Some problems for Dr. Frank Anthony

Mar 09, 2011 Letters

Dear Editor,
It is election year and it is time that young pay people keen attention to the manifestos that were presented in 2006 and previously to evaluate the ruling party which formed the government for the last five years to make an informed decision if the ruling party should continue in government.
I would like to encourage fellow young Guyanese living here and abroad to pay keen attention to the reports coming out of Guyana.
There was a declaration from the Ministry of Health just days ago (February 24 in the Guyana Chronicle) which revealed that the Global School Survey conducted by the WHO/PAHO in 2004, and targeted students between the ages of 13 and 15, that 35.5 per cent of the students had at least one drink during a random month, with 46.9 per cent of boys and 25.9 per cent of girls reporting having at least one drink for that month.
What is most troubling is the 28.3 per cent of the students who drank so much alcohol that they have been drunk at least once.
But I am not seeking to evaluate the Minister of Health; Hon. Dr. Leslie Ramsammy at this point but rather the Minister of Youth Hon. Dr. Frank Anthony. These are my questions to you my honorable minister and I hope that you will find some time in your busy schedule to respond for the benefit of young people.
Since your assumption to office can you tell young people if there has there been any new projects and programmes that have benefitted young people under your tenure? How much money is spent at the regional level to improve sports facilities compared to that spent at the national level and how will national sporting facilities such as the new multi-million dollar swimming pool in Liliendaal benefit young people of Guyana? Has there been any new sporting facilities in communities which had none before?
Who are the CARICOM and Commonwealth Youth Ambassadors and what have they done for young people? How many young people have benefitted from Youth Exchange Programmes with other countries and if none why?
How many young people have benefitted from sports scholarship? What is the status of the National Youth
Policy, National Youth Parliament and National Youth Commission? How many young people who were involved in skills training programmes like the YEST programme of the Ministry had job opportunities after completing such training?
How many young people are involved in and at what level of policy making at local, national, regional and international forums?
Has Guyana ever had a Youth delegate to United Nations to make contributions to international forums? If not, why not? And how many young people have accompanied President Jagdeo and the Honorable Minister on overseas state visits?
Hon. Minister, can you explain to young Guyanese how you have addressed?
The increase in youth involvement in crime and violence, the increase in use of drugs and alcohol among teenagers, the lack of access to ICT, access to health services at the community level and the increase of young prisoners are worrying factors.
The worry continues with the rehabilitation and continued education for young prisoners and NOC inmates and follow up on each exiting the system, the increase in migration of young people, the non-implementation of International Charters, UN Declarations and other International Policy Documents and statements signed under his administration, the involvement of young people in the development of environment policies such as the (LCDS) and the increase in the circulation of child/youth pornography in schools.
These are just some of the concerns and questions young people have for you our parliamentary and cabinet representative.
Sunil Singh

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