Foulis/Buxton NDC accuses region of holding up playground

Although Chairman of the Foulis/Buxton Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) Deon Abrams says the Region Four Regional Democratic Council (RDC) is preventing development in the area, the accusation is being denied by the regional administration.

Speaking to Stabroek News on Monday, Abrams explained that he was able to get financial aid from the Ministry of Finance for the development of the Strathspey playground after he wrote them requesting the assistance. Subsequently, he explained, based on an estimate that was prepared in the name of the NDC, the money was deposited into the council’s account.

“The contract was to be executed through the NDC. However, [the] overseer has refused to accept that cheque. Over two months and at our last statutory meeting, the council voted on the issue that the cheque should be collected,” Abrams added.

“I, as Chairman, have the prerogative to instruct the overseer and to instruct any member of the staff to carry out duties on financial matters. Because the overseer is the accounts person, I will consult with her so there is coordination. But it is holding up development because the Finance Ministry has pledged to do a number of good in the community and if it is going to continue to happen then it means they too [RDC] are compromising the work of the NDC in that regard,” Abrams said.

However, according to RDC Vice-Chairman Earl Lambert, Abrams would have written the Finance Ministry without the RDC’s consent and the only time the overseer was aware of what was happening was when she was asked to uplift the cheque from the ministry.

“One of the problems that the councillors have, because they are new, is that they are not following what is required in the laws and the procedures weren’t followed. Because the overseer is the accounting officer, not the chairman and they have to work with that along with proper procurement measures,” Lambert said, while point out that Abrams did not want to follow the correct procurement process to have the project advertised and then tendered out.

“There is no issue with the RDC and NDC. Projects need to be advertised and it is the expectation from the NDC for things to happen immediately but it doesn’t work so,” Lambert explained.

He argued that often Abrams would act as the Chairman of Buxton alone and would ignore other communities since most times he would want contractors from Buxton to be favoured. “The accounting officer is the overseer which is run by the government and the RDC. The overseer said the contract must be tendered out but he wants it to go his way and he doesn’t understand the procurement process,” Lambert added. The Chairman of the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA) Leslie Sobers (right), on Monday, handed over to Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo the advice for the new regulations to better enforce provisions of the broadcasting authority, a release from the PM’s office said. Prime Minister Nagamootoo, who has the responsibility for broadcasting, is expected to complete the new regulations and lay them in the National Assembly.