…on Indigenous peoples’ representation

PRESIDENT David Granger has strongly repudiated comments which suggest that the Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock, has no power in government. The President’s contention of the comment being “malicious” was expressed at the launch of Amerindian Heritage Month, which was held at the Sophia Exhibition Centre on September 1.
In delivering the feature address to hundreds of Indigenous peoples, President Granger underscored the need for strong systems of governance in indigenous communities, given their remoteness. “Indigenous communities are remote and consist of small settlements. Management of 212 communities is compounded by development issues. Indigenous communities need strong structures of government. But because of small numbers and great distances, it is often difficult to give them the quality of governance they need,” he said.
The President went on to point out that several institutions are there to provide support to these communities, including the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, the National Toshaos Council (NTC) and several Indigenous organisations.
“It is malicious for anyone to tell the Toshaos that the Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs has no power and that indigenous affairs of this country are directed by Dr David Hinds and Mr. Eric Phillips. It is malicious,” he said.
He went on to explain that because its work is more complicated than any other ministry, the Indigenous Affairs Ministry needs the support of other agencies to fulfil its mandate. And although he did not say who this opposition member was, the Head-of-State said that people who know better should not try to divide communities with such “arrant lies.”
Two weeks ago, opposition Member of Parliament and former Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai, rejected a proposition by the President to establish an Indigenous Peoples’ Authority. The Head-of-State said that the authority would overlook the implementation of policies emerging from the National Toshaos Conference, and policies and programmes authorised by Cabinet and the National Assembly.
However, following the President’s announcement of this idea, Sukhai contended that it was an attempt to usurp the power of both the National Toshaos Council (NTC) and the ministry. Just recently, Phillips congratulated the government on accelerating the land-titling programme for Indigenous Guyanese. Under the auspices of the UNDP and using Norway funds, he said, this exercise is scheduled to be completed by October this year.