DO NOT BE HOODWINKED! – Minister Sukhai urges toshaos

AMERINDIAN Affairs Minister Pauline Sukhai, on Monday, urged about 180 toshaos to practice accountability, and to not be deceived into believing that they are being treated unfairly with regard to land rights issue.

Pauline Sukhai, Minister of Amerindian Affairs
Pauline Sukhai, Minister of Amerindian Affairs

Speaking at the opening of the 7th National Toshaos Council (NTC) meeting at the Guyana International Conference Centre, Liliendaal, that is being held under the theme ‘Establishing a culture of good governance is a practice that is critical to sustained village development’, she called on the toshaos not to be duped into believing the misrepresentations being peddled by the Amerindian Peoples Association (APA) and the Guyanese Organisation of Indigenous Peoples (GOIP).

“Do not be hoodwinked into believing that Amerindians in Guyana face grave injustices on the matter of land rights…the government continues to pursue relentlessly the full closure to land ownership through setting aside monies in the national budget and…a substantial sum has been set aside under the GRIF for concluding the land titling and demarcation activities.”
“Leaders you are aware of the land titling project, and the government commitment, to complete titling of lands to Amerindian communities; be the messenger – tell your story,” she stated.
At the opening ceremony on Monday, Government and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) signed a US$10.7M agreement for titling and demarcation of Amerindian lands.
She urged the leaders to stop the campaigns being waged to stymie the overall progress made on land rights and ownership by the PPP/C government.
The NTC meeting, she told them provides an opportunity for the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs to address issues in a collective, and updated them on Guyana’s participation at the 12th session of the United Nations Permanent Forum for Indigenous Issues earlier this year, and how the GOIP and the APA at that forum misconstrued the facts on land, national laws, and donor agency funded projects.

GOOD GOVERNANCE
She stressed that establishing a culture of good governance is a practice that is critical to sustained village development, explaining that last year the Ministry’s officials visited several villages and were pleased with the growth and expansion of the various sectors.
“Well stocked village shops are dotted around the hinterland, community ranches in other communities, improved main road networks linking villages, increase vehicular traffic supporting transportation needs, better agriculture initiatives and production, better water supply, better education and health services.”
However, there were complaints from some villages and the Auditor General’s office was solicited to conduct audits and this exposed conflicts, thereby propelling the ministry’s intervention.
“I implore as leaders that you lead by example, ensure that you maximise the resources made available to you, and improve accountability and work towards reducing instances of diverting village funds and resources to not the intended uses. I encourage you to seek to strengthen the system of administering and management of the use of village assets; this continues to be an area of concern,” Minister Sukhai told the gathering.

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