This will see another
several hundred acres of
farmland under threat.
Meanwhile, Regional
Chairman (Region 4)
Clement Corlette, in
response to the article
about the damaged Garden
of Eden koker in this
newspaper’s Wednesday
edition, said that it was
initially built by Dywidag
in 2003/2004 under the
Ministry of Public Works
bridge rehabilitation
programme.
He said that the Regional
Administration has since
observed a bi-annual
maintenance schedule of
the koker since its
construction and hand
over, adding that several
complaints were received
by the Region Four
Engineer’s Department in
2009 pertaining to defects
with the structure.
Corlette said that as a
result of the complaints,
remedial works were done
to the wing wall, to the
tune of $1.2M, in order to
correct the situation by
the Region.
Corlette also pointed out
that the contractor has
not yet been paid given
that the monies for the
region have not been
released to date.
The leaks at the Koker located at Craig, EBD
He said that last month
the Clerk/Regional
Executive Officer and
Engineer visited the
sluice again, acting on
complaints received, and
the Engineer determined
following his inspection
of the structure, that the
grove on the bottom of the
columns and floor slab of
the sluice were damaged.
Corlette said that in
light of the magnitude of
the anticipated works it
was found to be beyond the
ability of the Region to
finance.
“As such National
Drainage & Irrigation
Authority (NDIA) Senior
Engineer Dave Hicks was
informed of the situation
and requested to advise
his Principals
accordingly, by the
Clerk/Regional Executive
Officer.”
According to Corlette,
Hicks informed the Region
Four Engineer that a NDIA
Engineer inspected the
Garden of Eden sluice and
found nothing wrong to
warrant any repair work.
Corlette added that their
Engineer apprised Lionel
Wordsworth, Chief
Executive Officer (ag)
NDIA, on the status of the
sluice since he was not
satisfied with the
questionable response of
the NDIA Senior Engineer
to his concerns.
“Central Government has
not given Region Four
funding to rehabilitate or
construct sluices as part
of the 2010 Capital Work
Programme.”
Corlette also slammed
Minister of Agriculture
Robert Persaud for what he
deemed unwelcomed comments
on the matter of the
collapsed Sluice Door,
which was not constructed
by Region Four.
“It is unfortunate that
he had chosen to speak to
the issue with such
indecent haste before
seeking a comment from the
Region Four Regional
Government on the
matter.”
He said that the Minister
according to their records
over the past four years
“has shown a tendency to
believe that the Ministry
under his watch has a
license to usurp the
functions and
responsibilities of
Regional Elected
Governments in Guyana.’
Corlette added also that
Persaud has “exhibited
unbridled asperity on
matters within Region Four
on occasions, albeit
uncalled for…It is time
Minister Persaud takes a
look at the mirror…He
will certainly see that
Region Four was not
responsible for the
construction of the sluice
that is now in the
headlines and that the
NDIA failed to respond to
our request for assistance
in a timely effective
way.”
Friday, May 14, 2010