Govt responds to Toshaos over land row

The Indigenous People’s Affairs Ministry on Thursday condemned the actions of the National Toshaos Council (NTC), specifically its Chairman and Vice Chairman, Joel Fredericks and Lennox Shuman, saying it rejects out of hand, “these outrageous and grossly misleading utterances by the two most senior members of the NTC.”

The Ministry was at the time responding to the NTC’s public condemnation of the recently appointed Commission of Inquiry (CoI) by Head of State David Granger to address issues related to Amerindian and African ancestral lands.

The Ministry tasked with handling the affairs of the Indigenous peoples of Guyana said it, “condemns in the strongest terms, any irresponsible statement which seeks to divide the Nation along ethnic or other lines.”

The NTC Executive Council met with members of the media on Wednesday and called on the Head of State to immediately rescind the establishment of the CoI.

The NTC Vice Chair elaborating on the concerns of the CoI jointly dealing with the matter of Amerindian and ancestral lands had said, “Government has to take corrective steps to address this grave wrong that they would have done us.”

At the time he argued that the potential impact of the CoI and its outcome could have profound occurrences for the country as a whole, and further could in fact incite racial fears, adding that there have been moves made in the past to have the issue of Amerindian lands be mediated by the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GL&SC).

The Ministry with responsibility for the affairs of Indigenous peoples in Guyana, reacted sharply to the NTC on Thursday, saying “the Government of Guyana has made it clear that, national unity is pivotal to nation building,” adding that it is “for this reason that His Excellency the President has sought, through the CoI, to address the issue of lands in a holistic way.”

The Ministry said it is appalling, “therefore, that there are still among us, individuals who will continue to seek out opportunities to foster disunity.”

Minister of State Joseph Harmon on Thursday also told reporters that it is only the President who is authorised under the laws of Guyana to treat the land issues at hand.

According to Harmon – during his post-Cabinet press briefing – “the authority for the issue of any land title is the President or any person so authorised by the President to issue titles.”

He said too the statements by the NTC, “is a matter of concern because we believe that all citizens of this country have a right to have their issues addressed at whatever level it needs to be addressed.”

Harmon insists that President Granger, having listened to the complaints of the citizenry across the country during outreaches, opted for that course of action.

According to Harmon, the matters being engaged by the Commission with regards issues related to Amerindian lands and freed African slaves will not be lumped together and did in fact concede that there should have been more consultations on the part of the Administration.

The Minister could not at the time say whether the Indigenous People’s Affairs Ministry did in fact consult formally with the NTC on the appointment of the Commission.

According to the Minister of State, the Ministry has been engaging with Toshaos and community leaders across the country and pointed to a recent outreach led by Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Minister and Vice President Sidney Allicock.

According to Harmon that forum was held with Toshoas in the Rupununi and the Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Minister Allicock had explained to all in very clear detail, “what was being done, that in this CoI is being provided an opportunity to deal with issues in relation to Amerindian land titles, ancestral lands and any other land issues.”

According to Harmon, only lands that are subjected to conflict and other such types of differences will be addressed and pointed to instances where land applications encroach into the domain of other areas.

It was at this point in time Minister Harmon clarified, “the only person under the laws of Guyana that can make these adjustments is the President of the country and the President has provided and opportunity for us to address these conflicts under the aegis of a Commission of Inquiry appointed by the President himself with wide powers to address these issues so that they can be brought to bear and dealt with.”

The Minister of State said there is no attempt or intention on the part of the Government to dilute any aspect of the Amerindian Act of 2006 or to replace by any intervention and insisted that Government is committed to working with stakeholders in the industry.

The Indigenous People’s Affairs Ministry has since called on the NTC to retract its positions taken.

According to the Ministry, it is calling on NTC Chairman, Joel Fredericks to prove allegations that the Government is: “…violating the Amerindian Act” and the “…United Nations’ Conventions that speak to the treatment of Indigenous peoples” through the establishment of the CoI on lands.