GWI will not be intimidated – Van West-Charles

Torching of vehicle in Buxton

…will continue disconnections

Head of the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), Dr Richard Van West-Charles has said the entity’s workers will not be intimidated by the violent behaviour of citizens following the burning of a minibus which was taking its disconnection crew in Buxton, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

On Wednesday in the vicinity of Company Road, Friendship, ECD, the GWI crew were conducting disconnections when a resident of Buxton approached the GWI vehicle with a bottle in hand containing a liquid. Upon dispersal of the substance around and inside the contracted vehicle, the employees of the water company realised that it was gasoline. The man then ignited the vehicle. The six employees, who were present at the scene, were forced to run for their lives.
They subsequently called the Police.

On Friday, West-Charles told the media that such behaviour cannot be tolerated. “This matter cannot be tolerated by anyone. This level of lawlessness will not and must not intimidate the work of GWI,” he said.
He stated that upon examination of the torched bus, which was contracted to transport GWI staff members to conduct various disconnections, it was completely damaged.
“The vehicle has been severely damaged to the point where it has to be written-off,” he said.
West-Charles also noted that they are now seeking to have Police support in communities which are considered “high-risk areas”. He added that the majority of the cases of violent attacks from citizens on GWI employees arise from communities on the ECD. Additionally, he said that in the past, outreaches were conducted with residents in Buxton so as to spread awareness as well as to discuss the improvement of the company’s standards. He noted that this is done because these situations can only be avoided if there is great partnership between GWI and the communities.
“This is in essence in seeking to provide a better quality of service to customers across the country and I think it is important at this juncture that all of our citizens must stand up against this type of lawlessness in our country,” he said.
For 2018, West-Charles explained that four instances had already arisen where there were attacks on the staff adding, “We do know that this is not a representative of the people of Buxton, and in the main, is not necessarily a representative of the people of the communities but we’ve been having a number of repeated attacks and therefore it is my belief that it is time for citizens to raise their voices and their actions to ensure that law is respected and maintained, to support for the betterment of all citizens throughout the length and breadth of Guyana.”
With the implementation of new strategies and the will to continue the disconnections without intimidation, GWI is hoping Guyanese will comply when they are subjected to disconnections by its staff.