-Regional Chairman
REGION Nine (Upper Takutu/Upper Essequibo) Chairman, Mr. Clarendo Lucas has refuted claims that there is a growing food and medicine shortage in Lethem. Reacting to a report in yesterday’s edition of the Stabroek News which stated that there was a growing shortage of basic food items in the shops and medicines at health centers because of the closure of the Linden-Lethem road, Lucas said last night:
“The Lethem Power Company (as at yesterday) had enough fuel to provide electricity for the next three days. They have found a way to secure supplies of fuel, so there is no immediate crisis with power. The power supply here is stable.”
As to the charges that flour, rice and sugar are being rationed, Lucas said that too was untrue.
“We have no shortages here; neither of food or medicine. There is no crisis; we are safe at Lethem,” he said, adding that it was unfortunate that the Stabroek News would publish such a report without corroborating the story with the Administration, which would have helped them to publish a more balanced report.
He however acknowledged that the one true negative impact of the closure of the road was that privately-owned gas stations had indeed run out of fuel, and said he has since appealed to the proprietors of those stations and their suppliers to make more strenuous efforts to provide fuel for sale to the community.
“We are calling on them to bring supplies to Lethem,” Lucas said, adding that he was sure that the contractor in charge of mending the road would facilitate their getting the fuel to Lethem.