Dear Editor,
I have noticed an increase in the frequency with which Carl Parker and his acolytes are trying to discredit the efforts of the regional and central government. This is obvious and expect-ed since we are fast approaching our general and regional elections, and the Parkers for the sake of opposing, will now emerge as an authority on issues of governance, prudent management, accountability and Amerindian people’s welfare, among others. His party during its tenure paid no significant attention to the aforementioned issues, and in particular the needs and the social services our Amerindian brothers and sisters had badly needed. Yet they now have the audacity to criticise under anonymous names penning their paragraphs of fallacies. Today the quality of life and equity have drastically improved, not only for Amerindians but all our people, whether they voted for the People’s Progressive Party or not.
Editor, today under the many freedoms we now enjoy Parker and others like him are free to air their views and opinions publicly, however when subjectivity, emotions and misrepresentations are blatantly penned and published, it should not go unnoticed. In the Stabroek News edition of Wednesday, July 6, Mr Parker attempted to pull the wool over your readers’ eyes by giving the impression that the relief to the Region 9 flood was inadequate; (‘who was the author of letters?’). His unsubstantiated claims and fallacious accounts are mere anti-government propaganda.
The facts are outlined hereunder: All of the residents that were affected by the flood in Kumu Village received assistance and hampers. These supplies were delivered by no other than the Director General of the Civil Defence Commis-sion (CDC). According to our health records, there was never a shortage of drugs, nor any reported cases to either the health post or the Lethem Public Hospital of any increased or out of the ordinary occurrences of either diarrhoea or malaria. During the flood and thereafter, the malaria department of the region conducted a mass smearing exercise for dengue and malaria in Kumu and several other villages in the Central District. The residents of the South Pakaraimas received assistance, this time delivered by staff from the district as well as Lethem; there was never any case of selective distribution. However, it is important to note that supplies continue to be sent overland to complete the distribution of that district.
As it relates to roads, many of the residents of that district are aware that a multi-dollar contract has already been inked between the Ministry of Public Works and contractors to upgrade the entire roadway, inclusive of bridges and structures from Good Hope (Region 9) to Monkey Mountain (Region 8). This will benefit several villages and hundreds of residents, inclusive of those in Tiperu, Rukumuta and Yurongperu.
While we continue to modernise our region and improve the quality of life for our Amerindian brothers and sisters, we will not be distracted or derailed from our programme by individuals who have personal grievances against the administration or egocentric pursuits in the press.
Yours faithfully,
Ronald Harsawack
