President David Granger on Monday agreed to put together a team to travel to Masakenari and Parabara villages, Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo (Region Nine) to meet the people to determine how best to address problems affecting them.
A release from the Ministry of the Presidency said Granger made this commitment after Paul Chekema and Ekufa Mewsa, Toshaos of Masakenari and Parabara villages, respectively, raised a number of concerns, during a meeting at the Ministry of the Presidency.
“I did not know about these issues, but certainly there are some that we can fix. I want to help because I know it is a difficult area. I understand your situation. I am the President of all of Guyana, so we will see what can be done,” Granger said.
Chekema and his villagers were in Georgetown to help with the rebuilding of the Umana Yana.
The Toshaos, led by Chekema, and accompanied by Ministerial Advisor to the Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Mervyn Williams, said that the condition of the path leading into the village, the ongoing drought, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) services and concerns over mining practices at Marudi, were among some of the pressing concerns.
According to the release, Chekema said that the path leading to the two villages has been in a ruinous state for some time. He noted that the Toshaos had approached the previous administration, which had promised to help, but no aid had been provided. As such, they hoped that the new administration could remedy the situation.
“That road is very important to all of the Amerindians. We have to travel far, far, almost two weeks to reach Georgetown, so because of that we came to talk to the President to know whether it is possible for us to get that,” he said.
The Toshao also said that given the location of the village, it is often difficult for health supplies and medication to reach the residents and they are hindered from transporting their agricultural produce. He also noted that while wells have been dug in the community, they are insufficient to meet the residents’ needs, as such the group is seeking the Government’s assistance to dig another.
Granger agreed to commission a team comprising representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Public Infrastructure, E-Governance Unit, Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Ministry of Public Health and other relevant ministries and agencies to visit the villages, the release said. The President also thanked the group for their efforts in rebuilding the Umana Yana, which went up in flames in 2014.
