Latest update April 24th, 2024 12:59 AM
Oct 31, 2017 News
Although the proper management of the capital city [Georgetown] falls within the purview of the Mayor and City Councillors of Georgetown [M&CC], the capacity of the institution is currently very wanting. This was the recent
observation of former City Mayor, Hamilton Green.
Green in an invited comment yesterday, said, “The problems at City Hall are fundamental and cannot be corrected overnight.”
He said that since 1994 City Hall needed a crucial injection of the three Ms – Money, Machinery and Management. He made it pellucid that “if you have one without the other two, you are on a journey of frustration.”
The city, Green observed, has expanded rapidly over the past two decades. There has been no evidence that the city was ever able to collect enough money, equipment and personnel to cope with these rapid changes.
Contributing to this state of affairs, he said, “was a Government that was hostile to the city for political reasons.” The consequence, he said, was successive Town Clerks, and Ministers too, whose intention was to frustrate the proper management of the city.
But there has been little or no improvement in the way the city is managed even with a change of Government, and managers who have claimed to have the best interest of the city at heart.
In response to this dilemma, Green said, “What we have now is as a consequence of those years of haemorrhage.”
Fixing this situation, he related, “will require a plan and a certain intellectual depth to return the city to some semblance of orderliness and decency.” Green is convinced that moves towards much needed changes are on the way.
He recalled that earlier this year a public consultation forum was conducted, at the behest of APNU+AFC President, David Granger, to determine the way forward in restoring the city once referred to as ‘The Garden City’.
A report is expected to be compiled and will serve as a guideline for City Hall to address its many challenges.
Many drains were clogged owing to the indiscriminate disposal of garbage; traffic congestion and unregulated vending have been but a few of the challenges the city has had to face over the years.
Fallen from its former glory, the city was assigned the moniker ‘The Garbage City’.
With the APNU+AFC Government’s ascension to office in 2015, City Hall was given leverage and considerable support to forthwith address some of the challenges. But to date, Green admitted, “The city has enormous problems.”
“I drove through the city (yesterday) morning and it took me half of an hour to get to my destination on Sherriff Street…in addition to the chaotic traffic situation, society has generated a group of indisciplined and uncaring people at all levels.”
He is convinced that part of the requirements to improve the city is the support of citizens. He noted, too, that there must be continuance of efforts to keep the city clean.
“With the new system in place, each councillor would identify groups in their respective communities to help to do work to identify what has to be done and to coordinate the whole effort,” Green related.
When asked to comment on the management skills of the current Mayor [Patricia Chase-Green] and Town Clerk [Royston King], Green quickly quipped, “They need help.”
“They are human beings and to be honest they inherited a fractured system; a bleeding city and it is easy to criticise. Any idiot can criticise. I don’t take kindly to people who criticise without offering solid solutions.”
According to Green, both Chase-Green and King are officers who have experience and would have worked during his tenure as City Mayor. “I don’t think they are irresponsible but they need help, and those who criticise must come forward with suggestions that are feasible and that can take us forward.”
Green himself has not been wavering in lending support wherever necessary. “I was there up to this morning [yesterday]…I can describe myself as an adviser now, pro bono. For the morning I have had three groups who have come to me to seek my advice and I am willing to help.
“I have the time, I have the experience, I’ve been around and I know the mistakes we ought not to be making.”
LISTEN HOW JAGDEO WILL MAKE ALL GUYANESE RICH!!!
Apr 24, 2024
Round 2 GFF Women’s League Division One Kaieteur Sports – The Guyana Police Force FC on Saturday last demolished Pakuri Jaguars FC with a 17 – 0 goal blitz at the Guyana Football...Kaieteur News – Just recently, the PPC determined that it does not have the authority to vitiate a contract which was... more
By Sir Ronald Sanders Waterfalls Magazine – On April 10, the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States... more
Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.
Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: [email protected] / [email protected]