APNU+AFC Govt did more for Guyana than PPP Govt- MP Ferguson

Former Minister in the A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) government, Annette Ferguson, is firing back against accusations the Coalition Government was corrupt and did nothing good for Guyana. These accusations are frequently levelled by leaders in the governing People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C). The party General Secretary and Vice President (VP) Bharrat Jagdeo is particularly known to make them at his weekly press conference.

Ferguson, a sitting Member of Parliament (MP) and Shadow Minister for Housing and Water, says “enough is enough of the false claims!”, and is challenging the VP to prove his accusations.

The MP recalls the VP at one his press conference, saying the PPP/C has a list of the many corrupt practices the coalition government was involved in. “To date, four years after, he has FAILED to proffer a listing of ten, being a conservative number,” she fired back.

Calling on society not to fall prey to misinformation emanating from the VP, who is infamous for falsification, the MP reminds that it was during the Jagdeo presidency Transparency International (TI) ranked Guyana the most corruption country in the English-speaking Caribbean.

Ferguson goes further to state it was under the coalition government, led by President David Granger and Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, Guyana started climbing out of the “corrupt cesspool.” According to the TI 2019 Report, the last full year of the coalition government, the numbers were trending in the right direction. 

Guyana has started seeing slippage again under the Irfaan Ali administration. Vice Chairman of the Institute for Action Against Discrimination (IFAAD), former Mayor Pt. Ubraj Narine, had called on the government to put measures in place combat corruption, and proposed a series of recommendations.

On the matter that the four-year-old PPP/C government led by President Irfaan Ali has done more for Guyana than the APNU+AFC (2020-2025) Ferguson is having none of it. According to her, the coalition on taking the management of the nation in May 2015 and without oil resources, commenced changing the landscape of the nation, and rebuke the VP’s constant assertion the coalition did nothing for Guyana.

The MP reminds Guyanese that in less than five years, and in spite losing a parliamentary no-confidence vote in December 2018 that placed great limitations on governing, the coalition government achieved a lot. Ferguson ticked off the following achievements:

1. Minimum wage moved from $39,450.00 to $50,000.00 in 2015, and over the four years, a total pay increase of  77 per cent. Public Servants enjoyed yearly increases in salaries and received other benefits.
2. Concrete Roads were built in Mahdia, Bartica, Lethem, Port Kaituma, etc.
3. Two successful holdings of Local Government Elections, in March 2016 and November 2018.
4. Four new townships: Bartica, Lethem, Mabaruma, and Mahdia.
5. Guyana was removed from being blacklisted by International Agencies by passing the Anti-Money Laundering / Countering The Financing Of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Legislation with the requisite accountability to fight the scourge.
6. Opening information access and improving knowledge sharing by establishing six radio stations in outlying regions, namely Regions, One, Two, Seven, Eight and Nine.
7. Depoliticising of the Guyana Police Force and putting policies in place to facilitate improved Community/Police relations which is a vital crime fight and prevention strategy. Under the coalition government the police has better relationship communities and there was zero tolerance for extrajudicial killing.
8. The electricity woes were addressed. New engines were bought for Anna Regina, Bartica and Canefield.
9. Internet connections were installed in 250 Indigenous Communities, which for the first time allow widespread access and participation in the Information Communication Technologies (ICT) and 21^st century economy.
10. Indigenous Youth were exposed to training in ICT, skills and education through collaborative efforts between the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs and then First Lady, Mrs. Sandra Granger’s office. After the training, youth were given a grant to commence their entrepreneurial activities.
11. Old Age Pension moved from less than $15,000.00 to $20,500.00.
12. Education Sector witnessed an increase of pupils and students performances at the NGSA, CSEC and CAPE. The Five B Initiative of ‘boats, buses, bicycles, books and breakfast’ were major impacts on school attendance.
13. Hospitals and polyclinics were constructed, rehabilitated in the various administrative regions.
14. Health services were improved, and drug shortages addressed. River ambulances were provided to riverine communities.
15. The Public Procurement Commission (PPC) was commissioned and allowed to do its work independently, free from political influence.
16. Constitutional bodies were allowed to work independent from the Executive Branch, including the judiciary.
17. Cost of living was not as high as it is today. Inflation rate was way lowered than what Guyanese are experiencing today.
18. NIS pensioners benefitted from increases in their pension.
19. VAT was reduced from the Jagdeo imposed 16% to 14% by a caring Coalition Government
20. Communities were being built- houses were constructed, lands were allocated, titles were distributed, housing areas were handed over to the Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) and Guyanese benefitted from housing promotion.

The shadow minister said the above reflects “a few of the good things that the Coalition Government did. ”

Making the contrast, Ferguson said the PPP/C, in an oil-rich economy, cannot boast of the coalition’s success on institutional and structural development that promoted law and order, social cohesion, equity and decent standard of living for all across Guyana’s regions and communities. The PPP/C she says is deflecting by peddling untruths because their record of discrimination and corrupt stinks to high heaven.

“They [the PPP/C leadership] all believe that Guyanese are naive and will continue to swallow their poisonous pills of LIES. They have nothing good to offer Guyanese!” she fired back.

The shadow minister told Village Voice News it is important to debunk the misinformation. According to the MP, “if persons are to really analyse the two governments, one without oil resources and the other with the huge oil bonanza, it will be safe to say that the Coalition Government was the best.”

As General and Regional Elections approach allegations will permeate. It is not only the responsibility of the accused to defend its record, but also the media to give the accused an opportunity to respond, and promote accuracy in recounting the truth. In a polarised ethnic political environment, as Guyana is so defined, this could mean being forthright and letting the chips fall where they may or allowing for falsification to thrive which is underscored by the desire promote stereotypes and fuel divisions.