Dear Editor,
ON March 16, 2017, a letter writer in the Kaieteur News, Mr. Jinnah Rahaman, in an article titled, ‘Minister of Agriculture not performing,’ made some wild accusations levelled at Minister Holder. Some of these are: ‘Agriculture is a failure under Noel Holder’, the minister’s ‘failed performance’ and ‘dismiss Holder.’
What is remarkable and interesting is the fact that the article itself dealt more with Jagdeo, Nandlall and Ramotar, so I find the headline somewhat misleading, but I will deal with the conclusion arrived at by Mr. Rahaman that Minister Holder should be ‘dismissed’.
Letter writers should know that before they arrive at certain conclusions in their arguments, they should furnish evidence to support such conclusions. However, no evidence was provided to support his argument. But this did not surprise me, since Mr Rahaman has a gift for making such baseless and ridiculous conclusions.
On April 7, 2009, a letter writer concluded that, ‘One Jinnah destroyed India’s unity, another trying same with RPA’, then another letter writer wrote that, ‘Jinnah Rahaman’s letter is riddled with inaccuracies’, and yet another letter writer on December 1, 2015, concluded that,’Jinnah Rahaman’s appointment is a huge mistake’ (this was in relation to his appointment as a community development officer). Therefore, it would seem to me that Mr Rahaman never seems to get his facts right and would normally twist and distort issues to gain publicity and political recognition.
I wish to remind Mr Jinnah that the local government system is meant to ‘involve as many citizens as possible in the task of managing and developing the communities in which they live and ensuring popular participation in organising the political, economic, social and cultural life of those communities.’ When the NDCs and the RDCs function effectively, then a lot can be achieved. At the RDC level there is an Agriculture Committee which must ensure that the needs of the agriculture sector are met in an effective and efficient manner. Roads, dams, infrastructure, drainage and irrigation are some of the issues which must be raised and resolved at the RDC level. Moreover, capital works and repairs and maintenance works must be budgeted for in the annual estimates.
In addition, there are bodies such as the GRDB, NAREI, Water Users Associations and the NDIA which must function in their respective roles and those that are not functioning must be brought into focus, so that the subject minister can act decisively. In this country, the reports to the relevant subject ministers are so doctored that they fail to give any beneficial insight into what is really happening.
Mr Rahaman provided the public with some specific areas where the Minister of Agriculture has failed and at the same time provided the public with what the NDCs and the RDC are doing in his region to promote the economic well -being of the agriculture sector. Therefore, Mr Rahaman is truly naive to believe that a lower interest rate loan alone is what is preventing the progress of the agriculture sector. Every player in the sector must do their part. Mr Rahaman must understand that the Minister of Agriculture cannot unilaterally establish the agriculture bank which he feels is the panacea- it must be the Government’s decision. So why dismiss Holder?
As a self-proclaimed ‘agriculture advocate,’ Mr Jinnah is bereft of ideas and should cease to make himself an object of public ridicule! I do feel that the man in his Quixotic moments truly thinks that he can make a better Minister of Agriculture!
Yours sincerely,
Gobin Harbhajan
Region Six, APNU+AFC
Regional Democratic Councillor (RDC)