As a former Toshao I say it is time to vote for change
On the countdown to the day of general and regional elections, I would like to take this time to reach out to my Amerindian brothers and sisters to vote for change. As a former Toshao and member of the Executive Council of the National Toshaos Council (NTC), I have seen a lot of our decisions be overridden by the PPP government through their agents and I can no longer stay quiet at this time. In the last few weeks I have seen excess money spent to transport the PPP’s agents from point one to another just to campaign while I know of many dire situations where these monies could have been useful for our people. A few of these crucial areas I know these monies could have been spent well are for example in the health sector, education, forestry areas and so many other places too numerous to mention.
The health sector needs a great boost since many of our women have had to endure travelling from the communities to the nearest regional hospital for example at the Suddie Hospital in cases of complicated pregnancies. Families have had to fund these travels or where there can be reimbursements, have taken long periods to get back monies. There are health buildings which need to be equipped with appropriate staff and drugs and this has not been done in our community in Region 2. Yet today, the PPP administration can find large amounts of monies to spend to do their political campaign. A political campaign which is filled with a lot of lies, distorted truth and blatant racial language which causes confusion in our communities is what we do not need in our communities. The monies we suspect are state resources being used to finance their dirty political campaign.
In the community there is a great need for trained teachers to help our children go forward successfully to secondary schools but we do not have this. For years we have raised this issue and yet to no avail. Our concerns and recommendations have gone unheard and today we experience our children dropping out of schools. This is a sad situation as we wonder what future is there for our children.
Furthermore, we have seen over the years how our lands have been given out to foreigners even as there is already competition by other Guyanese. One must then ask how much interest this administration has for us as Guyanese? For more than twenty years, we have been shown how much interest for us as Guyanese and it has been nothing. Instead we have seen reports of government officials becoming rich overnight while we the citizens, as hardworking Guyanese are yet to see improvements in our lives.
Today, I wish to appeal to my Amerindian brothers and sisters and all right thinking Guyanese to vote for change. Do not believe the last minute gimmicks. If they could not do it for us in more than twenty years then they surely cannot do it in the next five years. Do not believe their promises and lies anymore. Vote for change and give change a chance!!
Yours faithfully,
David Wilson
Former Toshao,
