Santa Rosa residents call for removal of Toshao

Villagers residing in the Amerindian community of Santa Rosa, Region One (Barima-Waini), on Friday last held a peaceful picketing exercise outside the Village Council’s office calling for the removal of the Toshao.
According to the protesters, their aim was to bring attention to the rising concerns regarding the conduct adopted by the community’s indigenous leader.
Village Toshao Whanita Phillips is being scrutinised for her alleged improper and unprofessional behaviour towards village Councillors as well as residents. One resident on the picket line said that the Toshao’s behaviour has forced residents to protest for her immediate removal.
According to a concerned resident, Phillips, who took office some nine months ago, adopted an autocratic leadership style, which includes all decision-making being undertaken by herself without consulting her batch of Councillors. According to a Councillor, the matter was reported to “high authorities” and the matter was addressed but after a short while, the resurgence of the autocratic behaviour reemerged.
“Miss Whanita Phillips took office for nine months, firstly she started to show her bias, improper and unprofessional conduct towards several Village Councillors and other villagers, she was corrected on several occasions by persons in authority about the behaviour but instead it get worst,” a Councillor told this publication.
Meanwhile, several Councillors told this publication that their leader is abusing her authority since the police are often called to lock-up anyone who tries to speak up about the issues affecting the village.
The Councillors also alleged that on several occasions, villagers, as well as Councillors, were thrown out of the meetings due to any disagreement in relation to their leader’s finalised decision.
Frustrated Councillors believe that such behaviour will hinder development within the Amerindian settlement since numerous concerns raised by residents are not being addressed.
The Councillors said that they are hoping that the National Toshaos Council will intervene to bring a quick solution to the impasse or have the leader removed.
“If she sit there in office for three years, we will suffer, our generation will suffer due to her bias behaviour. We need her immediate removal from office because she is not fit to be a leader,” another Councillor added.
Efforts to contact Phillips and the National Toshaos Council for a comment on the matter proved futile.