Stand off in Tapakuma Village over a bus

Jan 28, 2017 Letters

Dear Editor,
There is an ongoing standoff between the administration and the residents of an Indigenous community, namely, Tapakuma Village, Region 2, Essequibo. Mr. Editor, a stalemate stemmed from a general meeting on Thursday 12th Jan., 2017, where the villagers voted overwhelmingly for a committee to continue to manage the affairs of a bus obtained through a Presidential grant.
The vote count was 39 to 13 in favour of the committee as villagers were fed up with questionable use of funds and there were conflicting reports of financial opaqueness during the past administration. Business was always reported as ‘slow’ by the previous Village leader, hence the setting up of a ‘bus management committee’ by this new Council to thoroughly overhaul an unserviceable vehicle no. BB1921, to get it back on the road. Sir, this was after 5 years of alleged misuse and abuse of the community’s asset by the previous council. A meager amount of $ 117 000, after five long years was unacceptable.
Very well aware of this state of affairs and quite correctly, a ‘bus committee’ was established under the watch of this same gentleman who was voted in last year as toshao. Mr. Editor, everything went well at first; money being generated, accounting system intact, but suddenly things fell apart.
The current administration is denying travel to residents who wish to get to Anna Regina as he has forcibly taken away the keys to the bus, while the community loses an average amount of $6000/day. What is troubling, sir is that although a decision has been made by a majority vote, consistent with the Amerindian Act 2006, the administration continues to deny the residents their wish by refusing to hand the community’s asset over to the bus committee to manage its affairs. This matter, as well as other indiscretions committed by this administration, has reportedly reached the regional authorities, as well as the ministerial level but no one is listening.
Rev. Joseph Atkinson.
Lake Tapakuma Village, Region 2

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