Linden Public Day: Not distracted by “extraneous noise” – VP Jagdeo on Opposition’s failed attempt to disrupt event

…as hundreds attend to resolve issues, engage Govt

Vice President (VP) Dr Bharrat Jagdeo on Tuesday said that attempts by United States-sanctioned and indicted Opposition leader Azruddin Mohamed and supporters to disrupt his Public Day outreach in Linden, Region 10, failed, as residents continued to turn out in large numbers to engage Government Ministers, agencies, and senior officials.
Jagdeo, speaking after the outreach at Watooka Guest House, said the protest activity did not affect the turnout or prevent residents from seeking assistance.
“And I heard some people were making noise in the compound. It did not distract the large [number] from what was happening here, and it didn’t deter the large number of people who showed up here today. They were hoping that people would boycott coming to this activity. They failed miserably. They failed miserably. People just ignored all that they had to say,” Jagdeo said.
He added that the situation demonstrated that residents were more concerned about addressing issues affecting their daily lives than political disagreements.
“You know, it shows that people don’t care too much for the politics when it concerns their lives. And so I’m happy that they have failed. I’m very happy that they have failed,” he said.
The VP said the outreach allowed Government officials to address a range of concerns raised by residents, particularly issues relating to housing, land leases and public assistance.
“So, as is typical of many of these public days, the issues surrounding housing and leases for land, some public assistance and a lot of issues are similar issues. Not any surprise because we have encountered similar issues across the country,” Jagdeo said.

Criticism or short-term measures
The VP said the Government remains committed to resolving these matters across the country, including in Region 10.
“The Government is committed to working to resolve all of these issues for people everywhere in our country, regardless of where they live. And the people of Region 10 are no exception,” he said.
VP Jagdeo said the Administration would continue focusing on long-term development rather than being distracted by criticism or short-term measures.
“We will just continue doing what we are doing, which is keeping a focus on what matters most to our country and our people. We’re not going to be distracted by extraneous noise and by those who try to knock us off this course that we have defined,” he said.
He noted that while some Government initiatives may take time to produce results, they are aimed at creating sustainable progress and economic opportunities.
“Sometimes the things that we work on yield results in the long term. So they’re not as attractive as what some may propagate, the short-term fixes. But it’s the long-term issues that matter most to the country because they create sustainable progress and wealth for our people and lead to a prosperous life,” Jagdeo said.
The VP also highlighted Government spending on public sector wages and salaries, noting that public servants are now earning significantly more compared with when the administration returned to office.
“Whilst we’re addressing short-term help, and a lot of people have received short-term help, you just look at the wages and salaries built in the public sector. It has gone up phenomenally. It means more public servants are earning literally over $100 billion more per year since today and since when we returned to office,” he said.
Jagdeo thanked the Ministers, Members of Parliament and technical staff from various Government agencies who participated in the outreach and spent the day addressing residents’ concerns.
“So we had a long day and I think a very successful day. We’ve addressed many issues, and I think a lot of people will get help,” he said.
Throughout the day, Linden residents continued to turn out in large numbers for the Public Day, where they engaged officials on matters involving housing, education, agriculture, the National Insurance Scheme (NIS), and other sectors.

Welcomed opportunity
Former A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Member of Parliament Jermaine Figueira said residents welcomed the opportunity to directly engage Jagdeo and Cabinet members.
Figueira said despite what he described as attempts by the political Opposition to disrupt the event, residents remained focused on getting their concerns addressed.
“Despite the minor hiccup by the combined Opposition, the people were undeterred by the minor interruption because they were here for the specific reason of getting their issues addressed. The Vice President listened to their concerns and addressed them directly,” Figueira said.
He said he also observed that some persons who participated in the protest later joined residents seeking assistance from the Government officials.
“What I found equally interesting was the fact that some of the supposed protestors who were in the gathering were equally in the crowd here getting their issues addressed,” he said.
Figueira said one individual he engaged with was not from Linden but Georgetown and alleged that she had received financial assistance to travel to Linden to participate in the protest before also seeking help for her concerns.
“I’ve lived in Linden all of my life, and I recognised that a lot of persons (in the protest) were not from Linden,” he said.

Breached Police barricades
Meanwhile, APNU leader Aubrey Norton joined US-sanctioned Mohamed and other party members in a protest outside Watooka Guest House.
The Opposition had claimed that the protest would be peaceful, but protesters later breached Police barricades by pulling apart despite Police’s effort to prevent them and moving onto the stairs of the guest house, led by Mohamed.
The group subsequently assembled within the Watooka compound, where they remained but did not access the services being offered by the Government agencies.
The outreach continued largely uninterrupted despite the actions by the joint Opposition.
The protesters chanted and displayed placards concerning the appointment of the Region Ten Chairman, and they also called for the dismissal of Public Works Minister Juan Edghill over the MV Barima tragedy.