By Desiree Kissoon
In an outreach yesterday, which according to one minister was as a result of the protest actions and subsequent violence and looting last Tuesday at Mon Repos, Prime Minister Mark Phillips urged villagers of Buxton not to let the detractors from development “divide us”.
Accompanying the Prime Minister were Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall; Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal; Minister of Sports, Charles Ramson; Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond; Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill; Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony; Minister of Local Government and Regional Deve-lopment Nigel Dharamlall and Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister, Kwame McCoy.
An estimated 300 villagers congregated at the Buxton Community Centre ground where they voiced their grievances and sought relief for same.
Phillips lauded the residents for choosing to attend the outreach rather than a protest which was being held not too far away (see other story on page 9.) He noted that the villagers chose development over distraction. Phillips spoke of the many scholars produced by Buxton and their tremendous contribution to Guyana over the years. His remarks prompted one resident to declare as “Buxton goes, so does the country.”
The Prime Minister stressed that the government was one for all Guyanese, regardless of their colour, who they voted for or where they live. He urged villagers to not let detractors from development divide them. Phillips, who is performing the functions of President, also promised that relief is coming for the people of Buxton and the entire country. He noted that unlike the past where resources were limited, the Irfaan Ali-led government will keep its commitment to use resources now available to improve the quality of life for all Guyanese.
Meanwhile, Nandlall also thanked the people of Buxton for choosing to attend the outreach and to make their concerns known. He said that while the visit of the team yesterday was not an isolated one, it was linked to what transpired last Tuesday when protest actions culminated in violence and looting in several areas along the East Coast, notably Mon Repos.
According to Nandlall, the government decided to visit Buxton yesterday, even though they were aware of the planned protest in the village. He noted that the team was continuing the discourse started by President Ali when he visited Buxton last Tuesday and engaged the people following the violence. He said that the team was there to continue the discourse in a candid and ‘frank” manner.
He emphasized that “only if we talk to issues of our country, honestly and frankly, then we can find true, real and lasting solutions to the problems”.
He reminded the crowd of the many visits current government ministers have made to the village since August of 2020, when the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) assumed office. He spoke of the visit by President Ali following the violence last week and a few months ago.
“So this (the outreach) is not an isolated incident. We have a track record of a relationship we have created in this community as we have done in other communities, and we intend to intensify this relationship and bring fruits from this relationship,” he stated.
In the village, which has a rich history of activism, the crowd listened respectfully to the various presentations by the ministers before making their concerns and demands known.
Some of their demands included repairs to village roads, an increase in school vouchers, and better recreational facilities for the youths, assistance for small-business ventures, better health services, access to government contracts, and jobs for young professionals.
Many commitments were given by the various government ministers and some were even delivered on the spot to raucous applause.
Hoops
Sports Minister Ramson seemed to have been prepared for requests from villagers, since immediately following the request by a villager for basketball hoops, he dramatically announced that within 30 minutes, the hoops would be at the ground and they were. However, Ramson was not done yet, asking the crowd to calm down, he gleefully announced that within 30 minutes a “tractor/lawn mower”, would also be delivered. The centre erupted once again in thunderous applause. He said that in two weeks, he will return to the village to install the hoops and urged residents to join in this project.
Another resident who said that he was a qualified engineer/contractor who had previously done “excellent” work, has been unable to secure a government contract in a year, even after spending over a million dollars in his bid to do so. He was assured by Minister Dharamlall that he would be given contracts as long as he commits to hire workers from Buxton.
Meanwhile, responding to requests for assistance in setting up and accessing grants and loans for small businesses, a commitment was given by Minister Walrond that in two weeks, she and Minister Anthony will return to the village to host a workshop to guide villagers through the process of accessing these services.
And Minister Croal addressing the thorny issue of house lots, disclosed that additional land would soon become available for residents on the East Coast. He was, however, reluctant to say where the land is located.
