Jagdeo cack LINDEN and his friends in the PNC did nothing about it

Saturday, April 12, 2003

Jagdeo goes to Linden
Another generator sent from city
Says community's problems top priority

President Jagdeo and PNCR leader, Robert Corbin have agreed to dissolve the President Bharrat Jagdeo met with distressed residents of Linden yesterday promising to rectify the water and power problems as quickly as possible.

But protestors said they would continue their blockade of the Mackenzie/Wismar bridge which has caused the closure of the Omai Gold Mines Limited and other interior operations until they were satisfied that there were tangible improvements.

Also in the mining down during the President's visit was PNCR leader Robert Corbin. Corbin had earlier in the week issued an invitation for the President to go with him to Linden to explain to residents the efforts that were being made to improve their situation. Prime Minister Sam Hinds had visited on Thursday but residents said they would only speak to Jagdeo himself.

The residents listened carefully to the president's explanations and asked many questions. But when he announced that he had been informed that there was water flowing through the community, there was an outburst by the crowd denouncing the statement. They said that since the lights had gone out over a week ago most of the community had been without water. They said most areas had water only when the steam plant was brought back some time after midnight on Wednesday. But this lasted for only about 14 hours before breaking down again. Jagdeo said he would visit one of the water plants to have a first-hand look.

Linden's power and water problems stem from the collapse of generators at the Linden Power Company (LPC). LPC had been formed from the privatisation of the power generating facilities in the town by the government to the US company Texas Ohio Energy. The resultant company was managed and manned mainly by Lindeners. The company lurched from one crisis to the next and is now in receivership. Some days after the latest breakdown this month, the government dispatched several generators and provided water in tanks.

Continuing to address the situation of power generation and supply, the president noted that by last night it was likely that some areas would have some amount of electricity.

"This is what the engineers told me. They said that by tonight they could have the second unit that came down from Georgetown working... Then I have already directed and they said that at 6 pm this afternoon to send up a third set from Georgetown. They said that that would be in place by tomorrow and we are hoping that the (LPC) power plant which came on, was working for a short while but developed some problems, that that would be in place sometime early next week... that is what they are telling me. I am not a power engineer. The best I can do is to give them the resources to fix the power plant. I can't do it myself. I have got to rely on the people working at the power plant." He noted that those were all temporary measures, which were not directly to his liking, which was why he had the additional two sets leased from MACORP. These two sets have already left the US.

Prior to his meeting with the protesters, Jagdeo held a briefing session with major stakeholders in the community. There he spoke about what the government had been doing to address the power and water crisis. He said that before he had left for China he had held a meeting with Cambior to discuss an early takeover of Linmine.

In those discussions one of the issues dealt with was long-term power supply both to the community and the bauxite plant. He said it was made clear by Cambior at that time that it wanted to be in control of the power and the government also wanted a reliable entity to purchase power from to supply the community.

He noted that at a meeting with the Cambior-owned Omai and the management of LPC a decision was taken that Omai would accelerate plans to move the generating sets to Linden and commence working to have the 9MW units installed and running. This could be in place in two months. "In spite of accelerating the Omai arrangements I also gave instructions to order two sets from MACORP". These sets were shipped yesterday and are expected to arrive in Guyana by April 25. Jagdeo said that when he had learnt from Prime Minister Hinds that the steam plant had failed once again he immediately passed instructions to transport another set from GPL.

Jagdeo said he would be back in the town on Tuesday to address more of the issues of concern to the residents.

Comments from residents covered various topics. One resident told him, "Ironically on the water issue, de papers got $200m for Linden water system! But the first phase would be commenced in 9 months. Not today, not next week but nine months. My child mother would get baby and she ain't gon' get water. We don't want tangible reasoning - not a warranty but a guarantee."

Another said that before they leave the bridge which links the two shores they have got to be sure that for more than two days the whole town received uninterrupted power supply. Among the other issues raised was the high level of unemployment. "Some time back de president de say $18m to do some drainage. De rainy season coming in, dis light and water situation is just a narrow thing. Wah gon happen here now? De people ain't ga work. See da (referring to the bauxite kilns) it ain't working! Give we your word and we gon give you we word. and we word is until everything you say yo gon do do, we aint moving!!" Responding to the issue of the $18M that was raised, the president announced the residents should go ahead and commence the works in the Victory Valley area and $15M would be put into that project. He explained that the arrangement was for $16M for the works at Wismar.

Among other issues was the European Union-funded Linden Economic Advancement Programme (LEAP) whose management Jagdeo said he was not satisfied with. As regards the Linden Television Station, residents were encouraged to come up with a team which Jagdeo promised to install as a co-management committee to look over the station. Residents were concerned that since the station was taken over by the Guyana Television Broadcasting Company, issues around the town were not being covered. Also highlighted were the strains on the Linden Hospital Complex. While the president was there a female patient had to leave the hospital and go to the nearby river to take a bath. Nurses had to walk four miles into the mines to draw water from a spring in order to do their work. The Upper Demerara Hospital on the Wismar end has had to be closed since there was no source of water and the bridge could not be used to transport food for patients. In addition to the non-supply of electricity. One resident from the Coomacka mines area complained that he was being harassed by police officers when he attempted to block the roads in the area as he had joined the protest for transportation for school children. But Jagdeo said that though he respected the rights of persons to protest, persons who wanted to go about their daily activities must be able to do so freely. He said the government condemned such unlawful acts. He tried to explain to the protestors that they should consider leaving the bridge and the road leading to the interior since in the long term the act could prevent potential investors from coming into the area. He noted that a Barbadian firm was in the process of establishing a call centre in Linden which would see the employment of over 100 persons, mainly women.

Originally Posted by Mahen:

Originally Posted by baseman:

Originally Posted by Devindra:

Linden's power and water problems stem from the collapse of generators at the Linden Power Company (LPC).

was this what the PNC and PPP want Lindeners to pay more for.

Now today the nasty PNC trying to block Nigel Hughes from fighting for the people!

Nasty people them corbinites and their political stooges in apnu.

Cheapness, freeness is not for free.

These PPP cunumunu like Baseman has no shame.

Linden people have no jobs but yet he is demanding insane increases from them. Yet at the same time the chief battie Bwoy, FAGDEO get FREE electricity, free telephone, more security than SAM Hind, the HON Prime Minister of the the Cooperative Republic and Head of Government Business in Parliament.

When FAGDEO pay, the people will pay - FAIR and SQUARE.

Goa gi dem wuk nah.

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