Days after taking office, former head of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) Lionel Wordsworth is back at the Agriculture Ministry, this time as an advisor to the new minister, Zulfikar Mustapha.
An audit report back in 2012 on the operations of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) had recommended the dismissal of Wordsworth after several instances of fraud and conflict of interest were unearthed. The report on fuel consumption and equipment operations and maintenance, was conducted between May and September 2012. When the coalition took office in 2015 Wordsworth was sent on 308 days leave. He never returned to the job.
According to a Kaieteur News report back then the audit report had concluded that fraudulent acts were allegedly committed by Wordsworth and Senior Section Engineer (SSE) Mr. Aneel Chowbay, in breach of the Procurement Act 2003. The report also spoke of conflict of interest and sole sourcing of services such as the supply of fuel and the awarding of contracts to relations of senior NDIA operatives, in breach of national procurement procedures. The audit was done following reports that millions of dollars were allocated to the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority for which questions of value for money and accountability had been raised.
The report noted that there was a major breakdown of internal control over the fuel system which lent itself for possible fraudulent activity since it could not be fully tested and relied upon that fuel ordered was received in part at the pump station and used for its required purposes. According to the report, fuel consumption and pump efficiency were inadequately monitored by the NDIA Mechanical Engineer Department who should have assisted in implementing steps to minimise risk exposures and losses.
CARDI visit
Meanwhile, head for the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI), Mr. Jhaman Kundun on Monday paid a courtesy call to Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha at his Regent Street office. During their meeting Kundun was briefed on a number of plans for development in the agriculture sector. Citing CARDI’s continued support for agricultural development in Guyana, Minister Mustapha said he looks forward to future collaborations. The CARDI head said the institute plans to continue to offer technical support to the relevant authorities within the agriculture sector, especially with dealing with COVID 19.
Minister Mustapha welcomed all areas for collaborations, noting the negative impact the current global pandemic can have on Guyana’s agriculture sector. “The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the agriculture value chains across the Caribbean, threatening food security and upending livelihoods of millions of people around the globe. We plan to continue working with CARDI and all our International partners to ensure Guyana remains food secure and our citizens have continued access to healthy fruits and vegetables,” Minister Mustapha said.
While food supplies in Guyana are presently stable, an extended period of this crisis, coupled with climate change, can put Guyana’s food supply chains on a precarious footing. With this in mind, the Agriculture Ministry, in exercising its mandate, will continue to promote healthy food consumption, more responsible agricultural systems and improve capacity building among farmers. Also present at the meeting were Minister Mustapha’s ministerial advisors Wordsworth and Madanlall Ramraj.
