‘People have to face consequences’ – Dr Jagdeo

– following Aubrey Barker Road accident

General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Dr Bharrat Jagdeo have expressed fraustration about the continued incompetence exhibited by contractors and engineers supervising major infrastructural projects.

His statements come days after the Aubrey Barker Road incident, where several concrete poles collapsed due to ongoing drainage and roadworks, leaving residents and businesses in complete darkness.

Speaking on the issue at Freedom House in Georgetown on Thursday, the general secretary expressed his fraustration, demanding answers from the responsible agencies.

Jagdeo said an investigation was launched into accident and it revealed that the poles were not installed according to specifications.

Following this revelation, he said answers are needed on whether the contractor followed the design’s specification and which government engineer supervised the works.

“Either the contractor did not do their work properly, and if the contractor did not do their work properly, they had to do this with the complicity of the [supervisor] and there should be consequences. People have to be blacklisted and fired for this sort of thing – or it’s not going to change,” Dr Jagdeoemphasised during his press conference.

He further criticised engineers for disruptive construction practices, including unnecessarily digging up long stretches of roads and drainages, that is inconveniencing communities in a major way.

State-employed engineers now receive competitive salaries, he outlined, removing any excuse for poor performance.

“We have a bunch of engineers who just go and walk around the road and discomfort people all the time, when they could work different,” he lamented.

The general secretary, who also serves as vice president, underscored the importance of ensuring public infrastructure is built to standards, ensuring they last 50 years or more, and not deteriorating within a few years.

Acknowledging there is a high volume of works being conducted, Jagdeo said this should not compromise quality or accountability.