Toshaos Council takes umbrage at “vile and visceral attack”

…accuses MoIPA of spreading falsehoods

The National Toshaos Council (NTC) on Friday said it is deeply dismayed and disappointed by “the vile and visceral attack” launched on it by the Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Ministry (MoIPA), and has accused MoIPA of publishing falsehoods.
The NTC has said it is beyond shocking that such a statement would emanate from a ministry that purports to represent the First Peoples of Guyana, and has maintained that it is uncertain whether the statement is a reflection of MoIPA’s position, or that of rogue officer/s “with axes to grind with the NTC, and more specifically the Vice Chairman.”

Published by the Department of Information, the statement at issue has accused the NTC of disrespecting President David Granger, and has launched a scathing attack on several vocal Indigenous representatives who were not toeing the line but were exposing serious malpractices of the current APNU/AFC Administration.
The MoIPA has accused the NTC and its Vice Chairman, Lenox Shuman, of being confrontational, demanding, and disrespectful in their writings to President Granger. MoIPA says it has also observed a trend of public posturing by NTC executives, and that the NTC has thus far not distanced itself from what MoIPA has described as rather divisive, disingenuous, and sometimes incoherent statements being made by these officials.
The MoIPA statement singled out Shuman and said it has taken note of him issuing calls for mass public protest against the Government by the Indigenous citizenry. The MoIPA said it would allow the Guyanese public to judge Shuman’s intentions.
That aside, MoIPA has said it is aware of countless complaints of alleged disrespectful treatment of the residents of St Cuthbert’s Mission by Shuman.
Now that the current NTC executive is nearing the end of its three-year term in office, MoIPA has reminded that the Council is yet to explain to its membership and the Ministry why it continues to resist the legislative obligation of accounting for the finances placed at its disposal.
In response to the allegations, the NTC said there seems to have been a complete breach of protocol by officers working, who seem to have two very distinct intentions; firstly, to discredit the NTC, and secondly, to open the ministers to mass public attacks.
“The targeted nature of the attacks on Toshao Lenox Shuman is not new, and has become sort of an obsession that some of the staff of the Ministry, inclusive of one working out of the Ministry of the Presidency, seem to have with Vice Chair of the NTC,” the statement said.
As it relates to the allegations of financial misconduct, the NTC said Schuman was investigated last year, and no evidence of wrongdoing was found.
“The statement by the Department of Public Information is clearly bent on misleading the public…to the extent of the finances of the NTC, where the law states: “43. (3) The National Toshaos Council shall: (c) publish an annual report of its activities and annual accounts, and provide a copy to the Minister and each Village.” This provision has consistently and continuously been satisfied. As such, a report is presented at the National Toshaos Conference every year, and will once again be presented at the next NTC Conference of 2018,” the NTC noted.
The NTC accused the persons responsible for the statement of vying for the position of minister, hence their attack on the body. The Council has said it enjoys a healthy and collaborative relationship with both Ministers Sydney Allicock and Valarie Garrido-Lowe.
“The NTC is still awaiting a meeting that His Excellency had committed to having with the NTC before mid-March, to address the issues, but has not yet occurred. The Executive of the NTC meets April 16-18, 2018, at which point these and other issues will be further discussed,” the statement concluded.