Office of the First Lady must account for taxpayer’s money

Dec 13, 2024 Letters

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Dear Editor,

Guyana is in crisis. While every right-thinking Guyanese is aware of this, only the PPPC and their 4Fs (friends, families, favourites, and flatterers) are unaware, since they are enjoying the good life on the back of ordinary Guyanese.

The management of Guyana’s economy should come under public scrutiny and the PPPC be called out to account for every cent belonging to the people of Guyana.

Over the last four years, the PPPC has gone on a spending spree. Just look around at the massive buildings, constructed in and around the city. Newest on the card are: ‘First Lady Diamond Ball and Global Super League,’ just to name a few.

Something is not right and the Jagdeo/Ali administration just doing as they like with the people of Guyana’s money with impunity, despite the many calls by the Opposition and right-thinking individuals from Civil Society for transparency and accountability. As I navigate my way around and interacted with Guyanese, the one common question being asked, ‘how monies are poorly managed, and we the citizens are not benefitting from our resources, where our monies going, things hard and cost of living keep escalating?’ The Opposition must do everything possible to get the PPPC out of office! This is the worst they have seen Guyana.

The sum of thirty million dollars from the treasury was approved by the National Assembly for 2024, to fund the Office of the First Lady. The reality is that a disaggregation was not provided to the House during Budget 2024; regarding the activities or programmes to be done through the office of the First Lady. This arrangement is deemed unconstitutional. It is difficult to follow the monies passing through the Office of the First Lady, since there is lack of transparency and accountability. Editor, I am acutely aware that  those closely aligned to her will come to defend her office by pointing Guyanese to her handing out sanitary packages to young girls, which I have no objections to.

While that is the case, the nation is yet to know how many girls benefitted, the areas or communities they are from and what is the feedback after distribution. That’s how success is measured in any project or programme. I don’t know whether the programme is still being rolled out. Additionally, her defenders will also point to the few opened spaces commissioned by her. These, in my view, are not projects funded by the First Lady office. They were all conceptualized and funded through the Ministry of Public Works. Her only involvement is to show up and commission.

There are so many social issues affecting women, family, communities, youths in crime and young girls and I am still to see a proposed programme emanating from the Office of the First Lady in addressing these issues.

Between 2015-2020, Former First Lady, Mrs. Sandra Granger held programmes, for young girls and youths, who benefitted tremendously from training in ITC and other skills development. The difference here, all works done through her office, were publicly reported. The same cannot be said for this current First Lady.

Editor, since the Opposition Members did not get answers put in the National Assembly, I will once again, as I did some months ago through medium such as these, to bring to the public’s attention and call on the Government to provide responses, relating to the activities of the First Lady’s office. The 2025 National Budget is likely to be debated way before the dissolution of the 12^th Parliament, in preparation for GRE 2025. Therefore, the Office of First Lady, should provide a report, accounting for all sums appropriated in 2024. Again, there is need for transparency and accountability.

Editor, many of us were taken by surprise last Sunday, December 8, 2024, when photos surfaced, on social media of an event from the night before and as reported, it was a Diamond Ball hosted by the First Lady of Guyana. Let it be known that I have no issue with what the First Lady is doing, as she considers best. When it comes to the Office, funded by taxpayers, there must be accountability. However, on seeing the images, several thoughts flowed through my mind. One, the activity was not publicly advertised. My other thought: was this necessary when cost of living has climaxed, and ordinary citizens finding it hard to make ends meet in this oil economy? Another, what was the purpose of the activity? Where did the funding come from to host the event? What was the cost? It is troubling to see what the Office of the First Lady has diminished to. Guyana had several past First Ladies and there is no evidence to substantiate that through their offices, there was lavish spending on activities not beneficial to the office and hosting of extreme activities.

Several months ago, I wrote calling on the First Lady’s Office to account for the monies appropriated to her Office, since in my view and what I have been assessing because of the publication on what the Office of the First Lady is doing, I am not satisfied. My position then is still extant today. Ms. Ali should publicly account to the people of Guyana a listing of ALL activities funded by taxpayers and how beneficial and successful the programmes have been to recipients.

Yours sincerely.

Annette Ferguson, MP

(Office of the First lady must account for taxpayer’s money)

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• Guyana’s money, Jagdeo/Ali administration, Mrs. Sandra Granger, Office of the First Lady, taxpayer’s money

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