No consistency in chasing offensive contractors
Dear Editor,
The current administration appears to be politically selective in enforcing contractual rules. There is no consistency or uniformity in bringing down the hammer on engineers or professionals employed by government and or contractors. Persecution and / or prosecution of engineers and contractors is not carried out on a level playing field, especially to those who were in cahoots with the previous administration. Some are targeted for punishment while others escape unscathed.
This administration goes after some contractors and engineers, while others are left unharmed. Politics and contract tax are the determinants of who faces government and ultimately the ax. Unfortunately, it was also under the previous regime. Obviously, a change in administration does not mean a change in policy. Poor governance and lack of accountability remain. In terms of maladministration, both sides behave almost the same.
Justice can be bought at the right contract tax. Those who were too politically involved in the last regime are taken to court, while those willing to pay the right “contract fees” escape punishment. Some who were convicted like any other scoundrel under the previous regime have been embraced by the current administration while others are left to hang.
As an example, the contractors for the poor hospital COVID-19 and several other projects still under way are not penalized. Many contractors or conmen received payments for work not done or for incomplete projects. They are now embraced and untouched, because they recover with fees, while others are prosecuted for similar contractual misconduct. A large contractor is sued for a jetty due to its political financial affiliation with its predecessor; that contractor was with the biggest funder of the current regime before the change of administration in 2015. Other contractors who supported the previous regime are not suing because they opportunistically embrace the current administration and pay their contractor fees . You pay to play.
Similarly, some professionals are sent home because they have helped to transfer money through contracts (real or fake) to politicians and political parties. The government chooses and chooses which engineer to send home and how to exploit it. For example, one very senior engineer in the NDIA has been retained on a month-to-month contract for facilitating massive overpayments for a mechanical and civil works contractor at Bush Lot, Corentyne. The proceeds were used to help fund a small party that joined a large party. The said contractor was seen conducting small party executives at luxury parties at his Bush Lot building. That contractor was a persona non grata by this administration when in opposition. But the contractor is now fully embraced by the new administration because it pays to play while the engineer is left to dry. That is the nature of our politics. How low it has sunk by the greed of political leaders!
Related to above, the service of some engineers or other professionals was terminated for turning a blind eye to situations over which they had / had no control given the depth of corruption under a previous administration. If they didn’t facilitate pollution, they would lose their “wuk.” Nothing has changed from then to now.
While all misconduct must be addressed and the perpetrators brought to justice, this must be done on a level playing field to build trust in government in the equitable distribution of justice irrespective of political affiliation or the amount of contract fees paid .
Truly,
Nigel P Blake