PNC cannot
fool Region Ten workers
I found it
extremely difficult to listen to the threats and inflammatory statements made by
the former President, Desmond Hoyte, Robert Corbin, Lance Carberry and other
Senior Members of the People’s National Congress when they visited Kwakwani and
spoke to a maximum of only seven (7) present day Bauxite workers.
The
PNC/R touring party was totally upset that they were un-noticed by the people of
Kwakwani because of their continued disrespect and total neglect for them while
they were in Government.
The PNC leaders exhibited and video taped their
calamity in Kwakwani and showed it on Local Television without the crowd because
there was none. However in an attempt to hide their shame, they unjustly
criticized Prime Minister Samuel Hinds and Freedom House.
Mr. Hoyte said
that the PPP would send in Police and GDF to suppress the people in Kwakwani.
The PNC leaders also accused the PPP and the Prime Minister of political spite
and for neglecting the Bauxite Communities in Kwakwani and Linden.
I have
my greatest respect for President Bharrat Jagdeo and the PPP/C leadership and
I’m confident that they will never have the cause to send police and military
personnel in Kwakwani. I must remind Mr. Hoyte and Robert Corbin that in 1988
when the Bauxite Workers were on strike in Kwakwani, they had invited Dr. Jagan
(not the PNC), to listen to their problems.
Dr. Jagan, Mr. Harry Persaud
Nokta, Dr. Roger Luncheon and myself along with a few others travelled up to
Kwakwani to listen to the workers’ grievances.
I must make the public
know that on that occasion (under PNC rule), there was a heavy military presence
in the area and the Authorities refused to allow Dr. Jagan and his delegation to
cross on the Pontoon. The Police bluntly disallowed Dr. Jagan to speak to the
people. However, Nokta, Dr. Luncheon and myself crossed with a small boat and
spoke to the people at the Water Front at Mr. Shakespare’s bottom
House.
Dr. Jagan in strong support for the workers spoke to the people
who were waiting to cross the Berbice River.
The PPP delegation was
threatened and told that they could not stay during the night at the Kwakwani
waterfront.
Dr. Jagan and his delegation travelled to Ituni and requested
to sleep at the Ituni Police Station, but were told that they could not even
stay in the station’s compound. Yes, it was the Desmond Hoyte Administration
that made us stay all night on the road under a mango tree. It was the PNC,
which always used the Military and Para-military against Guyanese.
I
would like to remind all the PNC leaders that PPP/C activist E. Gabriel was
elected as Vice-Chairman of the Kwakwani NDC and to further let them know that
with free and fair election PPP/C support is growing rapidly in Region
#10.
In the 2001 Election, the PPP/C was supported by the people of
Region #10 to the tune of 23% of the voting population.
Former President
of CCWU Gordon Todd, and present day Operations Manager at Kwakwani Mr. Gabriel
along with others were taken in a GDF Helicopter over the Atlantic and
threatened of a watery funeral.
Those reputable trade union leaders were
on strike making representation for a basic living wage and better working
conditions when the PNC treated them like criminals and used the Police and Army
to scare their families and the people in the Bauxite Communities.
Will
the people in Linden ever forget that Dr. Walter Rodney visited the Linden
Workers every week in their time of distress, and PNC threatened that the “Steel
is sharper now than ever”.
In fact the New Nation Front Page cartoon of
those days of PNC Paramountcy rule depicted this quote in the most terroristic
way.
Will the Bauxite workers who were protesting for bread and butter
issues ever forget that the PNC used the police to tear-gas them in the prison
cells at the McKenzie Police Station?
I cried quietly when people like
Dr. Walter Rodney, Father Drake, Vincent Teekah, Dolly Baksh and her boyfriend
were murdered by the
PNC.
The PNC and Hoyte must explain to the nation
why the RDC in Region #10 is frustrating the Kwakwani NDC while millions of
dollars of Government Subvention are being sent back to the treasury every year.
Can the PNC Region #10 Administration justify when ten million dollars was spent
to rehabilitate and furnish three sparking buildings in the Berbice River at
Idasebine where not a single person is living. The harsh reality is that the PNC
deliberately mis-spent the money because they have a policy not to do anything
in the Communities. These buildings were never utilized, while the Region was
paying a caretaker and security.
The Community in Kwakwani can let the
World know that the PPP/C Government has rehabilitated the hospital and gave
them an ambulance. This Government built the market, the Amerindian Hostel, the
abattoir, schools and for the first time people were given house lots, while
farmers received tangible Government assistance such as tractors and farming
implements.
Philip Bynoe who is jumping around after severely
tongue-lashing Hoyte and the PNC is back in the crab dance. Logging was never so
facilitated and motivated and even Bynoe is a big logger in Kwakwani, thanks to
the PPP/C.
No amount of bad mouthing will fool the genuine working class
of Region #10. The PPP/C is a democratically elected Government by the people
for the People.
Neil