By Jeff Trotman
Thousands of Linden residents converged on the Linmine Constabulary Hall on Tuesday to benefit from the One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) project but the registration and distribution exercise was abruptly halted due to a disruption by would be applicants that is being blamed on “anti-government” forces.
While there was a lukewarm response to the project when it launched in 2011, the Linden people seemed desperate to acquire instruments this time around. As a result, by Tuesday midday, several persons were engaging in a thriving activity of selling photocopied OLPF application forms for $40 each.
Subsequently, the distribution exercise came to an abrupt halt when the OLPF team packed up and left the distribution site in response to growing unruly behaviour by disgruntled, aspiring recipients after the team became aware of fraudulent actions by some of the applicants. It has been claimed that there were redundancies relating to applications per households.
Junior Finance Minister Juan Edghill, who had been conducting a series of meetings in Linden and Region Ten, later said he was dismayed by the behaviour of many of the would be recipients and that the curtailment of processing applications and distributing instruments would be temporarily put on pause. Speaking at the Bayroc Community Centre Ground on the last of nineteen meetings on Tuesday evening, Edghill gave an assurance that genuine applicants will receive their devices. In advising persons, who have applied not to go to the Constabulary Hall on Wednesday, he said: “Once you apply, we know how fo find you.”
He said focus on distribution of instruments to senior citizens, the blind and otherwise challenged individuals would be done on Wednesday. According to him, contrary to the Linden experience, the team had experienced a smooth process of distributing laptops at Kwakwani.
He also placed blame on people bent on stifling the government’s development programme for Region Ten for the confusion, which he claimed was deliberately created at the distribution centre. “It would appear that a centrally-directed hand and persons with ulterior motives that want to make a good thing look bad decided to interrupt something that was for the benefit of Lindeners,” he contended. “There are people, who feel that if you get what you deserve, you gon’ like the PPP and you gon’ vote for the government.”
He added that those anti-government detractors “would do everything within their power to keep the PPP away from the people; keep the government away from the people; get the people riled up and vex; [and] feed them with untruths and misinformation”.
He said in spite of the detractors, the government will ensure that the people of Region Ten receive the benefits they deserve. “The goods and services that should reach the people of Region Ten and Linden will get to them even though you have those miscreants and persons, who are desirous of causing confusion. We will find a way of getting to you what you deserve,” he added.
The OLPF team was expected to be in Region Ten until yesterday at selected distribution sites to conduct the distribution exercise, from which some 4,000 residents are expected to benefit. Up to Tuesday, close to 1,100 persons had received laptops.
