– Nagamootoo says station could serve economic, defence purposes

By Alva Solomon
THE people of Mabaruma, in the North West District of Region One, now have their own radio station, which Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo suggested could be used to drive economic activities and assert “ownership” of the region claimed by Venezuela.Performing the functions of President, Nagamootoo commissioned Radio Mabaruma 95.1 FM at the Mabaruma compound on Saturday morning. He spoke to a sizeable gathering, which included

several Government officials, among whom were Minister of Indigenous Peoples Affairs, Sydney Allicock; Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan; and Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples Affairs, Valerie Garrido-Lowe.

Nagamootoo said the radio station can be used to generate business in the community, known for a number of crops and fish. He said
a radio station is not only a matter of having something to listen to, but “you will be able to tell your own story; to put your own advertisements.”

“You could advertise your commodity, you could advertise one of the specialties of the North West, your famous morocut,” he told the residents, referring to a fish known to the area.

Nagamootoo described the region as “beautiful and resourceful”, but said it was under some “evil eyes from the west”, who have an interest in the area. He was referring to the Venezuelan claims to the Essequibo region.

He said that Guyana may not possess the battalions, cannons and big guns, “but we have people who are armed with the ability to communicate with themselves and the rest of Guyana.”

While chanting “Essequibo is we own”, Nagamootoo said the radio station is part of the mechanism of the defence of the country; “the assertion of our possession, occupation, our control of our own country,” he reminded.

He said the radio station was an “obsession” he had had for many years, given the need to bridge communication between the coastal and hinterland communities.

“Communication in the real sense is knowledge, and knowledge in the real world is power,” he told residents. He said there is always a story which the indigenous people have but which was not fully told. “So you have an opportunity from today to begin that storytelling,” he stated.

Speaking in the studios soon after the station’s commissioning, Minister Allicock noted on air that, for too long, the “people spoke to the bush,” as he adumbrated Government’s plans to utilise communication to bridge the gap between hinterland locations and the coastland.

He said Government is looking forward to economic independence, and communication if one of the vehicles to achieve such a feat. “This will also not only help the indigenous communities, but also the bigger picture of what the hinterland has to offer.”

He said that for too long the hinterland has been seen by persons as the “backdam”, and he asserted that now is the time to bridge the gap which exists.

Minister Bulkan also spoke during the session moderated by seasoned broadcaster Merano Isaacs. He said he felt a sense of pride with the commissioning of the radio station, and deemed the moment historic.

His message to listeners was that the realization of radio is one component of the vision of the Government to unite the hinterland with the rest of Guyana.

Radio Mabaruma 95.1FM will be manned by staff from the communities in Region One, but will initially broadcast programmes from the National Communications Network (NCN) on Homestretch Avenue in the capital city. The station will operate from 6 hrs to 23:00hrs, providing coverage to communities located as far as 25 miles from the station.

The launch of the radio station comes on the heels of Radio Lethem 95.1, which was commissioned several days before Guyana’s 50th Independence anniversary. There are plans by the Government to develop similar projects across other areas, and Nagamootoo said television stations are also projected for communities across the country.