Regulations barring Regional Councillors from contracts

The regulations which prevents serving Regional Councilors on the RDC from securing contracts
is expected to be enforced. This is according to senior government officials attached to the
Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development.
This matter was recently raised by a group of concerned Lindeners who spoke out against what
they have dubbed as the ‘blatant’ disregard for regulations and policies governing the awarding
of contacts.
This media house, www.aroundtheregoons.com sought to better understand the issue and was
told that over the years it has been observed that several sitting Reginal Councilors were
rewarded with contracts by the RDC. Several of the residents raising their hands in objection has
appealed to the new government to ensure that such practices, which seems to have become the
norm in Region Ten to have it ceased forthwith.
“We recognize that many persons are not genuinely interested in as a Regional Councillor to
serve the people but rather many are seeking to serve their own self interests. As such, we are
having people who once elected seeks to see how much and in what ways they can benefit. Such
behaviour will not do the region and its residents any good. Therefore, we are hoping that the
current administration at both the national and regional levels will ensure that a stop is put to this
immediately,” a representative of the group said.
The representative who requested anonymity said that they seek no personal publicity in having
these issues addressed. They noted that they are aware that many would be angry because they
are seeking to have things done professionally, ethically and responsibly. The representative said
that because they have found that many persons benefits in numerous ways from kickbacks and
other avenues, more persons are becoming silent. “Many people are reluctant to speak out
because a lot are benefiting and it is people in all levels of society directly or indirectly,” the
representative said.
Another person from the group said that she had experienced severe verbal abuse in the past
when she attempted to raise her voice in objection. She said that both her and family were treated
as being informants and this led to her retreating out of concerns for the well being of her family.
“We have built a culture whereby people becomes abusive and angry when you choose to speak
out against what is wrong and this is what has led to corruption in the region growing
significantly,” she opined.

Evidence secured by this media house shows that at least two regional councilors in the last RDC
Council benefited from contracts. Gordon ‘Badman’ Callender and Charles Sampson were
known contactors while serving the RDC. Many even pointed out that Callender even served as
head of the health committee and executed contracts in the sector. However, while, Sampson is
no longer serving as a Regional Councillor on this Council, Callender is. Furthermore, newly
elected Councillor Eleze Benjamin-Hall secured contracts this year for weeding and as a member
of the Region’s RHEC Committee she benefited from the making of bed sheets and cleaning of
the Quarantine centre at the Linden Foundation Secondary school.

Additionally, this media house has received information, which indicates that the Regional Vice
Chairman, Douglas Gittens would have executed a contract recently at the Vivian Parris Health
Centre. Attempts to seek a comment from the Regional Vice Chairman proved futile. However,
www.aroundtheregions.com will be investigating this and other claims further.
Meanwhile, several prominent individuals from Region Ten firmly believes that it’s unethical
and unprofessional for Regional Councillors to be securing contracts from the very region that
they serve, noting that it sets a bad precedence, while it creates opportunities for corruption to be
committed.
“Regional Councilors should be wise enough to know that its evidently unethical to be securing
contracts from the very region that you sit upon and I hope that the newly appointed REO,
Dwight John will put systems in place to prevent such practices from continuing,” a prominent
resident declared.