Dear Editor,
On behalf of our fellow Amerindian brothers and sisters, we want to thank His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali and the PPP/C Government for hosting this year’s National Toshaos Conference.
After listening to President Ali’s speech, we are optimistic about our future. Thank you, Mr. President, for letting the nation know we Amerindians are not second-class citizens, and that you and your Government would listen to our ideas for our community development and work with us to ensure we achieve our goals.
We are, however, disheartened by the contents of a letter published in the local media on July 12, 2022 by the former Chair of the National Toshaos’ Council, Nicholas Fredericks, and the decision of some of the Executives of the former National Toshaos’ Council to boycott the ongoing National Toshaos’ Conference. While you claim that the current Government has hijacked the conference, your absence is viewed as sinister. The NTC is a forum for all Toshaos to voice their concerns and express their ideas for the development of our Amerindian communities; how will your absence help our people?
President Ali and all his Government Ministers are at all the sessions, to address all of our concerns and work together with all our Toshaos to find the best possible solutions for our development. It is even more interesting that we, as Amerindian people in our different communities, can follow the presentations at the NTC via social media, so the truth is told at every level.
According to the letter published, Mr Fredericks claims that he is abstaining from the NTC because of a lack of communication on his travel arrangements and confirmation to address the NTC as the outgoing chairperson. In our view, these concerns – while they might be valid on a personal level – are not sufficient enough reasons to justify his absence, thereby depriving his community of representation, and, even more so, lending to the discussion of ideas for our Amerindian peoples’ development.
There are systems in place at the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs for all Toshaos to be reimbursed for their travel expenses according to the allotted subvention for the NTC. Further, as the outgoing NTC Executives, all the members have a commitment to represent their communities, to let their voices be heard for their development.
The allegation of the PPP/C hijacking the NTC is even more ludicrous given that the agenda was online for all to view. Every day during the five-day conference, Toshaos have the opportunity to discuss issues affecting their communities with Ministers in the presence of President Ali. These sessions are currently being chaired and facilitated by the newly elected Chair of the NTC.
Where were the voices of the outgoing NTC Executives when Keith Scott referred to us Amerindians as “greedy people”? When the APNU+AFC fired 2000 of our young CSOs? Where were their voices when the APNU+AFC halted land titling, and refused to address issues related to it? How convenient is it for those former Executives to now abstain from attending, while forgetting the neglect by APNU+AFC in ensuring our elderly are given their pensions and our children are offered the best available resources to continue their education? Why were they silent when our health systems in the hinterland were neglected badly?
The records of this country would show that there were some Amerindian leaders who colluded with the former APNU+AFC Government to deprive and deny development for Amerindians, while they enriched themselves from the largess of the state.
Today, we Amerindians are willing to work together with the PPP/C Government led by Dr Ali to move our development forward. We want to urge our fellow Amerindians to speak up on issues affecting us, and not be led astray by persons whose objectives are questionable. Let us use the opportunities offered by President Ali to have our voices heard, and push for our development as ‘One Guyana’. As President Ali confirmed too, ‘We have equal opportunity to development’ in Guyana.
Sincerely,
Sonia Latchman:
Bethany, Region Two
Shane Cornelius:
Karrau, Region Seven
Timothy Andrews:
St Cuthbert’s Mission,
Region Four
