AFC/APNU take U-turn on supporting Amerindian Development
* …exposing the opposition
* split-personality syndrome

Old Kai feels for our Amerindian community after the AFC and APNU used their combined one seat majority in the National Assembly to vote down the Amerindian Development Fund. This action is aimed at disempowering our indigenous population.This action goes against all the platitudes, feigned concern and crocodile tears exhibited by the Opposition towards the Amerindian community during their contribution to the budget debates.
In his budget presentation, this is what Leader of the Opposition David Granger had to say about their position on empowering Amerindians: “The hinterland under-development crisis….will not correct itself…hinterland communities do not need baubles, beads, toys and trinkets. Handouts smother human initiative and extinguish enterprise.”
Yet, just a few days later, the very Granger would lead his minions on the opposition side to reject funding for initiatives which came from over 205 Amerindian leaders at the National Toshaos Council in October 2013.
So much for ‘human initiative’; same Ole APNU, same Ole Granger.
We are informed that the reason offered by the Opposition for the rejection of these funds was that “the government was planning to use the money as a slush fund to electioneer in Amerindian communities.”
It is necessary to note that these funds were only provided based on plans by Amerindian leaders for the development of their villages.  It was David Granger who stated that “…this minority administration must not presume that it can ignore the public will…” But here it is, the administration is heeding the will of the people, but the Opposition has turned it the other way around and accused them of electioneering.
So much for ‘encouraging enterprise’; same Ole APNU, same Ole Granger.
Granger then states that, “When we speak, we speak with the voice of the people; that is why we must be heard.” If this is indeed so, what happened to the voices of those 205 Amerindian leaders? Clearly, AFC and APNU are not speaking for them, for if they were, they would have heeded their calls and approved the Amerindian Development Funds.
So much for ‘being the voice of the people’; same Ole APNU, same Ole Granger.
The man who apparently only sees people by their ‘ethnicity’ was at it again, this time Moses Nagamootoo, according to the media, stated that the government was “dangling a billion dollar toy” in front of the Amerindian people.
Is this not the greatest disrespect towards the intellectual capacity of Amerindians? What Moses is describing as a ‘toy’ are the ideas, plans and programmes which were crafted by the Amerindian leaders from all across our country. Fresh from attacking our ‘sugar workers’, he has now turned his attention to ‘Amerindians’. When will this arrogant and disrespectful behavior towards our people by opposition leaders stop?
During the debates, several opposition MP’s spoke about opportunities for our youths, particularly those in Amerindian communities. In attacking the estimates, David Granger stated that “…it is not for the young. It is not for the aged. It is anti-poor, anti-people and anti-progress.”
Then in an effort to back up his contention he added that the Hinterland, “…might be most picturesque parts of the country but they are the poorest.”
But here it is, Granger and his clique were cutting over $1B dollars in funding for the ‘poorest parts of our country’ from a budget which he claimed was ‘anti-poor’.
Granger is right when he stated that “Jackass ears long,” old people say, “but ‘e nah hear ‘e own story.”
This confirms that the Opposition is suffering from a split-personality syndrome, where they say one thing and do the complete opposite. But Old Kai has been telling you all along that these people cannot be trusted, even their loyal supporters are now seeing their true colors as we said in the newspaper letter columns two days ago.
The view from Congress Place is clouded by all the ‘bush’ growing around it!