Weekly viewpoint
I HAVE always taken the firm view that those who impede progress do not have the welfare of this nation at heart. Guyana is a country emerging from a difficult past characterised by neglect and under-development. Too much time was lost. Many opportunities squandered. Hence, one can understand our people’s impatience about road, drainage, electricity, health, housing and other public goods which were denied them for decades. And the passionate expression of their need is a good sign: Guyanese have stronger hope in the future. Also, it demonstrates that people are very serious about attaining a better standard of living.

And in response to this clamouring for more development, the Government has been increasing its allocation of resources annually, to fund the required additional projects in nearly all aspects and areas of the country. Just examine the constant increase in the size of the National Budget. This may have to continue for some time to come in order for the country to attain the desired level of comfort.

The administration’s acute responsiveness is borne out in the fact that it engages the public directly through outreaches, community meetings and the pursuit of an open-door policy by many ministries and state agencies. Also, the recent introduction of the regional Accountability Framework will ensure that local government systems are more responsive as they too are critical in pushing ahead with progress at the village level.

The President of Guyana, Ministers and yes, ordinary residents, have time and time again commented unfavourably about the functioning of certain NDCs, Town Councils and Regional Administrations. The criticisms are more vocal when it is found that these bodies deliberately stall and frustrate development. An example has been the Region Four administration which is controlled by the main opposition party. The recent Greenfield koker fiasco is a stark reminder of the neglect and mal-administration by that entity which is more interested in playing politics than advancing progress in the region. It must be noted that the administration of the Georgetown Town Council is no different. On innumerable occasions, Central Government has had to intervene to rescue residents from the neglect and uncaring attitude of these entities.

I wish to illustrate two examples where there have been attempts to deliberately frustrate progress reaching various communities.

The first concerns the President’s announcement that Minister Collymore would be embarking on city-wide consultations with the citizenry of Georgetown to solicit their views on an Interim Management Committee. The ineptitude of the current city administration bothers every citizen each passing day. The President was not required to consult and to be so democratic. There are provisions where this could have been done by an Act of Parliament as happened in 1994 or embark on an Inquiry as happened recently with the Rose Hall Town Council.

The main opposition party instantly rejects any form of consultation with the tax payers and embarks on an aggressive campaign to misrepresent this genuine attempt to arrest the decline of Georgetown - the once famed Garden City. Handbills were circulated and whole page ads taken out by minions of the main opposition party describing the President as a ‘dictator’ and seeking to control Georgetown for political reasons. This ploy is not amusing and would not interfere with the consultations due to start in days. But sadly here we have an opposition grouping which wants to prevent people expressing their opinions by politicising an issue such as citizens’ welfare.

The second is the sad episode where gunmen in the Buxton/Friendship communities stopped drainage and road works being carried out by the Government. The administration views very strongly the action by gunmen to prevent this road and drainage project from being implemented in the Buxton/Friendship community. The law enforcement agency will no doubt address this matter in a firm way as it is its responsibility. But what is even more disappointing is the response of the Leader of the Opposition Robert Corbin to this outrageous and criminal action. Instead of condemning the gunmen for chasing away the contractor and slowing development in the Buxton/Friendship community, he seeks to blame the Government for the gunmen’s action. The people of Buxton/Friendship are entitled to their fair share of progress and criminal elements must not be allowed to prevent development projects. Mr. Corbin as the leader of a major political party must always ensure that he stands on the side of national development and law and order.

It is known that Mr. Corbin’s party exercises political influence in that community and if he is truly concerned about the welfare of its residents, then one should expect that he would volunteer support for the smooth implementation of this project. This is not the time to score political points. This project is particularly important in the context of the upcoming May/June rainy season. Also, if the project cannot be completed, then I hope Mr. Corbin and others would not scream discrimination or neglect by the Government.

No society is free from politicking. Competition of ideas is healthy and must be encouraged. But when this spills over into deliberate frustration of the country’s progress and projects such as the one halted in Buxton/Friendship, we must all speak out and take a clear stance.