Aishalton villagers are signing a petition to have the teacher who says he was slapped by a presidential guard to be transferred because he has “shamed” the village, according to councillor Regis James.
“We do not appreciate this type of behaviour in our community… he has put our village in the media and the public agree that he be transferred,” James told Stabroek News via phone yesterday.
James explained that a statutory village meeting was held on Monday and attended by over 130 persons, all of whom said that they would support a move to have secondary school teacher John Adams expelled from the village.
He said Adams’ behaviour during the meeting with the president was raised by a businesswoman, Joyce Lawrence, and a decision was made to petition to have him transferred from the village.
On December 3rd, Adams alleged that he was slapped by a presidential guard after he criticised President Donald Ramotar and his government during a meeting in the village.
He said as he was making his way through the crowd after saying his piece at the meeting, the guard collared him and asked him who had accompanied him. “The man ask me, ‘Weh de other two that went with you?’ And I told him I don’t know what he talking about, it was just me,” he recounted.
“The man said I lying and as I continued to explain to him that it was just me speaking my mind, he hand me one slap to the left side of my jaw,” he recalled.
Bernard Conrad, Aishalton’s Toshao, says Adams should not have heckled the president because it was disrespectful and he believes the man should be sent back to his hometown in Region 7.
“It is very shameful for John Adams [to] be disrespecting the public. He is from Region 7, not from here. He spoil Aishalton good name. He put us on all the news,” Conrad said.
“You expect someone to respect the daddy and His Excellency is the daddy of the country. Adams [is] wrong. He is not put [to] judge any man on the earth. He must be like us; he must respect the Toshao, he must respect elders,” he added.
James said Adams’ heckles were embarrassing to the villagers. “During the meeting, Mr. Adams was throwing remarks at the president—‘You lie’ and other things—he was under the influence of alcohol, had [a] beer bottle in his hands. He asked questions and was answered but he disturbed the peaceful meeting,” he added.
According to him, it was not the first time that the village has had a problem with Adams. He recalled Adams being a part of a protest a while ago and he opined that as a school teacher he should not have been.
Reached for comment, Adams told Stabroek News that he was not surprised by the feelings of the councillor and Toshao.
“I was waiting to see what would happen and look. I am not surprised but just disappointed by their actions that they would yield to the pressure by the current administration,” he said.
“When I attended that meeting, I was there as John Adams, resident of Aishalton. I was not on school duty. Should I not have my concerns aired? This is modern times and we have a government touting democracy but where is it here? A man speaks and not only is he abused but a community is now pressured into turning against him,” he added.
The mathematics teacher says that he will not allow the petition to stop him from either executing his job as a teacher or being vocal on issues he feels needs highlighting. “I have to speak and when I do and people all over the world hear. The pressure will be on the government to change its ways… I will not stop speaking or loving my brothers and sisters of Aishalton because I know the pressure they are under,” Adams said.
