PPP Government must be commended for the Buxton outreach

Dear Editor,
The Prime Minister and eight Government Ministers descended on Buxton in an outreach that attracted more people than the roadside peaceful picketing exercise.
It’s a tale of two objectives: the Government wants to listen to the people and respond to their needs; The protest exercise, wherein Dr. Hinds was prominent and MP Duncan was cheerleading, was apparently meant to stir up animosity and hatred for the Government. If the Complaints Authority had announced that three Policemen would be charged, why were they still protesting? There have, over the years, been many people who died in Police custody, or died by accident involving Police drivers, and justice was not done; but they did not all resort to roadside terrorism: of beating innocent people, lighting fires, looting, and creating fear and mayhem.
To have national unity and “One Guyana”, we have to acknowledge the good of the other side. It cannot always be tactics of “Expose, Oppose and Depose” all the time; that’s toxic for our poor nation, which is struggling for better days. While we fight among ourselves, the imperialist corporations are fetching away our oil and gold and natural resources while we remain beggars.
I commend those Buxton residents who chose “problem-solving” over unhelpful and destructive actions meant for political demonisation. And such engagement yielded some good results. The news headline said, “Request fulfilled on the spot! Sport Minister delivers equipment to Buxtonians.” Within half-hour of making a request for assistance at the Ministerial Outreach on Monday, residents of Buxton were presented with critical pieces of equipment that will help youths in the village, sportsmen and women.
Minister Ramson made a commitment at the meeting that a pair of modern, professional fibre-glass basketball backboards and hoops, a John Deere tractor and grasscutters would be delivered within 30 minutes, and it was done. The Minister reminded the residents that the commitment made by President Ali to resurface the road was completed, and Minister Ramson’s commitment to deliver on the eight 50-foot concrete poles with lights and underground wiring was also fulfilled.
Nation, isn’t this what we all want in all our villages? We want our birth certificates, drivers licences, passports, tax clearances, TIN numbers, ID Cards, NIS benefits, house lots, roads built, connections for water and electricity, requests for information on public projects, and all Government services etc. in a quick, efficient manner. Let’s follow the Buxton example in all things.
All the issues raised at the Buxton forum are not unique to Buxton. They are universal, and reflect every village in Guyana: bad roads, unresponsive Government bureaucracies, unemployment, bread and justice, better pay, no discrimination, better policing, etc. Most villages that solidly voted for the PPP feel neglected for the longest while, but the Government showed great magnanimity at Buxton.
What is missing is that people need to connect the renegotiation of the oil contracts to give us more money to meet the multitudinous needs of every village. That’s what we should be peacefully protesting about all over the country. Without renegotiation, which would give us more money, when would the other villages’ turn come to get their needs met on the spot, or delivered in half an hour, as in Buxton?
People should not begrudge the Buxton folks, although they have not voted for the PPP, or will never vote PPP. In 2020, the PPP got 83 votes there, while the PNC got 2,342 votes. All Guyanese must share in the national pie, but all Guyanese must unite and protest the bad oil contract. I believe if we are united about renegotiation, the Government would appreciate that support and approach the oil companies with that “super power” given to it by a united Guyana. The PPP can use that “Buxton approach” to secure mass support for renegotiation.
Mr Norton simply needs to apologise to the nation on behalf of the PNC for the bad contract, and the PPP must say it will honour its solemn election pledge to the people to renegotiate. It’s our wealth and our country, and we must care. We are the richest country in Caricom, but we live like paupers, and our currency is even lower than Haiti’s. That must change soon. “A people united cannot be defeated.”

Sincerely,
Dr Jerry Jailall