Dear Editor,
I would like to thank Ms Sharon Austin for her explanation on behalf of the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs (‘Before leaving Georgetown the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs received an additional list…‘ SN, Nov 15), in response to my letter on the questionable distribution of flood relief funds recently in Lethem.
My letter addressed four main points. First, who authorized the disbursement of public funds at a political rally? Second, who was responsible for adding to the list, the names of persons who were living on high ground, and who were not affected by the flood? Third, why were bona fide cases not on the list? Fourth, everyone who was severely affected by the flood ought to benefit from the relief fund.
The Ministry addressed only my third concern by explaining that they were given an additional list of names only prior to their departure for Georgetown. This questions the competence and/or honesty of the regional officials if an additional list should be presented four months after the completion of the assessments, and only after objections by residents.
From the Ministry’s letter, it would appear that their officials were present at the rally when residents “requested that after the event they be given their cash relief.” If this is so, then what were government officials doing at such a partisan affair?
I call again for an investigation to be carried out to determine if there was fraud involved in this exercise. For a start, and for the sake of transparency, the list of all the approved names throughout the region should be made available for public scrutiny.
Finally, I understand that an aircraft was chartered by the Ministry of Health a week ago to carry convalescent persons from Georgetown and Lethem back to Gunn’s Strip in the Rupununi. It is understood that the two passengers who boarded the plane in Lethem were in fact polling agents. The question has to be asked – whose polling agents were they?
Could this be yet another example of abuse of public funds – as was the case of regional vehicles and senior administration officials that were used to put up party flags on lamp poles at night before the PPP rally?
For as long as these matters are not explained to the satisfaction of Rupununi residents, a pall of suspicion and distrust will continue to hang over both the government and the Lethem administration.
Yours faithfully,
Clairmont Lye
