[www.inewsguyana.com] – Preparations are in full swing to transform Mahdia, a hinterland mining community located in Region Eight, to a town. Government is currently conducting consultations with stakeholders and examining different areas that need development.
On Saturday, a team comprising Ministers of Communities and Public Infrastructure, Ronald Bulkan and David Patterson respectively, APNU+AFC Parliamentarian Gloria Bancroft and engineers of the two Ministries visited the community.
During an interactive meeting with residents and Regional Officials including Regional Chairman Bonaventure Fredericks at the Mahdia Community Centre, the Ministers reaffirmed Government’s commitment of developing Mahdia to offer citizens a good life.
According to a release, all developmental works that would be executed in the community would be done in consultation with the RDC.
“The APNU+AFC Coalition Government has resuscitated good governance in Region Eight with the restoration of respect for the Offices of the Regional Chairman and other elected officials. Minister Bulkan was firm that the Regional Executive Officer is not the head of the Region but a public servant, who is there to serve the RDC,” the release noted.
Meanwhile, according to the Regional Chairman, Bonaventure Fredericks, the walk to developing Mahdia and the entire Region would not be an easy task unless everyone works together. He related that the REO has been co-operative.
“Residents expressed their satisfaction that there is new Government with a resounding warm welcome. While the residents are cognizant that the ANPU+AFC Coalition Government is now implementing its policies and programmes they are dissatisfied that many seemingly corrupt officers are still working in the Region.”
The residents, who were extremely vocal, identified several persons who they believe are corrupt and should be fired if indeed this new Government would tackle corruption and give citizens the good life.
The release noted that Minister Patterson is of the view that those public officers who serve in a district for a number of years should be rotated.
The transformation of Mahdia into a town would require significant infrastructure development. Minister Patterson announced that Government will be paving all internal roads in Mahdia and the road leading from the airstrip to the community. Additionally, consideration is being made to pave the airstrip.
Prior to attending the meeting, the Ministers, engineers, Fredericks and the REO visited the Salbora Creek, which is the main source of water supply in the area. The team also inspected the distribution pipelines leading from the creek to Mahdia to ascertain why the community is constantly faced with low water pressure. It was observed that there are several leakages, illegal connections and silt in the pipelines.
To ensure that quality infrastructural upgrading works will be executed the Ministry of Public Infrastructure would be stationing two of its engineers in the Region. In fact, this would be the case for every Region across Guyana.
