Dear Editor,
Since the commencement of this year, I have learnt via the media of a number of events and occurrences in our capital city that leaves much to be desired and to which the Georgetown Municipality seems totally oblivious and unconcerned.
There was the flooding of the Princes Street area (and I note some of our reporters incorrectly referring to it as Princess Street when it is really Princes Street) due to a breach at the sluice in the area. It was then that I learnt that it is the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) and not the Georgetown Municipality that is now responsible for key drainage works in the city. This is a shocking revelation and leaves one to wonder where really is our property rates going and what does our city’s engineers have to do now that they have been relieved of that responsibility?
Additionally, I observed that it was the Minister of Agriculture who visited the scene to make an assessment of the circumstances and to implement measures to have the situation corrected and not the Mayor of Georgetown. Why is this so?
Then we have had the unrestrained occurrences of violent crimes being perpetuated in the city such as the incident of the young man who was attacked and shot by suspected bandits at Third Street, Cummings Lodge, and then there was that video in circulation of two men choking and robbing another male on the pavement leaving him lying in a heap. The question to be asked is where is the City Police?
And to add insult to injury, there was the recent claim by the Mayor of Georgetown that his life and that of his family were put in danger by the removal of the City Police that are guarding one of his properties located at Pigeon Island. This is in spite of him having a retinue of bodyguards and static security stationed at another property of his located at Lamaha Street. It is no wonder City Policemen can hardly be seen around the city.
It is time that the officials at City Hall step up to the plate and take their responsibilities seriously. Instead of moaning about the Central Government starving and marginalising them, they should seek to carry out their statutory duties and responsibilities such as policing the city, maintaining the integrity of the drainage system, managing solid waste, providing public health services among other municipal duties.
Sincerely,
Jermain Johnson
