Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill told the National Assembly today that a number of workers attached to the Cemetery Road Expansion Project in Georgetown have fallen ill mysteriously, while others have refused to show up for work, complaining of “supernatural forces” in the burial ground.

Minister Edghill said the situation has led to the road expansion project being delayed.

“This project, sir, started on time, shortly after the signing of the contract but the evidence is there, and it is now known around that the contractor had to change several teams because of the location of this project and the superstitious nature of our country. When some members of staff start falling sick, there was some interpretation by some that it had to do with some supernatural force that was at work, and the rest of it, and workers started staying away from the project,” Minister Edghill explained.

 The Public Works Minister, at the time, was responding to a series of questions posed by APNU+AFC Member of Parliament, Annette Ferguson, who sought an update on the project, which was slated to be completed on July 19.

Minister Edghill said poor weather also compounded the situation.

“Rainfall was the other problem sir. All of us would have seen and known that the drains in the cemetery road alignment have been consistently flooded, and waters from the burial ground have been coming in. We have sought some engineering interventions as to where to dispose of the water to be able to get it done. They have tried several different avenues” Minister Edghill further explained.

The Minister said notwithstanding the challenges, significant progress has been made.

His response, however, was met with loud heckling from the other side, with Opposition MP Sherod Duncan jumping to his feet to enquire what interventions would be made on the part of the Government, should the situation persist.

“I want to ask him, what has been the situation to date with the spirits and the workers, and if the condition persists that the spirits are running the workers out of the burial ground, what will be the intervention of the Government with the spirits running the workers, and presenting snags,” MP Duncan enquired. 

But Minister Edghill warned against making light of people’s concerns. 

It is now unclear when the project will be completed. However, the Minister is hopeful that it will be completed by the end of the year.

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