The Ministry of Amerindian Affairs (MOAA) yesterday rejected assertions that the issuing of cash relief to the flood-affected victims of Region 9 was an “elections bribe,” explaining that it was only distributed to Lethem residents following the PPP’s public meeting on Sunday upon the request of residents.
“The distribution of the cash relief on November 6 was scheduled to commence at St. Ignatius for Central Rupununi and the distribution for Lethem residents was planned for November 7,” the Ministry said in a release. “However, many of the Lethem residents who were present at the rally requested that after the event they be given their cash relief. Thus, only the Lethem residents were given their relief there,” it added. Officers then travelled to St. Ignatius, Quarrie, Moco Moco, Napi and Parishara to distribute the cash relief.
The PPP/C on Sunday held a public meeting in Lethem and reports are the PPP/C’s regional headquarters was utilised to pay persons $20,000 in cash as relief. The Ministry did not address the question about the use of the PPP/C’s headquarters to distribute the relief. The timing of the payout and the venue used has angered opposition parties and members of the public. PPP/C campaign spokesperson Robert Persaud had said that the distribution of the aid was part of the government’s promise to its people after the flood in June, but dissociated the party from the decision of where to distribute the flood relief.
In the release, issued last evening, the Ministry said that the cash relief exercise commenced on September 23 in Karasabai. The ministry has also distributed aid in the North Rupununi and South Rupununi.
There were 1,089 households in total, covering 37 communities in the completed three sub-districts, who were given financial assistance in Region 9, it said.
To identify these families from villages that are far removed from each other, aggravated by the flood itself, would require time and other resources, thus the perceived delay in the release of the cash relief, it added.
“The approximate number of households in Region 9 is about 3,089, and if this move were political in nature, then MoAA could have chosen all these households or even a majority of them to serve such an ulterior motive.”
“The plight of the people is paramount to us, and we will not apologise if we help them in the direst time: when they need the government’s aid most, regardless of whether it is election time or not,” the release added.
