– strongly condemns APNU/AFC
THE National Toshaos’ Council (NTC), comprising of more than one hundred Toshaos’ throughout the length and breadth of Guyana, has joined in solidarity with fellow Guyanese to “strongly condemn”  the actions taken by the Opposition APNU and AFC to cut the National Budget of 2012. The NTC, in a statement yesterday, took the opportunity to remind APNU that prior to the 2011 General Election the party campaigned under the theme: ‘A good life for all Guyanese’.
“Today we are saying that it is a lie,” the NTC declared.
“We would like to know what happened to all the promises (by the APNU)…such as Employment for all, Information Communication Technology and Hinterland Development, just to name a few,” the NTC questioned.
It said the promises have all been thrown out by the combined opposition in the “most reckless and irresponsible manner”.
The NTC said particularly affected are “our Indigenous Peoples and Hinterland Communities”.
“We take this as a personal insult to our People, a total disregard for the time we spent in consultation and preparation of our Community Development Projects (CDPs). Our expectation of One Laptop per Family,  the Hinterland Electrification project where every household in the hinterland would have benefited from a solar panel has just become a dream for those  who have not yet received…” the NTC lamented.
It noted that these projects were specially designed to meet the needs of young people. “We are therefore worried about the negative impact this vindictive action will have on youth development,” the NTC said.
It also alluded to the Amerindian Development Fund which provides much needed support for community development, as well as the demarcation of land which would allow the Amerindian people to better manage their land and resources.
According to the NTC, the Presidential Grants that enhance economic activities in the various villages/communities, can now be considered as something of the past.
“As Guyana’s first people we are emerging out of poverty. As a result of the years of neglect prior to the present government, these cuts seem to be motivated to undermine the progress that has been made,” the NTC stated.
The NTC also questioned whether the combined opposition (APNU and AFC) took the time to even consider how these drastic cuts will affect the livelihood of the Indigenous Peoples.
“Is this the promise of ‘a good life for all Guyanese?’ For us it is a step back in time; we are heading back to the ‘stone age’. Time lost can never be regained…” the NTC asserted.
It noted that the livelihood, welfare and wellbeing of its peoples are now threatened. “We pray that the Great Spirit would deliver us from this evil act by the combined opposition. “We therefore call on the parliamentarians of APNU and AFC to let good sense prevail, this is not about power; this is about people’s wellbeing and development,” the NTC posited.
“We now ask all members of parliament to act in a mature way and let God be your guide,” it added.
In his broadcast to the nation last Friday evening, President Donald Ramotar has already categorised the Gy$21 billion budget cuts as “poisonous” to the national interest.
He has also warned of the resulting negative impacts for the Guyanese nation as a whole, with our indigenous Amerindian community in particular having been dealt a severe blow, in comparison to a myopic, self-serving political “appeasement” to Linden.