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APNU urges Govt to change course on hinterland related issues

Jun 08, 2013 News

 

 

A Partnership for National Unity, APNU is urging the government to change course and stop their denial of the poor state of hinterland regions, particularly, relating to the social conditions, infrastructure and economy.
The main opposition party opted to have its say, after the students at Kato primary, a school located in sub region one of Region Eight, were pictured carrying logs from beyond the far reaching Paramakatoi Mountains to the school, for the supply of hot meals, at least under the hinterland school feeding programme.
”This graphic illustration of the plight of hinterland school children exposes a wider problem which is the dysfunctional nature of this Government which has its priorities all wrong. It is hell bent on central control when it should be meaningfully engaging duly-elected Regional Democratic Councils (RDCs) and, in keeping with constitutional provisions, empowering them.
Sadly, however, the opposite is happening and the Government has deliberately set about to handicap and undermine the work and proper functioning of RDCs, thereby making them ineffective in delivering on their duties and responsibilities to residents who voted for them,” The party said in a release yesterday
While, APNU strongly condemned the abuse of primary school children at Kato and those in hinterland regions of Guyana they view the same phenomenon in Opposition dominated regions across the country.
“Public exposure of this particular indignity has also brought to the fore the total lack of coordination and cooperation among and between various Government Institutions, Ministries.
“No one seems to know whose responsibilities it is to see that our children, in this case primarily Amerindian, are not being abused.  Should it be an issue for the Rights of The Child Commission, Ministry of Human Services, Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development or the Ministry of Education?”
APNU calls yet again for Government to pay urgent attention to the poor conditions of hinterland communities and to immediately cease this practice of marginalizing RDCs, the party said.
This practice results in a whole host of problems in areas such as health, education, roads, bridges, water supply, sanitation, etc. In this instance, our children are being robbed of their childhood and the chance of a proper education and the Government should be ashamed.
“Hinterland residents do not need the propaganda to which they are being relentlessly subjected to; they need the development of their communities to which they, like all other Guyanese, are entitled.”
Meanwhile the Education Minister has released further information into the preliminary investigations into functions of Kato Feeding programme
”Radio contact was made with the District Education Officer, Ms Carla Prescott who revealed the following: On Wednesday 17th April 2013, the kitchen staff noted that they were out of firewood and asked Teacher in Charge at the time –Ms Andrea Pereira— to organize the children to aid in the gathering of firewood from a nearby clump of bushes.  The teacher agreed to same and gathered the children who came early to school to assist.”
According to the Minister at the said time, a statutory meeting of Regional Democratic Council Region Eight was being held in Sub District One, Kato Village.  “Mr. Nieem Gafoor who is a Regional Councilor and attended this meeting asked the children to pose for these pictures.  The unsuspecting children complied.”
On the contrary, AFC parliamentarian Ms Valerie Garrido-Lowe revealed that one of the region’s councilors had asked about a tractor that the region has, to assist in the transport of wood but was told that the Ministry of Education does not pay for fuel.
Lowe had told reporters that the councilor brought up the issue of the children fetching the logs some three times.
She said that the matter was brought to the attention of Minister Ganga Persaud at a meeting in Mahdia.
However due to inactivity on the Minister’s account, the matter was  brough to the attention of the press. The issue, raised concerns countrywide with some persons and organizations offering to assist.

 

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