A crime prevention workshop, which was expected to be attended by the Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, was cancelled unexpectedly yesterday morning, following the unavailability of police officers.
On Friday evening, a media invitation was sent by the Ministry of Public Security for media to attend a crime prevention workshop at the Parfaite Harmonie Primary School on the West Bank of Demerara.
According to the invitation, the workshop was an initiative of the One National Youth Movement and the Government of Guyana, and was supposed to feature remarks by Minister Ramjattan. However, when this newspaper arrived at the location, the school was void of any signs that an activity was scheduled to be held there.
A subsequent call to the Ministry’s Public Relations unit confirmed that the workshop had been cancelled, however, the reason for the unannounced cancellation was not communicated.
Meanwhile, founder of the One National Youth Movement, Denzel St. Hill, when contacted, explained that the workshop has been postponed until next year.
The reason for the postponement he said, was as a result of officers from the La Grange Police Station being sent to Georgetown in wake of Friday’s passing of the no-confidence motion against the government.
He explained that when he contacted the La Grange Police Station yesterday morning for confirmation of their attendance, he was told by the station sergeant that officers were unavailable as they had been sent to the city to assist with security.
St. Hill noted that considering the officers were the main focus of the workshop, it was better to postpone the activity until a later date.
The One National Youth Movement was founded in 2017 with the objective of fostering development and empowerment among youths in an inclusive society through self-awareness, health awareness, sports and community development.
Concerns for security during debates of the no-confidence motion were raised by Opposition Chief Whip Gail Teixeira, who, in a letter to the Commissioner of Police Leslie James, asked that the necessary interventions be made to ensure that the sitting of the National Assembly on December 21, 2018 be allowed to proceed peacefully both inside the house and beyond the precincts of the Public Buildings.
