As we have said before in these columns the important business of the country has to proceed even as it grapples with the unbearable grief being borne by dozens of families following the July 18 capsizing of the MV Barima and the loss of around 100 lives. Context and emphasis are however very important.
In recent days, President Ali has embarked on what appears to be a frenetic campaign for model villages throughout the country. Not unsurprisingly his critics have characterized the visits as an attempt to distract attention from the horrors of the capsizing and the vigorous campaign that has been mounted for ministerial and government accountability for the tragedy. The President does not appear to have sensitively calibrated the energy expended on this model village programme when one reflects on the need to continue providing succour to the affected communities, issuing answers on outstanding questions and intensifying arrangements for the Commission of Inquiry which the people hope will provide answers. For example, as many as 30 persons remain missing and their remains are either aboard the sunken vessel or lost forever in the Atlantic. These families and all the others deserve a higher level of care that eclipses any single issue at the moment. There was nothing in the President’s or the government’s plans that suggested that this intensive effort on model villages was coming and there would be no particular urgency if the wheels of all the local government tiers were functioning efficiently.
President Ali would also be aware of a series of other areas that demand urgent attention such as the onerous cost of daily living, the need to address the composition of the elections commission as pointed out last week by the Carter Center, preparations for Local Government Elections and, of course, the questions swirling around his farm. It is left to be seen if similar energy is expended on these and other issues.
Since, however, the President and his ministers have invested so much time recently in this concept of model villages it is worthy of closer examination. Just the descriptor `village’ would suggest that Central Government and the President should really have little to do with speaking on these model spaces. If the local government architecture was to mean anything and the suite of legislation that enabled fiscal transfers from the centre to the regions, the establishment of the local government commission and the empowering of Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) was functioning then it isn’t for the President to swoop in with ministers and displace local authorities.
In the scheme of things developing model villages should be far removed from the presidency. That responsibility resides in village councils whether established or ad hoc, NDCs and Regional Development Councils. Why did President Ali believe that he and his ministers could so easily muscle in on the functions of local government? Central government clearly feels empowered by the robust revenues flowing from oil but that is no licence to ignore how the constitution apportions responsibility to the various tiers of government.
Further, questions have to be raised when one considers the scale of the planned undertakings in these villages. In the presentation to the communities of Melanie Damishana and Non Pareil on August 6th President Ali and Minister Anthony referred to a spectacular array of improvements: 26 kilometres of walkways, 43 kilometres of concrete drains, 43 fire hydrants and 122 additional streetlights. As was pointed out in the Kiskadee Watch report no estimated cost or timetable for the proposed works was disclosed during the portion of the engagement posted in a video on the President’s Facebook page. Four playgrounds and three proposed green spaces are also be upgraded, while 423 trees are to be planted along approximately 27,700 metres of roadway. Fourteen public spaces are also earmarked for improvement. This is a mind-boggling array of tasks. Have these works been budgeted for? Will they be handled by local government? Will this be replicated in all of the other villages? If so where is this money coming from and is this the manner in which the finances of the country are being managed? Much more needs to be explained about this model village initiative, where it fits into the country’s financial planning and how it intersects with local government. Otherwise, it will come across as a hurriedly arranged grand carnival to deflect attention from the woes faced by the country and the government.
There is one other point that should be made. Leaving aside the PPP/C’s tenure between 1992 and 2015, why hasn’t any village in this country become a model in six years of the Ali administration? If there is one that should have been Melanie Damishana has had quite a bit of attention. August 6th this year was not the first time there had been a grand excursion into Melanie to transform it.
On July 30, 2022, Prime Minister Mark Phillips led a high-level government outreach at Melanie Damishana at the Melanie Community Centre Ground. He was accompanied by Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Mohabir Anil Nandlall, SC; Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha; Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill; Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal; Minister of Health, Dr. Anthony; then Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall; Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister with Responsibility for Public Affairs, Kwame McCoy; and Minister of Public Service, Sonia Parag. Residents were told they could expect to benefit from a host of community improvement projects from August 3, 2022. What became of these efforts? Why didn’t they lead to model community?
On January 9 last year, President Ali said that his government would work with a group from Melanie Damishana to develop several acres of land to support an agricultural innovation programme in the community. “We want to develop your communities, taking your priorities into consideration”, he said. The government, he added, was working on empowering and supporting all NDCs across the country to be equipped to offer and support essential government services. To ensure this, the President said that his administration would invest extensively in the NDCs, other local bodies and communities across the country.
The President added that his Government would work on enhancing drainage in the area among other things. The President also conducted a community outreach in Non Pareil. During that meeting, the President addressed the concerns of residents of the community and highlighted his Government’s continuous support. He said that the priorities of the residents, including drainage, the development of a learning resource and skills development centre and sanitation support would be addressed expeditiously. What about these efforts?
These are signs of poor planning, disorganization and government by impulse and fanfare. President Ali would be well advised to think more carefully about these plans for model villages, ensure they are located within a comprehensive framework and that his priorities are in the right order.
Discussion