Dear Editor,
In what has to be the most cheeky and disrespectful act for decades, we see in the local press recently the contentious parking meter contractor, Kamau Cush, flaunting the fact that he has begun recruiting staff.
This in spite of the fact that the City Councillors have only now been given an opportunity to examine and decide on what to do about the damning findings by two Government ministries about the contract.
For the last few weeks, citizens from all walks of life in our capital and beyond have expressed uneasiness, mistrust and distress at the disgusting parking meter deal, which was proposed to be deployed as soon as September 1. But Kush is clearly telling all of them to go take a hike.
His arrogant position is of course being facilitated by the “Fantastic Four” from City Hall, who are bent on rolling out this dastardly proposal pretty soon, in spite of the reservations expressed by two Government ministries, by several prominent citizens, including auditors, accountants, attorneys, private sector leaders, non-governmental organisations, etc.
The time has come for the citizens of Georgetown, and for persons in authority at the governmental level, including officials from the Ministry of Communities and from the Audit Office of Guyana, to wake up and say enough is enough. The lawlessness and the bullyism at City Hall must stop, and it must stop now!
It is one thing for our national leaders to indicate a disposition opposed to interfering at the local level which has some autonomy; it is another thing to ignore the anarchy, the corruption, and maladministration at the Georgetown Municipality.
It is important to note that this is not some little town we are talking about, this is our capital city. This is where our seat of Government is located, where our major seaport is, where our legislative and judicial arms carry out their responsibilities, where all of the foreign missions and international organisations operate from, this is where most of our businesses are headquartered and this is where most persons visiting Guyana pass through. It cannot be left to be destroyed by a few inept and unethical persons.
The installation and activation of these parking meters will definitely drive (no pun intended) businesses out of Georgetown.
It is no longer just necessary for a thorough forensic audit to be held of the Council’s financial systems, including the four secret bank accounts, the illegal granting of tax waivers and the breaches of tender procedures, but there is also now a need for the hosting of a Commission of Inquiry by a panel of persons who could look into the nepotism, cronyism and other transgressions ongoing at City Hall.
Best regards,
Deodarie Putulall
