Govt., Opposition battle over Amerindian support

Aug 20, 2015 News

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– Over 2,000 former CSOs to be retained under new programme

The 2015 Budget debate continued yesterday with both Government and the Opposition squaring off over support for Amerindians.
The People’s Progressive Party (PPP), in Opposition now for the first time in 23 years, has been accusing the coalition of not having any real programmes for the development of Amerindians.
Over 2000 Community Support Officers (CSOs) from Amerindian communities who lost their $30,000 monthly stipend was a major issue as the Members of Parliament (MPs) from both sides clashed.
Support from the Amerindians has been seen as critical, especially with the hosting of the National Toshaos Council (NTC) Conference, currently ongoing at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre, on the East Coast of Demerara.
Early yesterday, Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock, made it clear that it was all “false allegations” by PPP/C that the Government had dismissed some 2000 CSOs.
According to Allicock, it was not the government that dismissed the CSOs but rather, it was the PPPC which had “shut down this programme without letting them (the CSOs) know.
He said that the former administration had made no financial allocation for CSOs beyond April 2015, effectively shutting down the programme.
According to the minister, Cabinet had to arrive at a decision to provide a subsidy to the CSOs. “By, Cabinet decision, dated March 18, 2015, the sum of $234,240,000 was approved for 1,952 Community Support Officers as stipend for the period January to April 2015,” the Minister stated.
He noted that the CSOs were recruited under a political scheme called Youth Entrepreneurship and Apprenticeship Programme (YEAP). They were not contracted employees or public servants. “All they were offered on a periodic basis was a stipend of $30,000 each month,” Minister Allicock highlighted.
SHUT DOWN
In addition, he said, “It appeared that the PPP Government had shut down the programme and left the CSOs exposed after using them as political activists in the so-called ‘Red Shirt Brigade’ to join picket lines and campaign for the PPP.”
From September 1, 2015, YEAP will be replaced by the Hinterland Employment and Youth Service. This programme is a new scheme which will provide sustainable jobs for youths in hinterland communities. This initiative will also ensure that persons who were employed as Community Support Officers, (CSO) undergo training so that they can be reemployed.
The first of the Amerindian MPs to take the floor was Dawn Hastings, Minister within the Ministry of Communities, who insisted that the short budget was a people’s one.
She said the budget has a lot to offer including uniform vouchers for students, creation of hinterland employment and training, including mechanic, masonry and construction.
Hastings was highly critical of a $1B project to build a secondary school complex at Kato which remains incomplete for the 300 students who were supposed to benefit.
Government, she said, unlike the previous administration, will ensure it delivers on projects unlike instances like when two tumbler dryers were acquired and left in their original packages for years and were only discovered this year in the Fort Canje compound.
“In addition to training of health care workers and better delivery of primary care services, there are plans to spend over $500M to repair hospitals and health centres. There are programmes being developed to increase the number of teaches and drill more water wells in Regions 1,7 and 8,” the MP emphasised.
LOTS MISSING
Former Amerindian affairs advisor, Yvonne Pearson, in her maiden Parliamentary speech for the Opposition was convinced the budget was a mere continuation of the programmes of the previous administration.
Saying it is time to move on, the former Chairperson of the National Toshaos Council boasted that the development that Guyana is seeing all started under the PPP administration.
“Programmes like more schools, dormitories for hinterland students, scholarships and feeding programmes are all evidence of what has been achieved,” she said.
She admitted that the programmes were not perfect, “but then again, Guyanese are not living in a perfect world”.
Pearson credited free speech as part of the PPP’s legacy.
“There are lots of things missing in the budget. Like very little details on One Laptop Per Family programmes.” While the new Government has announced plans to distribute 10,000 laptops to teachers, the former advisor urged for some to be made available to scores of hubs which have been built in the hinterland.
She also insisted that 80 percent of the Amerindian votes during the May 11 General and Regional Elections went the PPP’s way.
With regards to powering of homes of Amerindians, she noted that nothing was being said of the solar panel programme and about the Presidential Grants that villages benefit from annually.
She was also scathing in her criticisms of the Government in not publishing notices of the NTC conference in the national newspaper.
“If this is the approach of the new Government, it is unacceptable,” she said.
PLEASE APOLOGISE
According to Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock, it appears from the behavior of the Opposition, that they are not aware that they lost the recent elections.
“It is no secret that Guyana and specifically Amerindians were held hostage to the PPP’s machination and while there were some developments, these were directed to communities that have shown their support for the former Government. The others that did not were ostracized, battered and left to suffer,” Allicock stated
He accused former Permanent Secretary Nigel Dharamlall, who is now sitting in the Opposition benches of being the “chief cook and bottle washer” in mischief of using the CSOs to divide Amerindians by using state monies to hurt especially the youths.
He said that the CSOs could not speak freely but were directed and intimidated.
“Both Dharamlall and former Amerindian Affairs minister, Pauline Sukhai should apologise for their actions,” a fired up Allicock charged.
Glaring at the Opposition benches, he said:  “Because of these actions, you are over there.”
He said that the PPP’s actions caused them to be “fired” by the people of Guyana. In turn that party fired its civic component; its presidential candidate, Donald Ramotar, and prime ministerial candidate, Elizabeth Harper.
Allicock did not stop there. He asked the PPP to question former President Bharrat Jagdeo if they did not believe what he was saying.
At that point Jagdeo, who was chosen as the new Opposition Leader this week, poured a glass of water and sat back in his chair.
The minister was also critical of the previous Government’s moves to grant titles to Amerindian lands.
He said that a few of the exercises where photographs were taken were mere public relations stunts. He held up what he said were copies of the titles.
He said that as part of the plans, Government will shortly start the rebuilding of the Umana Yana. The meeting place was burnt to the ground, but its rebuilding has been delayed.
“Almost $500M has been allocated to fix the Kimbia and Barima ferries to improve services to the hinterlands with monies set aside for repairs to key airstrips at Mahdia and Eteringbang,” Allicock added.
TIME TO SMILE
Meanwhile, former Minister Pauline Sukhai’s turn to speak was greeted with calls for her to smile. She had come under severe criticism earlier this year when it was learnt that over $2M was used to pay for her dental work.
Not to be daunted, Sukhai  accused the Government of having no proper plan for Amerindians and only making passing mention of them in the budget speech.
“The budget will only be considered a successful one when Guyanese experience the achievement,” she said.
She added that the new Government had named a number of Vice Presidents but with no woman among them. (Dawn) Hastings would have been perfect for that job, she opined.
Sukhai roundly criticized the NTC conference which she said was illegal. “The Toshaos were not even afforded a meeting with Minister Allicock!”
She dismissed the issue of the land titles saying that the Minister, in essence, misrepresented what really transpired.
Sukhai also urged that the new Government ensure that the US$6.7M Amerindian Fund be used to developed the communities.
Issues like road networks and other infrastructural development will also have to be pursued aggressively, she stressed.
According to Sukhai, the PPP is convinced that it won the elections.
“The party, if a recount should be done in Region Eight, would be declared victors in that area. Against this background, it should not be discounted that both the Government and the PPP tallied almost the same number of votes. In other words, the PPP won as much as the coalition Government.”

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