Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) Chairman Vickchand Ramphal says the Region has been placed on the back burner as a result of the actions of Regional Executive Officer David Morrison.
The Chairman made this comment at a press conference after the REO walked out of a recent RDC meeting forcing it to end abruptly.
Regional Executive Officer Ovid Morrison walking out of the RDC meeting
The REO walkout was in protest over the order in which the agenda was taking. Over the past three years, only a few successful monthly meetings were held.
Between January and July 2015, the coalition had refused to sit under the chairmanship of Ramphal, saying an apology is needed from him for not attending a function in the Region at which President David Granger was the guest of honour.
On August 1, while delivering an Emancipation Day speech at Ithaca, the President said there was no need for an apology, and asked the two sides to work together.
Regional Chairman Vickchand Ramphal
The truce only lasted for five months as the REO then called for the Regional Chairman to apologise to him after the Chairman said he wanted to launch an investigation into some allegations involving a Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) Chairman and Vice Chairman.
During the last meeting of 2015, the coalition had promised residents a News Year gift and sit-in meetings. However, that promise lasted for two meetings.
Since then, several issues have been put forward by the REO but he refused to preside as Clerk of the Council, which will legally allow the RDC to meet.
Among the issues put forward by the REO was the presence of a reporter who had been highlighting his incompetence and his riche to act as Clerk of Council outside of the RDC.
Meanwhile, following the last RDC meeting, Ramphal said there are many burning issues affecting the lives of residents of Region 5 which cannot be addressed because the RDC has not been having successful meetings.
“Some of these issues are the farm to market roads especially in the Mahaicony-Mahaica area. We have two Branch Roads that are in a deplorable state. Rice harvesting has commenced and farmers are finding it difficult to traverse there because of huge pot holes and depressions, secondly, we have the Mahaicony Branch Road which is in a further deplorable state. At some places we can say that is it impossible for farmers to traverse those areas and get their trucks in and out”.
According to the Chairman, over the past three years, the administration had asked for funds to be allocated in the Regional budget to have both those roads maintained, but those projects were cut when the National Budget was presented.
The Mahaicony Branch Road is another major access road for farmers in the Region.
“If we had a successful meeting at the Council, we could have mandated the Regional Executive Officer, who is the Clerk of Council to use money which would have been realised for savings in the Region’s Budget. So, when our meetings are broken up, we cannot get those things done,” Ramphal explained.
He said the Burma Road is in a deplorable state and that more than 700 farmers use on a daily basis.
The Chairman did not stop short in mentioning that community streets throughout the Region have been falling apart while other facilities in the region are in a deplorable state. Ramphal said those issues cannot be addressed because one Regional official believes he can control taxpayer’s money.
“Someone who is perceived to be highly corrupt in Region Five has been spending taxpayer’s money without any proper scrutiny”.
Ramphal blames Morrison for the RDC not being able to a successful meeting during 2018, saying that he has been using the coalition’s Councillors in order to achieve his objective. With no meetings, there is room for corruption, the Chairman said.
Residents of the region are suffering. Ramphal said he wants to see much more done to benefit residents across the Region equally. Sadly, this is not being done.
He told the media that several projects are being undertaken by the Regional Administration. However, some of those projects are not benefiting any resident of the Region. One such project is the Region’s model farm.
