Saturday January 04, 2014
Kaieteur News
Page 23
Failed predictions, Lower Corentyne still floods The Ministry of Agriculture had predicted unprecedented rainfall over the last 24 hours in Berbice. This did not materialise and even though residents may state that the Ministry of Agriculture got it wrong again by predicting the wrong weather pattern, a number of villages in the Hogstyle – Lancaster NDC on the Corentyne have been flooding. Residents now say there is no knowledge when the problem will be remedied. All of this is despite the several assurances by the relevant authorities that systems were
put in place in case there was heavy rainfall to avoid flooding. Most affected is the village of Liverpool. Residents say that it is due to neglect and are laying the blame squarely at the feet of the relevant authorities, including the NDC, the Regional Administration the NDIA and the Government, including the Ministry of Agriculture. The residents say that whenever it rains the village will be flooded. They also stated that this set of water has been on the land since before Christmas and there is
no indication when it will subside because whenever the rain falls again the water will rise and the land will be flooded. They state that water from the backlands, especially from the Black Bush Area will flow into the village causing more flooding. What is also disconcerting for the more than 2000 residents of the village is that most of the water from the Central Corentyne areas will flow down to their area to be drained through their village, simply because that area is low and sit in a basin.
Resident, Charles Smart stated that he has been living in the village for more than 20 years and the situation seems to be getting worse. He is a livestock and cash crop farmer and has suffered tremendous losses. Another resident, Patricia Bledman, stated that she suffers a lot because she has to wade through the water whenever she has to leave her home. Retired headmaster O’Neil Leitch is of the opinion that the entire scenario is the result of negligence. He stated that although there used to be flooding before the
Boast of economic growth is meaningless …in the midst of rampant injustices - GTUC The Guyana Trade Union Congress (GTUC) has expressed in its New Year missive that the government’s “boast of economic growth is meaningless in the midst of rampant injustices, inequities and pervasive poverty.” According to the GTUC, the widening gap between the haves and have-nots and decline in a real living wage must be a matter of national importance. The GTUC stated that as the government remains in contempt of the Rule of Law, the strong and mighty confiscate wealth while justice for those aggrieved remains non-existent. “In 2014 Guyana stands isolated in the Region as the nation where its government carries out an active policy to transgress citizens’ rights. Workers are expected to give their best in an environment
of hostile employers, including the government who is not only a violator but also aids and abets local and foreign employers” said GTUC. According to the GTUC, the “15-year agitation by retired workers of the telecommunications industry to resolve their retirement income begs attention from government who not only has premier responsibility to the elderly but more so, this matter has its genesis in the formerly state-owned Guyana Te l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n Corporation.” The Union body also expressed that government’s refusal to address years of grievances of bauxite workers employed by the state and foreign owned Bauxite Company of Guyana Incorporated (BCGI), citing the “12 year imposition of wages and salaries in the
Miner badly stabbed, left arm almost severed
STABBED: Alex McPherson A twenty-three-year-old miner is now a patient in the Accident and Emergency Unit of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) after being stabbed and chopped multiple times about the body. His left arm was reportedly almost severed. The man was identified as Alex McPherson, called ‘Batchie’ of 169 East
Ruimveldt, Georgetown. According to a relative, the episode that led to the man being injured occurred around 18:00 hours last evening in the vicinity of Avocado Square, East Ruimveldt. She said that McPherson had left home to make a purchase at a nearby shop just minutes before she received a call notifying her that he was attacked and was taken to hospital. According to her, the still conscious McPherson was transported to the health facility by a taxi driver whom he gave the phone numbers to alert his relatives. She added that McPherson has named his attacker as ‘Jamal’. However, other than the name, the family has no lead about what might have caused the attack. A report was lodged at the Police Outpost in the hospital compound.
public service are violations of ILO Conventions 87 and 98, and Article 147 of the Constitution are too noted.” The GTUC said that it stands in solidarity with the Guyana Local Government Officers Union’s (GLGOU) over “the Local Government Minister appointment of the Town Clerk to the Georgetown municipality in usurpation of the Council’s authority to identify and recommend the person to fill the vacancy” and is optimistic that a member of the Union has brought the issue to the Court’s attention. The Trade Union Corporation said that it is encouraged by the appointment of Attorney-atlaw Winston Moore as Ombudsman and “calls on the administration to ensure the office gets the needed resources to ensure functionality, because any appointment absent requisite resources is tantamount to making the office ineffective/ vacant.” The GTUC also calls for the appointments and proper funding of all constitutional offices “which is a critical component to good governance. Notable among them are the Public Procurement Commission, Integrity Commission, Ethnic Relations Commission, Human Rights Commission, Public Service Appellate Tribunal and the Police Service Commission.” According to the GTUC, the Leader of the Opposition is a constitutional office yet
General Secretary of the GTUC Lincoln Lewis it continues to be denied state funding to carry out its duties “even as the nonconstitutional foundation created by the First Lady is given state funding to manage its interest.” These injustices must be corrected said the GTUC. GTUC said it takes note of President Ramotar’s New Year’s Message and “expects him to comply with the said things he asked of others. As the nation’s Chief Public Servant and Head of State, the President is expected to set the tone by which the society will operate. “Guyana faces problems of epic proportions and solving them requires all hands on deck to repel the forces trampling workers/ citizens, violating laws, manufacturing divisions among groups for selfserving end, and denying the people what’s rightly theirs. “Guyanese deserve better and must refuse to settle for less!” said the Trade Union Corporation.
situation was not so dire. There were better systems in place; the drains were cleaned regularly and the various drainage sluices were operational. Now the drains are not cleaned, water is allowed to flow in from the Black Bush Polder areas into the villages in front and there are no proper outlets. Most of the drainage sluices are not functioning, thus causing a major problem. He also feels that the sluice at Liverpool is not functioning and being monitored properly .The sluice at Alness which was commission with much fanfare is hardly functioning and has not worked since last Wednesday despite the area being flooded. One of the reasons is that the channel is silted up with ‘Sling Mud’ and needs to be clean as often as possible, but this is not done. Mr. Leitch stated that he made contact with the Regional Chairman, the Regional Vice Chairman and the Overseer of the NDC and was given the assurance that all systems will be put in place to avert any threats of flooding. The residents are wondering what would have been the situation if the Minister’s predictions had come through and there was heavy rain fall in the area.
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