Bomb scare rocks City Hall at height of Statutory Meet

IT WAS sheer chaos and confusion at the City Hall yesterday afternoon when word spread that a bomb had been planted on the premises.

The rumour, which made the rounds shortly after acting Town Clerk Carol Sooba entered City Hall’s Chamber, forced her to vacate the premises, but surprisingly, a Statutory Meeting of the Mayor & City Council (M&CC) which was in progress at the time, continued as per normal as if nothing was amiss.

Royston King illegally assumes the post of Town Clerk during the statutory meeting held on May 12 at City Hall

 

Councillor Kamla Devi Ross told this newspaper that Sooba arrived at the meeting to find PRO Royston King occupying her seat. As such, she placed another chair in front of the one he was occupying and commenced conducting the meeting.

On seeing this, Deputy Mayor, Patricia Chase-Green reportedly advanced upon Sooba and grabbed the microphone and Town Clerk designation tag which had been placed on the desk that Sooba was using. This precipitated a scuffle between Ross and Chase-Green, as Ross “refused to allow bullyism to prevail.”

“You can’t ridicule the Town Clerk just like that! How dare you all do that? You all playing bully! You can’t bring anyone and do as you like! They appeal the case; wait until the decision is finished! Why is it that you are jumping the gun!” Ross admonished.

A report from Chase-Green, who was seated directly next to a microphone in the Chambers, indicated that “visitors who came to listen to the public meeting were not allowed to go through that door, they had to use the Chambers door; and for security, I tried to get to the microphone (Sooba’s microphone) to say to them that we are trying to get the door open.”

According to Chase-Green’s incomprehensible report, in her attempt to get to the microphone, Miss Sooba snatched it (the microphone) from her, and this started a tug-o-war. However, the Deputy Mayor released the microphone and name tag, after which councillors in support of King’s illegal appointment proceeded to remove the name-tag once more and award it to King.

Then the upheaval started, and the verbally abusive threats directed at Sooba forced her to vacate the chambers, along with some of her staff, who then proceeded to her office.

At that point, the Deputy Town Clerk received a phone call from the Mayor’s Office claiming that two bombs had been placed on the premises, respectively in the eastern and western sections of the building; and this announcement forced Sooba and her team to disperse.

According to Sooba, her post as Town Clerk (ag) was “overrun by the Mayor once more, and I suffered verbal abuse at the hands of his supporters,” some of whom included vendors from the Stabroek Market.

Mr Kwame McCoy, Press and Publicity Officer at the Office of the President, explained that the actions of the Mayor establishes a pattern of his dislike of women. He said, “We recall his attack on Beulah Williams and Yonnette Pluck; now it is Carol Sooba. So, it is indeed a pattern where the Mayor has had problems with women holding the position of Town Clerk, and that is partly worrying.”

Ironically, whereas Acting Town Clerk Carol Sooba was scared away by news of the bomb, the ‘threat’ was completely ignored by Mayor Green, the Deputy Mayor and other councillors supportive of King acting as Town Clerk. They continued their unconstitutional statutory meeting in the absence of the legally appointed Town Clerk (ag).

The Sixth Schedule Part I of the Municipal and District Councils Act Chap 28:01 gives the Town Clerk responsibility to convene any meeting of the council, as well as preparing the agenda, minutes and reports of any such meeting for relay to the Local Government officials. Thus this statutory meeting with King as Town Clerk has been rendered unconstitutional.

Sooba called the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) to locate the bombs and ensure the safety of City Hall personnel, and they promptly responded, arriving on scene within minutes. Arrival of the GFS forced discontinuation of the Statutory Meeting as Fire personnel commenced searching for the bombs.

This newspaper left the scene with a distraught Sooba working indefatigably with the GFS personnel to locate the “bombs” allegedly planted in the building.

Sooba recently broke her silence on the illegal appointment of Royston King as Town Clerk, disclosing that she has since been advised by the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Mr. Anil Nandlall, that legal action will be taken against the decision favouring King.

City Officers taking control of the situation after persons were forced to vacate the premises (Photos by Ravin Singh)