APNU/AFC did nothing to uplift Afro-Guyanese in 2015-2020 – Nandlall

Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall has sharply criticised Vincent Alexander, Chairman of the International Decade for People of African Descent Assembly – Guyana (IDPADA-G), for what he called a “misleading and dishonest portrayal” of the treatment of Afro-Guyanese at the United Nations’ 4th Session of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent.
Addressing Alexander’s statement at the UN, which alleged systemic marginalisation and land seizures against Afro-Guyanese, Nandlall dismissed the claims as politically driven fabrications.

During his weekly programme, ‘Issues in the News’, the AG accused Alexander of omitting key facts, including the Opposition’s own record during its time in office and IDPADA-G’s failure to account for $500 million in public funds allocated for Afro-Guyanese development.
“Why did he not tell the United Nations that, (for) half of the decade, his party was in government, and outline to the United Nations what his party did for Afro-Guyanese?” the AG asked.
“Nothing about what they did! You know why? Because they did nothing. If a forensic audit is ever done, it will reveal that Afro-Guyanese currently are better off than they have ever been in the history of Guyana now; and I can say that without any fear of being contradicted successfully,” the AG said.
According to the AG, between 2015 and 2020 – half of the designated UN Decade —Alexander’s political party was in government, yet no tangible progress was made for Afro-Guyanese under their leadership. He further accused Alexander and a small group of “hijacking” the originally proposed African development body, turning it into a private company with themselves listed as directors and shareholders.
Nandlall said financial records show that over 70 percent of IDPADA-G’s budget was spent on salaries, rentals, and consumables, while just a fraction went to actual educational or empowerment initiatives.

“I examined the accounting records of IDPADA-G, the same organization, and 70-odd percent of the monies that they were receiving were spent on expendables, current liability expenses, food and supplements, and dietary and rental and salaries and wages. One scholarship or two scholarship they give to people”, the AG said.
“None of what I am telling you did he tell the United Nations! The small Afro-Guyanese groups that he excluded systematically for all those years, the Government met them separately and gave them monies, and that is what he is bitter about! Because the Government stopped the gravy train that he was heading, where he used to get 100 million dollars a year, which he lorded over and never spent it for the benefit of Afro-Guyanese!” he added.

<<Ancestral lands>>
In response to Alexander’s UN remarks on “ancestral lands,” Nandlall explained that the concept does not exist in Guyanese law, and was invented in recent years to stoke racial division.
He pointed out that no Guyanese historian, legal scholar, or even former Presidents like Forbes Burnham or Desmond Hoyte —both Afro-Guyanese and respected legal minds — had ever articulated such a claim.
Further, in contrast to Alexander’s claims, Nandlall highlighted what he said are unprecedented benefits currently being enjoyed by Afro-Guyanese, and Guyanese more broadly, under the current administration. These include increased educational access and government-funded scholarships; land ownership expansion and property grants; welfare and cash grants for families, children, and pensioners; access to business support and state contracts; and major employment opportunities via public sector projects.