Cash Grant Distribution Designed to Humiliate Citizens into Submission- Forde

Shadow Attorney General, Senior Counsel Roysdale Forde, is calling out the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government for what he describes as the “humiliating” and “dehumanising” process surrounding the distribution of $100,000 cash grants to citizens. The long lines, harsh weather conditions, and inefficient procedures have left thousands of ordinary Guyanese feeling disrespected, Forde said in his column yesterday.

Forde recounted witnessing the chaotic scenes firsthand in the Diamond/Grove District, on Monday, where hundreds of citizens, including seniors and individuals with disabilities, stood in line for hours under umbrellas, some sitting on bridges or leaning on fences, just to collect their grants. The line stretched from the gates of the Diamond/Grove Neighbourhood District Council (NDC) all the way to Freshco on the East Bank Public Road.

“What I saw was shameful. People had no choice but to endure hours of discomfort in the heat and rain, all for a one-time payment of $100,000, a sum that falls far short in a country where inflation and the cost of living are skyrocketing,” Forde said. He also revealed that a government minister attempted to persuade citizens to return the following day, claiming that the deadline for the grant had been extended to Saturday. Despite this, the crowd remained determined.

Forde condemned the PPP/C administration for creating what he called a “spectacle of suffering,” arguing that the government’s actions were an insult to the people it claims to serve. He argued that the disbursement of the cash grants was not about offering genuine help but rather about solidifying political control.

“This entire exercise is about political manipulation. It’s designed to humiliate people into submission, to make them feel grateful for the bare minimum, and to foster a sense of political loyalty in exchange for a one-off payment,” Forde said. “Rather than being a genuine gesture of goodwill, this is a tool to remind citizens of their dependence on the government.”

The long lines and hours of waiting in discomfort, according to Forde, highlight the government’s neglect for the vulnerable. “The poorest, the working-class citizens, and the elderly are subjected to this chaos. Meanwhile, the rich and politically connected, who don’t need these grants, are largely exempt from this humiliation,” he argued.

Forde stressed that the timing and manner of the disbursement were clearly politically motivated. The process, he said, was designed to create a visible spectacle, ensuring that people felt indebted to the government. This is not a welfare programme—it’s a political stunt, Forde asserted.

The parliamentarian went on to suggest that the PPP/C government was exploiting the cash grant as a means of securing political loyalty, manipulating the populace by making them reliant on these temporary, token payments. “The fact that citizens are being photographed while receiving their grants only adds to the spectacle. This is not about helping people; it’s about control,” Forde said.

In a country rich in oil reserves, Forde reminded citizens that these grants were not acts of charity, but rather the government’s responsibility. These are funds generated by our oil wealth. The government has a duty to ensure its citizens can live with dignity, not humiliate them with long waits and uncertainty for a paltry sum, he declared.

The disbursement of the cash grant, Forde argued, exposes a larger issue: the PPP/C government’s persistent failure to address the systemic inequalities faced by the poor and vulnerable. He condemned the government’s use of this process as “political theatre” designed to strip citizens of their dignity and reinforce their subjugation to the whims of those in power.

“I call on all Guyanese to hold this government accountable and demand more- more than token gestures, and more than the indignity of standing in line for a mere fraction of what they deserve.,” Forde concluded.