Region Ten tardy about the peoples’ money

The Region Ten administration is still to recover millions in overpayment to contractors more
than three years after closing projects according to the Auditor General’s 2017 Report.
In a letter sent to former Regional Executive Officer (REO) Mr. Orrin Gordon, acting Audit
Manager W. Shakeer sought clarification on several discrepancies the department found in
compiling its report.
“This is really hard as the current REO wasn’t even working in the region during that time and
it’s very hard to know that it’s now his responsibility to retrieve monies that were overpaid under
another REO,” a knowledgeable Regional Democratic Council (RDC) employee said.
“For me I think Government should ensure that whoever was the REO then should appear in
front of the (parliamentary) Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and be held responsible because
with such a system the buck stops at no one but rather is rolled around like dice,” the RDC
employee said.
The 2017 Auditor General’s Report said seven contractors were overpaid and a reliable source
told www.aroundtheregions.com that newly-appointed REO Mr. Dwight John since assuming
the portfolio he has gone after them to recoup the excess payments.
The contractor installing the HDPE culvert at West Watooka has repaid most of the $6.7M he
got in overpayment but colleague contractors undertaking rehabilitation of Church Road in Block
22; upgrading the Dageraad Avenue in Mc Kenzie and the drainage system at Potaro Road;
constructing the chain link fence at One Mile Primary School and rehabilitating Christianburg
Secondary School still have outstanding payments.
Monies are still outstanding too for works done to the water troughs at Kwakwani Secondary
School; construction of the Regional Administration Building; upgrading the drainage system at
Dakama Circle; rehabilitating the REO’s residence at Fair’s Rust and the Mackenzie High
School. There were overpayments too for construction of the Amelia’s Ward Health Centre and
the Health Post at Mabura and rehabilitation of Kwakwani Suboffice.s