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Toshaos Council Chairman blasts President over broken promises “I don’t know any promise was broken” – Granger
President David Granger and First Lady, Mrs. Sandra Granger are welcomed by NTC
Chairman, Joel Fredericks and other members of the NTC at the opening of the conference.
President David Granger and First Lady, Mrs. Sandra Granger were warmly greeted outside the Arthur Chung Conference Centre yesterday by leaders of Indigenous Peoples before the opening ceremony for the 12th annual National Toshaos Council (NTC) conference.
But once the forum got underway, the Head-of-State became the subject of heavy criticisms for not delivering on promises to the Indigenous Peoples by the coalition Government since they took office in May 2015.
“When we make commitments we must keep them,” said Joel Fredericks, outgoing Chairman of the NTC.
Addressing a packed audience that included several Government Ministers and members of the Diplomatic Corps, Fredericks spoke directly to the President, reminding him of promises to establish a Lands Commission, land rights, revision of the Amerindians Act, Constitutional Reform and a plot of land for the NTC secretariat.
Fredericks said that the NTC was promised a meeting with the President in February, but this has not happened. Additionally, he stated that ‘St. Cuthbert’s Mission is still St. Cuthbert’s Mission’ as the people of “Pakuri” await their official name change for the village.
“If one is to believe in people, it is important we believe in their promises. Indigenous Peoples are people who hold people at their promises. Don’t promise me, I will come after you. I will remind you because I am representing our people. I have to listen to my people. Many times we as leaders and politicians we promise people. We must be careful with our promises as leaders. Let us rise out of that, look at the issues and fulfill our promises,” Fredericks stated.
Although the President had an opportunity to address the concerns raised by Fredericks during his remarks to the conference, he opted to stick to his prepared speech.
Minister of Indigenous Peoples Affairs, Sydney Allicock also had an opportunity to speak directly to Fredericks’ concerns.
The Minister stated that the proposed land for the Council’s headquarters has been identified. The Minister did not speak to the other concerns.
“Mr. President, everyone here as leaders, every time we make promises and break them we erode the trust that people have in us and our integrity. It provides room for lost hope. We must give people hope, not have them lost,” Fredericks noted.
Following the opening ceremony, the President while leaving the venue was approached by reporters about the promises listed by Fredericks.
“I don’t know any promise has been broken,” the President asserted.
He spoke directly about the land for the NTC Secretariat, which he said is being processed. Following brief comments, the President was quickly whisked away by his security.
Fredericks stated that in 2015 the NTC listened to the President’s speech and they thought ‘this is the president; a man of integrity and honour, he is the man we need for Guyana’.
“We listened to a vision we believed in. We identified with a vision that looked out for the interest of Indigenous Peoples and Guyana…For three years, we kept our ears to the sound and tunes coming out of your [Granger’s] office and bit by bit, word by word, policy by policy, we saw the vision being eroded,” Fredericks noted.
He stated that the NTC engaged in , and there was an excitement that ‘we have found a Government that looked out for us the Indigenous Peoples’.
The NTC Chairman indicated that hope has been overshadowed by the broken promises.
TAKE THE LEAD
President Granger in his address placed emphasis on the NTC taking the lead in developing Village Improvement Plans (VIPs).
“The NTC is not an ornamental body nor is it a political party. It is a vital executive organ with clearly defined objectives for ensuring the progress of indigenous communities,” President Granger stated.
He added that the NTC must establish appropriate administration, operation and organisation structures to foster cooperation between the national and regional governments and village councils and district councils, and to ensure implementation of its decisions.
This year’s conference is being attended by a new batch of Indigenous leaders who were elected at the recently concluded elections. The one-week forum is being held under the theme, “Preserving our past, protecting our future.”
During the course the week, leaders from the 212 Indigenous communities will engage the attention of Ministers and heads of government agencies on issues affecting their communities.
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