Amerindians are tired of empty promisesd

Jan 30, 2011 Letters

Dear Editor,
After perusing the National Budget with the primary focus on what is in this budget for the Indigenous communities, I am compelled to make the following comments.
I see that the 2011 Budget continues the charade by adding new words to continue the same deception. This year a part of the LCDS funds are earmarked to support the Amerindian lands demarcation process and the Amerindian Development Fund to finance Indigenous community projects.
How can we plan for the Norwegian Funds that is not even available to Guyana as yet? Are we going to pass another supplemental budget before mid-year to borrow more money from the banking system to attempt to fool my people like Columbus and his trinkets for our gold? For five years our people were promised the following by the Government and I quote from their 2006 manifesto:
• complete the titling of lands for all communities and for all extensions;
• promote sustainable living and food security and reduce poverty for Amerindian people by intensifying income generation projects in Amerindian communities;
• fully implement the Amerindian Act by providing training to Amerindian leaders and officials and assisting communities to develop rules and regulations, thereby providing social, economic and political empowerment of the Amerindian people.
Five years have passed and none of these manifesto promises have been delivered in full, not even half way. I can confirm that not all of the title processes for Amerindian land were completed. Using Mr. Arif Bulkan esteemed legal interpretation, this process is a straightforward process so what is stalling the Jagdeo administration from delivering on their promise to the Indigenous people?
Their actions are obvious and that is they just lack the political will and exercise manifest administrative laziness. So why should we believe anything they say in the budget in another election year?
A few token projects in our communities are not the kind of public policy that will promote sustainable living and food security for the first peoples of Guyana. The Minister is quick to call numbers, but how many jobs did the money spent under the Amerindian Development Fund create? Was it a case of a ‘coastlander’ doing some infrastructure work in a village at an inflated cost, leaving very little in terms of sustainable income generating projects in our communities? Same story of Columbus abusing our people, different date and different Imperialist!
The effort of this PPP/C Government has gotten so ludicrous that as one of the projects they have listed in the budget for the benefit to Amerindians is a poultry pen and plant nursery at Lilliendaal. The last time I checked Lilliendaal is part of Georgetown and not in any designated Amerindian community. This is grossly disappointing. Why not poultry pens for all the untitled community as compensation for deceiving them over the last five years?
This Government has the unenviable record for passing laws in Parliament. But getting the PPP/C Government to implement these laws and putting the systems in place to enforce these laws is like pulling a tooth without anesthetic. Almost five years after the Amerindian Act has been passed in parliament we are still to witness the full implementation of this law.
Is this how you treat a people when you are desperate for their vote, with disdain and disinterest? Why has the Indigenous People Commission not been fully functional to date? Do we have to wait for the AFC Government to get this done?
In conclusion, I do not believe that the PPP/C will deliver on their hastily put together promise of solar panels and computer banks for our people in their villages. We have seen enough. The Indigenous community is demanding improvement to our lives now, not another promise, we have waited too long. Our first people demand jobs now, not another promise, we have waited too long.
We demand all our land titles now, not another promise, we have waited too long. We demand health huts with a trained Health Care professional in all our villages now, not another promise, we have waited too long.
We are aware that the boat/engine, ATVs, and other handouts season has arrived when the PPP/C planes will touch down with the sardines, rice, boat engines and the cheap clothes to continue their charade of fooling our Indigenous people but they are more informed now and wiser now.
The results of the elections will reveal our strategy for the new Columbus from the PPP/C.
Martin Cheong

Latest News

Amerindians are tired of empty promisesd

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | January, 10th, 2025

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Kennard Memorial Turf Club releases Race dates for 2025

Region Six Education Department Renews Golf...

Savory, Persaud show class ahead of Regional...

Spectators experience and playing standards high...

Archery Guyana’s 2024 Senior Barebow Open...

Body of Chinese national who fell from new...

Features/Columnists

Social media reporting is a double-edged sword

Clarifying misconceptions about the Panama Canal

A trillion-dollar business run by men with $10 heads

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]

Amerindians are tired of empty promisesd

Share this:

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | January, 10th, 2025

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]