Mayor Narine frustrated by LGC’s failure to act on Motion to dismiss City Engineer

Mar 27, 2022 News

Kaieteur News – City Mayor Ubraj Narine has expressed frustration with what he said is a lack of interest by the Local Government Commission (LGC) on matters of importance to the Council. During a press conference on Friday, Mayor Narine noted that he raised the recent recommendation of the Council to terminate the services of the City Engineer Colvern Venture as one which the LGC has failed to act on.

City Mayor Ubraj Narine.

In this regard, Narine indicated that the LGC’s sloth in dealing with the issue has placed the entire City of Georgetown in jeopardy. He noted that as the transformation of Georgetown continues, massive construction and renovation projects are being executed and can be impacted by the failure to address the problem with the engineer.

Mayor Narine alluded to one current project which has received funding from the Government of Guyana – the construction of the administrative building for the Municipality— and is likely to fail to reach its deadline.

According to Narine, the Council has never received the contract or specifications from the City Engineer. Additionally, he said whatever information was provided in a piecemeal fashion and was incorrect or filled with inaccuracies.

Colvern Venture.

He added that, “Essential elements such as a plumbing plan and electrical plan were absent and recently, it has been discovered that the calculations for the thickness of concrete used were inaccurate bringing into question whether or not the building will be safe for occupancy whenever it is completed.”

Mayor Narine also indicated that the City Engineer has even apparently flouted Government Policy as recently highlighted by the Minister of Home Affairs, following the recent upsurge in fires around the city. It was recommended that fire prevention and suppression mechanisms be implemented in new buildings being constructed; however, this building has none.
The Mayor has stated that the LGC continues to allow the officer to operate without concern for the safety of staff of the Municipality or the citizens of Georgetown who will be affected should there be a fire.

As such, Narine also called on the LGC to address the motion of the Council to terminate the services of the City Engineer with urgency. The Council has expressed no confidence in the City Engineer and has written to the LGC recommending that he be terminated.

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