Promises and political aggrandisement

On Saturday last, President Irfaan Ali paid what was said to be “an impromptu visit” to the area loosely called ‘South Ruimveldt’, where he walked about the community, and inspected drains, roads and a community centre ground. Reports from his office, since the spontaneity of his walkabout meant the media was unaware, said he promised to address the area’s flooding woes and committed to the rehabilitation of the Festival City community centre and its ground.

If there were a race for ‘poster politician for promises’, President Ali would be the bookies’ odds-on favourite to win at this stage. Perhaps he means well. However, given that he had made this same promise in August last year, with zero results to date, no one can be faulted for sniffing at this new one and discovering some amount of self-aggrandisement.

In a speech to mark the end of his first year in office in August 2021, President Ai had told the nation, among other things, “Planning will commence soon on a massive project to relieve South Georgetown from flooding with the construction of a new drainage system and other infrastructure to facilitate this…” Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill later clarified, when questioned by this newspaper, that while South Georgetown referred to all areas south of Brickdam, President Ali was specifically speaking about “the South Ruimveldt, North Ruimveldt and Festival City areas, which is basically a basin, really…” If by basin Mr Edghill meant a community hemmed in by drainage canals that do not work as intended and smaller alleys and trenches that are perennially clogged, then he aptly described the area. The geographical definition does not fit, but then Minister Edghill’s background is theology, not civil engineering.

Flooding has been endemic in North Ruimveldt, where Festival City technically is, and in South Ruimveldt for more than 20 years. Much like they live with blackouts, residents have had to learn to survive with their streets being flooded for days, sometimes weeks, several times a year with water that has nowhere to go. The problem is bigger than the rainy season and the lack of or inoperation of drainage pumps for which Prime Minister Mark Phillips lambasted Georgetown Mayor Ubraj Narine earlier this month, though those factors surely aggravate it. The fact is that as part of Georgetown which floundered under neglect for more than two decades, it would take a herculean effort to address the area’s drainage. Moreover, it would need to be constantly maintained for residents to

experience long-term relief.

Prior to President Ali’s first promise of lasting relief for the area, in March last year, as part of his contribution to the National Budget Debate, Ministry of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha had boasted that residents of North and South Ruimveldt would soon see “an end” to their flooding woes. He stated that the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) was currently carrying out work worth $27.8 million on the main drainage sluice in the area. Once that was completed, he said, the problem would be solved. He also took the opportunity to rebuke the Mayor and City Council and the previous administration (APNU+AFC) for poor conceptualisation of the work it undertook in the area in 2017. He noted that there was need for a long-term plan that included scheduled maintenance. Yet, in August, North and South Ruimveldt streets were waterlogged one again, as they were on Saturday when the President dropped in unannounced.

Mr Mustapha’s digs aside, the previous administration had spent massive sums on cleaning Georgetown, including the North and South Ruimveldt area. To give Jack his jacket, there had been a massive improvement in the overall aesthetics and cleanliness of the city afterwards. Of course, with regard to the area under discussion, just like

the $27.8 million spent by the NDIA, it was akin to pouring money down the drain given that the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) was then and is now physically unable to provide the ongoing maintenance the area needs. It simply does not have the staff or equipment necessary. The truth is that no matter how many promises are made, this is not a situation that will change unless the stranglehold placed on the city in 1994 is lifted.

What this means is that the central government would have to reach an accommodation with the M&CC regardless of which party wins control of the city at the Local Government elections. It would have to be legal and binding so that it remains in place come what may. This might sound like pie in the sky, especially in light of the ongoing contretemps between the government and the major opposition party. However, taking President Ali’s much touted ‘One Guyana’ into consideration, a denouement between the current government and the city makes perfect sense.