Leader of the Alliance for Change, Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan, on Friday came out swinging against the Government withdrawal of funding from the International Decade for People of African Descent Assembly-Guyana (IDPADA-G). The party is calling on the people of Guyana, especially right-thinking East Indians, to show outrage at this development, and to resist it dutifully and unrelentingly.
Speaking at the party’s press conference, the leader blasted the government for its action towards the organisation, “notwithstanding its complete transparency and accountability of its subvention, and its stellar operational integrity.”
Last August Vice President (VP) Bharrat Jagdeo attacked IDPADA-G leaders calling them “parasites using Afro-Guyanese just for their own benefit.”
The leaders countered the VP’s accusation by not only making known they are not paid for their services but also laid before the public their Programme and itemised document how the monies were spent.
Apparently dissatisfied, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Mr. Charles Ramson Jr. wrote the organisation alleging “recent disclosures, publications, and public statements have provided the basis for the Ministry to have grave concerns which require closer examination by the Ministry.”
IDPADA-G responded two days later, informing the minister audits from 2018-2021 were done by the Internal Audit Unit of the Ministry of Finance, noting that in as much as fiscal year 2022 is not over, the organisation “stands ready to engage the appropriate government agency to mutually agree on such an independent auditor and the necessary terms of reference for the period January 1, 2022, to the present.” The minister has since gone silent.
Taking note of the players leading up to the withdrawal of funds, Ramjattan said this “is an example of a vision of division by the PPP and its numero uno Bharrat Jagdeo and its wannabe numero uno, Charles Ramson Jnr.”
The AFC said it views this kind of politics as wholly anti-national and its consequences will create only deeper fissures within our ethnic communities which manage by and large to co-exist.
“The AFC fears that the consequences may be even more horrific if, as is being sensed on the ground, an interpretation is given that this is a form of terrorism unleashed by those who claim to love Guyana more than all others, but whose ethnic politics has only the aim of monopolising power.”
According to the leader, when the decision was made for IDPADA-G to be given monies in 2017 for a decade long recognition of African people, there was no public objection from the then PPP Opposition.
Ramjattan shared the PPP Opposition did not mind, since the Coalition Government was continuing to extend billions of dollars into a sugar sector, via transfers to a dying Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) which is preponderantly of one ethnic community, which at that time totalled some $19B. This discriminatory action of denial of funding to IDPADA-G will not build national cohesion nor a one Guyana, said Ramjattan.
The party made known its leadership reached out to IDPADA-G and if need be there is prepared to take parliamentary action.
IDPADA-G, without any notice from the government, has seen the withdrawal of funding from September.
To know more about the organisation and its work visit https://www.facebook.com/IDPADAG
