A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) today called on the people of the South Rupununi village of Aishalton to rebuff attempts to transfer a teacher who is at the centre of a controversy that flared up over the heckling of President Donald Ramotar at a public meeting.
John Adams complained to the media that after he heckled President Ramotar at the December 3rd, 2014 Aishalton meeting he was slapped by a presidential guard. He complained to the police about this but it is unclear if this matter is being investigated.
Weeks later, a recording surfaced from the same meeting where President Ramotar is overheard berating Adams. Ramotar said “you don’t know anything bout Jagdeo, if he been hey he might have slap yuh cause yuh stupid”.
Since the controversy erupted some Aishalton residents have called for action against Adams. They have signed a petition seeking to have him transferred.
“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,” village council Regis James told Stabroek News.
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.
APNU today said that the education of the children of Aishalton must not be sacrificed on the altar of political expediency.
It said “The national attention which the Aishalton presidential ‘feral blast’ and the accompanying assault of Mr. John Adams by members of President Donald Ramotar’s security detail has garnered, forced an embarrassed PPP to resort to tactics that can only work to the detriment of the children of Aishalton.
“APNU strongly affirms that the education of the children of this nation must not be tampered with for narrow political gain or to save political face.
“Mr. John Adams is the only Mathematics teacher in the entire South Rupununi. He has proven to be a very good teacher who is committed to the education of the children of the South Rupununi. Mr. Adams and the children of Aishalton should not be victimized for the boorish and un-presidential behaviour exhibited by Donald Ramotar”, the statement said.
APNU said it wished to assure the Amerindian people of the Partnership’s respect for their right to public dissent, and that any dictatorial decision which is taken by the minority PPP/C Administration against Adams would be reviewed by an APNU administration.
