Deputy Speaker discredits APNU/AFC’s claims of helping Indigenous people

…says have better access to healthcare, education post-2020

Calls for honesty from the APNU/AFC backfired on Friday, when Leader of the Liberty and Justice Party, Deputy Speaker Lenox Shuman delivered his debate and called out the Opposition for their failure to uphold what they preach.
Shuman addressed the National Assembly to ‘set the record straight’ on the failures of the former APNU/AFC Administration and clarify mistruths that are being peddled in the House.
“The nation still awaits the truth from my colleagues on this side. The nation still awaits the SoPs. Let’s start there if we are going to be honest. If we cannot be honest on this side, it becomes difficult for us to call the other side. It becomes difficult if we do not have a platform of honesty to stand on…You cannot lead if you cannot get your house in order,” he told the Opposition.
Shuman relayed that when he was Vice Chairman of the National Toshaos Council, he faced discriminatory practices from the former APNU/AFC Government.
“When the National Toshaos Council had our conference, they said you have control but they are going to control the agenda, your stay, your travel. When we had a comprehensive agenda for all of those sittings, members of the Ministry took our agenda and tore it up. So, you cannot speak about taking the knees off the necks of Indigenous peoples when your party in itself tore up the agenda,” he vocalised.
Then as a member on the Amerindian Land Titling Board, Shuman expressed that Amerindian land titling moved ‘absolutely nowhere’ under the APNU/AFC.
“Party affiliates from the APNU/AFC sat in that room and said ‘we are not giving out any more land titles’ on multiple occasions. The Minister at that time could not do anything. That is the degree of respect they have for Indigenous peoples. Absolutely none…APNU/AFC removed the title from one Indigenous area, that is Annai. So instead of giving titles, what they did was take away.”
He added, “The record needs to be set straight that when you come to this House, you have an obligation to tell the truth to the people and that truth means that sometimes we have to swallow the bitter pills of our underachievement.”

Access
Highlighting progress made from 2020 to date, he indicated that Indigenous people now have better access to education, internet and healthcare.
He commended the language programme that is now being launched in two communities and yet to be rolled out in 18 Indigenous communities by saying, “That is a massive cry from the zero that ensued pre-2020. That is progress.”
From a continuous dialogue with the Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony and Director General, Vishwa Mahadeo, he relayed that there have been developments to effectively deliver healthcare within hinterland villages.
“This has been a comprehensive and continuous dialogue to effectively find ways to deliver health services to the hinterland. That is a continuous process that is yielding results,” Shuman underlined. (G12)