Dear Editor,
The recent shooting at Five Corners in Linden, allegedly involving gang members opening fire on police, in a public space with many people nearby and surrounding businesses, is cause for serious concern.
The emergence of gangs in Linden and the seemingly easy access to lethal weapons, and the willingness of those Possessing such weapons, allegedly to fire on police in a populated area, is alarming. Threatening the lives of innocent people cannot be taken lightly. Respect for the law and law enforcement officers must go hand in hand. The police must ensure every action is taken to ensure charges are made and a strong message against such acts is sent to deter any such incidents in the future.
Equally, the police must do more to establish a much better working relationship with the communities in the township and region to foster trust and respect for its efforts to fight and prevent crimes of all sorts.
Linden has a high unemployment rate, especially among its youth, youths who are smart, many with CXC subjects, technical certificates and tertiary educated, but cannot find jobs. Many of these youths are very talented in sports and the arts, but there are no facilities to nurture and improve their skills and talents; hence, idleness may lead to unlawful acts.
The Mackenzie Sports Club, once a mecca for hosting multiple sports disciplines and cultural activities, is still under seemingly endless construction and upgrades, four budgets and billions of dollars later, with no end in sight. The Bayrock facilities, which saw hundreds of athletes daily since 2018, are still incomplete, preventing athletes from enjoying a completed and well equipped facility after years of slow construction which is still on going.
None of the community grounds enchantment the Minister of Sports “flag ship project” which he boasts of are present and ready for play in any of Linden’s eight constituencies.
We need our youth meaningfully engaged in progressive and productive endeavors, and sports and the arts can significantly aid in that regard. The lack thereof in our township and region presents many opportunities to satisfy these needs, which will create much-needed jobs and opportunities for our people, especially our youth.
This recent misdirected energy at the five-corner should not deter visitors, investors, and investments from coming to the next great city in our country.
Linden, the heart of Guyana, is the place to visit and invest in 2025; we welcome all.
Yours truly,
Hon. Jermaine Figueira.MP
