Region 2 Chairman grounded as vehicle “runs out of fuel”

– accuses REO of untimely payments

Chairman of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) of Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Devanand Ramdatt, has indicated that he is being stymied from effectively carrying out his duties owing to several untimely payments by Regional Executive Officer (REO) Rupert Hopkinson.
Ramdatt told Guyana Times that the situation has been prevailing for several months, with the most impacting being his inability to travel around the region and perform functions as the vehicle assigned to him has run out of fuel.
The Regional Chairman indicated that he sent the REO a letter on Friday last, which expressed his concerns over the problems with the fuel shortage. Ramdatt said he was unable to attend a meeting with the Business Ministry, the Guyana Foundation, and other appointments in the region as a result of the fuel issue.
The Chairman added that the fuel requisition book is presently sitting at the REO’s desk awaiting approval and presently the vehicle assigned to him is out of fuel.

Non-payment
He also complained of having his Internet service disconnected since early October due to nonpayment. Other issues the Chairman encountered includes his printer being out of ink; the photocopying machine being down over the last eight months, his landline, cellphone, GPL bills and travelling allowances not being paid on a timely basis. Ramdatt told Guyana Times that the same treatment is being meted out to the Regional Vice Chairman, Nandranie Coonjah.
Ramdatt claimed that although there is adequate budgetary allocation to carry out the functions of the RDC, particularly under budget line item 6211; there is a “deliberate attempt” to prevent the office of the Regional Chairman and the RDC from functioning. He also reminded the REO, who is also the Clerk of the RDC that he is yet to follow up on many of the matters raised at the RDC level.
This latest revelation comes less than three weeks after Councillors attached to both the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) and the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition picketed the REO’s office and called for his removal. Prior to that exercise, the local representatives were repeatedly complaining about Hopkinson’s conduct and alleged misuse of public funds.
Ramdatt said earlier this month that the REO has been absenting himself from RDC meetings without informing the RDC. He was supported by APNU/AFC Councillors Naithram and Hardat Narine who were also calling for the REO’s removal. In fact, Naithram went as far as to say that the REO was “sabotaging the progress of the region” and was making decisions without consulting the RDC. He said too that he and Councillor Narine were both assaulted (slapped) in the line of duty and the REO had never taken any action even after he won his matter in court.
Vice Chairman Coonjah had outlined that the doctor’s quarters in the hinterland was constructed and left unoccupied due to the lack of furnishing. She had also observed that sanitary blocks at schools need to be fixed, noting that the Rest House built at Onderneeming for expectant mothers from the interior needs to be furnished.