Lindeners protest RDC over closure of multi-purpose hall

Several residents of Block 22, Wismar, Linden last week protested in front of the office of the Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) Regional Democratic Council (RDC) over the closure of their community’s multi-purpose Hall.

Guyana Times understands that the building, situated at Block 22, which was utilised for social activities by residents, was ordered closed by Regional Chairman Renis Morian.
The residents held placards which bore various slogans indicating their dissatisfaction over the closure of the building. During a recent statutory meeting of the Council held earlier this month, Morian had admitted to ordering the building closed owing to issues between residents. He also expressed need for renovation works to be conducted on the building. The Regional Chairman had also highlighted that the building was property of the Government when asked for an update on the situation by Councillor Denise Belgrave, who explained that she was recently asked about the situation regarding the building by a female resident.
While the Regional Chairman could not be reached for comment regarding the protest, he had indicated at the statutory meeting that he had been called to the building’s location one evening where he met with various factions.
It was during this meeting, he noted, that he ordered the building closed. “I was called a night there …They had about three different factions … I called the Commander, I said, ‘please go, lock the Government building, keep the keys’. And we’re going to discuss that in Education Committee meeting,” he told the Council. Morian added: “Before people kill one another over Government building, I said, ‘lock it up, keep the keys’. Government property. I notified the Ministry of Finance, because a lot of people don’t know that the Ministry of Finance built that building and hand it over to the RDC…It was built under ‘Basic Needs’ and handed over,” Morian said.
However, this publication spoke with Regional Vice Chairman Elroy Adolph following the protest, and he said he did not know much about the issue, but indicated that the residents were claiming that they were not notified prior to the closure of the building and complained of being “banned’ from it.
The Block 22 multi-purpose building has been the source of similar controversies in the past. Back in 2015, a number of youths from the group, Future Youths Bond (FYB) had registered their disappointment over not being granted permission by the Block 22 Community Development Council (CDC) to utilise the building. The social recreational facility is utilised by residents for activities such as Internet hubs, technical training and other social activities and events.