the Government didn’t give them monies to do any work for the year. That’s total lies and deception from most of the PPP controlled local organs.
It is being said also that some of the officials of those entities are telling the residents to go ask APNU and AFC to do the work needed. Imagine the awkward thinking of those elected officials.
Over the past three years, residents of the Mahaica-Berbice Region can proudly say that the RDC always assists them whenever complaints are made and help is requested. The RDC works with most of the NDCs in ensuring that the people are benefiting when it comes to development.
Some of the NDC’s that are PPP controlled are the ones that I think are having the most assistance from the RDC but yet those very NDC’s are crying foul.
Residents of Mahaica-Berbice Region (Reg.5), as we are gearing up for Local Government Elections later in the year, let us not be fooled by some that come from elsewhere and tell us who to vote for.
Let’s not play politics with our local development. Let’s ensure that local development comes first and that we demand from our elected officials better representation at the local level.
The PPP must take full responsibilities for the undermining of local development and its organs.

Regards
Abel Seetaram.

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