Creating a dysfunctional Local Government system

Dear Editor,
The writing is on the wall for all to see, as this A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government continues its glaring and shameless moves in creating a dysfunctional Local Government system. Their methods of undermining have become a default position, evidenced by a total disregard of many elected Councils of Local Authority Areas (LAAs); together with moves to continuously weaken the essential constitutional monitoring and corrective institutions.
The outcomes can have devastating impacts if allowed to go unchecked. Under point man Ronald Bulkan who leads the Communities Ministry, many Regional Executive Officers (REOs) and Overseers are being allowed to usurp the authority of the Councils and are supported by a few imposed political hacks to buttress their desired counter force. The conduct of many of these REOs and their reporting staff, have been partisan and outright objectionable, given their required role in providing service to community residents.
To state that the level of financial breaches by these officers have escalated to never before reached heights, is indeed an understatement. At the same time, the silence of, and seeming accommodation by Minister Bulkan’s Ministry, forces one to wonder if the Government is contemplating laying new financial bills in the National Assembly. Only recently, the Public Accounts Committee of the National Assembly exposed a few of the vulgar, atrocious and lawless behaviours of the REOs of Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) and Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara). Notwithstanding, however, information received suggests these revelations were just the tip of the iceberg.
Meanwhile, the suppression of the Local Government Commission (LGC) by the Government via Bulkan’s Ministry continues unrestrained. The appointed Commissioners are complaining bitterly about the Minister’s deliberate efforts to frustrate and hinder the work of the Commission. It is unacceptable that this vital Commission which has the mandate of supervision and monitoring all of the Councils in the municipalities, regions, NDCs and villages; still cannot be properly staffed, housed and provided with adequate transportation.
Under the circumstances, it is incumbent that Minister Bulkan and the APNU/AFC coalition Government must let this nation know, what happened to all the monies that were allocated to the Local Government Commission in the National Budgets for the year 2016, 2017 and now 2018. It is an indictment on the Government that Commissioners are being informed that they may find ‘abode’ in the so called ‘Conference room’, to have meetings and discussions on topical issues bothering the residents within Local Authority Areas. Certainly, the conference room of another public entity cannot suffice when there are several meeting planned for the day at the particular time, considering that there are eight Commissioners. Additionally, Meetings with the public individually on separate matters would also be affected.
Sources have also informed that the strategy is to stymie the functions of the Commission.
One bitter Commissioner informed me that they are receiving a token for telephone calls they make in relation to the Commissions work, using their personal phones. That at the meetings of the LGC, only a bottle of water is provided to the members. The situation is disheartening, and one characterised wicked vindictiveness personified. This APNU/AFC-led approach to local governance has created Town Clerks so notorious, it seems that they are not answerable and accountable to no one or authority. The despicable behaviour of the Town Clerk at the Georgetown Municipality is an apt example.
All and sundry must hold the Government accountable for their continued party paramountcy approach, which would ultimate lead to significant imbalances and underdevelopment. We call on the President to take positive steps to remedy the fractured Local Government system. We demand support for the Local Government Commission now.

Sincerely,
Neil Kumar