Dear Editor,
I refer to the Kaieteur News article of March 14, under the caption ‘APNU+AFC plan to improve living conditions in Region Nine.’
The article is obviously based on a 5-day visit by Opposition Leader David Granger to “over 50 villages in the North, Central and South savannahs” of Region 9. It is incredible that based on an average 10 villages visited per day, Mr Granger could make all the assumptions and deductions the team made, unless there was no interest in the facts; no interest in arriving at the truth; and no interest in an accurate and honest assessment of the situation as is in the villages to which Mr Granger refers.
I wish to say to Mr Granger and team, ab initio, that the people of the Upper Takutu/Upper Essequibo, Region 9 (not merely the 50 villages) were rescued from the jaws of the Peoples’ National Congress on October 5, 1992 when the Guyanese people rejected them and voted in large numbers for change. That change was in favour of the People’s Progressive Party.
And while we concede that we have not been able to address all of the concerns and needs of the people of our country, we stand proudly with them to acclaim that we have made significant noticeable progress as a people and as a nation, so that all those who have eyes to see and who are honest can tell the world.
There has been tangible development and improvements in the lives of the people of Region 9 under the PPP and the PPP/C government.
a)Infrastructure development
Roads have been upgraded and maintenance work completed by the Ministry of Public Works on the Lethem to Aishalton and Aishalton to Karaudarnau road; while Awarewaunau and Maruranau Villages each had 700 metres of their road recently upgraded by the Regional Democratic Council of Region 9.
Transportation has improved significantly in all the villages. Mr Granger and team were too busy
flying in and out of the villages to notice these improvements. Or perhaps they were too embarrassed to know and cared not to notice.
In the deep South prior to October 1992, there was only one tractor – a 290 David Brown that served the entire district. Today, thanks to government’s injection of resources to fix the roads and to procure vehicles to move people, materials, machines, medical supplies, schoolchildren, etc, around, there has been remarkable and significant improvement in transportation.
Aishalton: One tractor and trailer, a pick-up
Karaudarnau: One tractor and trailer, a pick-up, an ATV
Achawib: an ATV and a pick-up
Bashauzon: an ATV
Parabara: An ATV, a tractor and trailer and a pick-up
Konashen: an ATV and a tractor and trailer
Awarewaunau, Maruranau, Shea and Shulinab: each has a tractor and trailer and a pick-up while Sand Creek and Katoonarib each has a tractor and trailer
Rupunau proudly owns 2 ATVs, a tractor and trailer, and a boat and engine, while Sawariwau and Meriwau villages each owns a minibus and an ATV.
For the record, all other villages/communities have some mode of transportation for the movement of people and goods. We have not left them isolated as the PNC did. The list is extensive – Shiriri, Potarinau, Baitoon, Quiko, etc.
Today residents travel to Lethem on motorcycles, in cars, minibuses, tractors, pick-ups, etc, and many of these vehicles are owned by residents including business persons from Region 9 from their own financial resources or using hire-purchase facilities offered by the commercial banks. And so they travel to Lethem to purchase items such as mattresses, cooking gas, rice, flour, sugar, etc, and transport them to their homes, small shops and other businesses. Indeed, in every one of the 56 communities there is at least one additional shop other than the village shop.
Did Mr Granger use the Lindenp-Lethem road to travel to Lethem, and did he spare the time to observe the extent of the upgrading and rehabilitation works being effected on this road? We do this because we care. Because we were aware of the tremendous neglect of our indigenous people by the PNC government which presided over the destruction of our country and the abject poverty of our indigenous people. Today they are teachers, welfare officers, head teachers, education officers, medical doctors, medexes, nurses, multi-purpose technicians, health workers, engineers and more.
- b) The PPP/C government has worked with the residents of Region 9 and has built new bridges, and in so doing has removed the isolation in which the PNC left them. Have Messrs Granger and Nagamootoo seen the new bridges en route to Baishauzon and Karaudarnau, and the Takutu Bridge? This was built under the PPP/C administration and residents of the neighbouring communities of Brazil and Guyana, moreso Region 9, traverse it daily. Are they aware that between Katoonarib and Karaudarnau there are concrete bridges; that the residents welcome these bridges which have helped to improve the transportation between their communities. True enough there is more to be done, but we as a government have committed and we have also demonstrated that we have the will to work with the people of Region 9 to improve their living conditions. Over the past three years, in spite of the Budget cuts by the opposition political parties, we have spent over $750M on infrastructure improvements in Region 9. All these improvements have resulted in reduced travel time between villages.
What infrastructural improvements is the APNU+/-AFC speaking about?
- c) In respect of the almost non-existent social services in 1992, these have improved significantly. Schools now exist where they did not before. The few substandard buildings that were there and which posed a threat to the limbs and lives of the few teachers and pupils were rehabilitated by the PPP/C government. Add to these facts a growing population and the additional schools we were consequently required to build and furnish. The teachers we recruited and upgraded and trained. Add to these improvements the uniforms we have been providing to pupils/students, the hot meals/snacks which the students have been enjoying, the $10 000 per child because the PPP/C cares and because of the returns on these investments – improved student performances at internal and external examinations. All pupils of primary school age have access to primary education. And in keeping with our government’s education policy to move towards secondary education for all, we have constructed three secondary schools with dormitories in Region 9, while simultaneously awarding scholarships to Amerindian students to pursue higher earning not only in education but in many other occupations such as medicine, engineering, agriculture, etc. And the records will show that their performance has been exemplary and that many have returned to serve in Region 9.
- d) May I also remind the APNU+AFC that through government’s presidential grants to the Amerindian villages since 2006 the villages have been assisted to develop their local economy. Did Messrs Granger and Nagamootoo not take time to visit some of the hinterland secure livelihood projects to interact with the beneficiaries and get a clear understanding and rebuke from them for cutting the 2014 Budget funding for this project?
- e) Did the Region 9 residents share their joy over the solar panels they have received under the government’s unserved electrification programme? If they did not, it could only be because they thought Mr Granger knew. Solar panels are just one of the many conveniences made available by the PPP/C government not only to hinterland regions where the mostly the Amerindian population lives, but also in remote rural areas where low population density determines that this is the most cost effective way to go.
- f) I could go on and on. But do I have to remind the opposition leaders of the salary increases, increase in old age pensions, Amerindian land titling, et al?
APNU+AFC ought to be ashamed to talk of planning; more than two decades after the Guyanese people democratically removed the PNC from office to change the lives of the people of Region 9. What were they doing during their 28 years in government?
The people of Region 9 are aware of, have experienced and have benefited from improvements in the quality of their lives under the PPP/C government. They have seen, felt, experienced and benefited from improved living standards under this government. The PNC must be ashamed to talk now about planning to change the lives of the people of Region 9.
Yours faithfully,
Norman Whittaker
