President Ramotar is totally out of line
The AFC has noted with total disgust the recent comments by President Donald Ramotar accusing the AFC and APNU of rigging the 2011 Elections and campaigning along racial lines. This is totally unbecoming of the President and is designed to destabilise the political dispensation that the electorate voted for. It is a slap in the face for all those who took the time to go out and vote on Polling Day 2011.
The electorate and all the people of Guyana know that the entire elections process was controlled by the government. The PPP/C had the greatest number of polling agents and other staff out on polling day, how could the AFC rig the elections?
The AFC considers it totally ridiculous that President Ramotar would point to racial campaigning during the elections. The electorate knows full well, those, who over the years have campaigned on the race card.
It is clear that President Ramotar does not intend to honour the will of the people as demonstrated by their votes at the last elections. The PPP/C excesses of the past and rampant abuse of power make it difficult for them to relax their stranglehold on power. They clearly fear the effectiveness of this new political dispensation and see themselves being forced to answer to the people and confirm with the Constitution of Guyana. This is alien to the PPP/C.
The AFC calls on President Ramotar to apologise to the electorate and fully retract his statement. [END]
AFC intends to take a firm position to stamp out government corruption.
Last week the AFC at its press conference put the Government and Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh on notice that it will have zero tolerance for corrupt practices. We reiterate that position.
On Thursday, February 16, 2012 the Finance Minister will ask the National Assembly to approve spending of some $5.7 billion from the Contingencies Fund. As we said last week this is money that the government has already spent. The AFC intends to scrutinise closely these spending.
The AFC and the people of Guyana, the taxpayers, need to know how the Office of the President spent $25.5 million on the conferment of National Awards and other events. Was any of this money spent for a Jagdeo farewell? The Financer Minister must provide the details!
Close to $7million to the Office of the Prime Minister for fuel and travel. How much of this travel was for PPP/C campaign purposes?
Over $9 million to the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs for travel. Again, how much of this was in support of the PPP/C elections campaign?
The Ministry of Agriculture was given over $2 billion for drainage and irrigation work in the 2011 budget. There was a supplementary provision of close to $6oo million then now, an additional $206 million for drainage works in preparation for year end rains. Did the PPP government not know that rain was expected at year end? And exactly how was this money spent, when Mahaicony farmers and the farmers in the Canal Polders were flooded out? Where did the money go?
On the allocations to the Ministry of Home Affairs, there is a list of expenditures that are elections related. Since 2006 the PPP government knew that elections were going to be held in 2011. Why were these allocations not catered for in the 2011 Budget. This clearly shows bad planning by the government.
The Ministry of Public Works; close to $24 million was given to meet operational expenses. What does this mean? Were these operational expenses? Are we speaking of the breaking down of billboards?
The PPP/C government has grown accustomed to squandering tax-payers money then using the majority it had to railroad these appropriations through the National Assembly without providing answers to the Opposition. That power was taken from them by the people of Guyana.
The PPP/C will be hard pressed to explain these abuses of tax-payers money. We await their answers in the National Assembly.
The AFC wishes to assure its supporters and all the people of Guyana that it will take all measures necessary and allowable under the law to ensure the government is held accountable.
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Emergency interventions needed at Hinterland communities
The Hinterland regions continue to be affected by many issues and situations that could be resolved if some attention is paid and systems put in place to alleviate them. For example:
REGION #8
- THE WATER & ELECTRICITY SITUATION AT MAHDIA AND CAMPBELLTOWN
Since last June/July, the residents of Mahdia and Campbelltown have been depending on the rains for their daily water supply; however, they are becoming anxious with the approaching dry weather.
The Salbora water main needs to be repaired. This was reported to Guyana Water Inc. on more than one occasion. The AFC was told by one of GWI’s managers about a month ago that GWI workmen were up there to fix the main but from all reports coming in from AFC Parliamentarian, Ms. Eula Marcello, residents are still not getting any water through their pipes. Ms. Marcello along with other councilors did a “walk about” in Campbelltown and obtained signatures from many of the residents who are requesting that GWI go into the Region and get the necessary repairs done.
Added to that many of the Campbelltown residents do not have pipelines running to their homes and many of them, also, do not have electricity.
- THE MAHDIA SCHOOL DORMS
The Mahdia School Dorms are in a deplorable condition. They have no running water due to broken guttering and broken pipes. Last year the dorms were visited by a Regional Administration staff and they had promised that the guttering would be fixed the next day but no one visited after then to do anything (They have water tanks).
lants and is about to fall down; bats are also settled there.
The steps are made of hollow blocks and are breaking away. The gate is falling apart. The security hut is hidden among tall grass.
Other than the grass the yard is very dirty; there is no drainage so the water piles up. They also need 20 more beds in the dorms.
These are conditions that no child should live under. It is a danger to their health and physical wellbeing. Emergency interventions are needed at this dormitory.
- PARAMAKATOI
In November, Marijuana was found in the school dorms. Twenty students were expelled from the dorm and three were expelled from school and dorm – these three were the traffickers.
Parents are very worried and are asking for a chance for their children to complete their secondary schooling. The children have nowhere to stay but the dorms and parents of some of the students wrote the education department asking for forgiveness and a chance for their children to stay in school.
The problem with marijuana has its roots in the mountains of Region #8 where villagers suspect that it is grown.
The AFC, while we do not condone the use of illicit substances, is asking the Ministry of Education to address the matter of reversing the expulsion. We support any reasonable action that will allow the children the opportunity to write their exams.
REGION #1
- THE KUMAKA/KWEBANA ROAD REGION #1
Over half a century ago, Mr. John Ferreira, the then Captain of Moruca started cutting a trail from Kumaka to Kwebana . Today, after so many years, the Kumaka/Kwebana road remains still a trail which is made difficult to traverse by vehicle during the rains.
Moruca has a population of about 10,000 people and business is increasing. Kwebana has a population of several hundreds of people and they travel everyday to Kumaka for business, or to go to the hospital or to travel out to Georgetown. They have to travel that road in whatever condition it is.
Over $70,000,000 was spent last year to repair the road and as soon as the rains come the road goes right back to the terrible state where vehicles get stuck while travelling. Residents are fed up. It is time that they get a wide, paved road that can last for years. The communities all along the road right up to Kwebana will be enhanced, the transportation business will increase; business, on the whole will increase.
Another bitter pill Morucians are made to swallow is that the contract for the repairs is always given to persons from the coast and these contractors do not employ persons from the communities. The AFC insists that if the Morucians cannot get the contract themselves, then they must be able to get some jobs at least.
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