Dear Editor,
The elected members of the Kwakwani Neighbourhood Development Committee are seeking to have their Independence Message published as they were not afforded the opportunity to deliver same at our community flag-raising ceremony held in Kwakwani.
Below follows an edited version of that message:
“As members of the elected leadership of Kwakwani, we are saddened by the state of affairs in our community, our region, and our country. The results of the 2011 general and regional election are a clear demonstration that there is need for a change of direction in the way in which the average Guyanese would like to see this country governed.
“We liken the state of affairs as it relates to governance to the captain and crew of a boat sailing in uncharted waters with an inflexible captain.
“Our advice as elected leaders comes from a story concerning one of the tugs transporting bauxite between Kwakwani and Everton.
“Most persons working on tugs have a friend that they will pick up along the way coming to Kwakwani. One day the captain decided that he will not slow down for the engineer’s friend to board the tug and instead drove past. The engineer did not query or row because they all knew what they were doing was wrong.
“The engineer knew that the captain would be slowing down further up the river to pick up his friend, so when the tug was about to approach the area, the engineer disconnected the throttle cable from the engine room which meant that he had no control over the engine. The most the captain could do was to hold the steering wheel and steer the tug safely. He did not enquire or row, as he knew what had happened.
“Before leaving Everton on the next trip, the captain enquired from every crew member whether they had pick-ups to make. It was smooth sailing after that.
“We are imploring on our national elected leaders to embrace each other like the elected founder leaders of this country did 47 years ago; to sit and have meaningful dialogue and consultations, and debate as much as they want but at the end of it, the result must be for the good of all Guyanese.
“This national event coincided with another national activity ‒ youth week. It is really sad to look at the state of our nation’s youth; it is a clear reflection of what our future human resource will be.
“Our youths are in need of the same opportunities that were given to us so that they can meaningfully contribute to the building of this independent nation. The development of Guyana is not only about the big buildings going up but also the capacity of our human resources to put them up and keep them up.
“We recall a former minister who when leaving active politics said if the older generation do not relieve themselves of their tasks, many of our young people will not get the opportunity they should get at the proper time. Can we truly develop as an independent nation if we do not give our youth that much needed exposure and experience to take over from our older folks?
“The Kwakwani Neighbourhood Development Committee calls on our elected national leaders to lead the way in crafting a national policy to harness the energies and talent of our nation’s youths. As a start we envisage that any large or medium-scale investor must make provision in their contract/agreement for the training of young people in and around the communities in which they operate. The training must be in various fields of their operation with the specific aim being to make them employable.
“In our message for this year’s Independence anniversary we are specific about the term ‘elected leadership.’ As a group we speak on behalf of the persons who elected us to represent them. The process to elect national, regional and community leaders must be a democratic one. It is unacceptable and disrespectful for communities like ours to have leaders imposed upon us when there is a democratic process available. Our Amerindian brothers and sisters are encouraged and supported to elect their village leaders on schedule, and the same is expected for Kwakwani and similar communities.
“Our rich history as a community should be enough to convince our elected national leaders that Kwakwanki residents know exactly what they want and how to get it. Yes, we have stumbled here and there like every other community in this country, but we are still proud of our accomplishment. The first teachers’ hostel, Kwakwani Secondary School, Kwakwani-Ituni road was built by self help.
The Kwakwani market where our vendors are now bullied was also built by the innovativeness of a democratically elected group of residents.
“So as we celebrate yet another milestone as an independent nation, we the elected leaders of Kwakwani are imploring our national elected leaders and policy-makers to encourage and allow democracy to prevail.”
Yours faithfully,
Jocelyn Morian
Secretary
Kwakwani Neighbourhood
Development Committee
