Buying NAPA in bag

Reading Rubadiri’s Report, or even just the portions published in Sunday Newsday makes one wonder how a government could be so arrogant, and so utterly careless with our money as to spend half a billion dollars on a project that is riddled with poor design, appalling specifications, shoddy materials, and electrical and lighting systems which are out of date and all labelled in Chinese?

It seems that the Government purchased the whole project — what they were told was the cat — based upon the shiny concept of the building’s exterior — a very pretty bag! Now having come home and opened the bag, a big rat has jumped out!

It was quite clear, all through the project, from designs, specifications and construction, and all reinforced at the Uff Commission, that there was no oversight of any kind from any local entity, or Udecott staff, and certainly no consideration given to the concerns of the local Arts Community.

Clearly, at the Grand CHOGM unveiling, the “cat” was never brought out of the bag. The visitors were told that the cat was beautiful, but they only saw the bag. But the astonishing truth is that Udecott and the Government still thought they had purchased the cat — and were sufficiently convinced to invite the local Arts Community to inspect the building — to actually view the cat. That is when it was discovered it was a rat! And it appears that the people in charge were still proud of what they were showing off — a rat in cat’s skin!

And this pathetic comedy is repeating itself at the International Finance Tower, the Tarouba Stadium, and we can be sure, but that bag is still carefully sealed, at the Prime Minister’s palatial residence.

The IFC stands as a huge empty edifice, sold to us by the Government as the centerpiece of the new thrust to attract international financiers who were going to rush to occupy it. No one came, and the only occupant is the Ministry of Energy, a case of us renting space to ourselves. We are now convinced there was no pre-selling of leases to anyone, and the Government told themselves that once it was built, the worlds’ bankers would rush in to occupy it. But the taxpayers are left holding a shiny bag with a hungry rat inside.

The tale (or should we say tail?) of Tarouba is no different. Poor designs, poor workmanship, and another possibly unusable facility sits in that bag — yet to be opened to public examination. And we await the eventual exposure of the residence in Cascade.

And we are left now to pay for Government’s attitude towards the local construction industry — for the second time. Will we never learn?