-says body resisting accounting obligations

WHILE noting the “divisive, disingenuous and sometimes incoherent statements” of the Executive Committee of the National Toshaos Council (NTC) in sections of the media, the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs says the body’s leaders continue to resist the established legislative obligation of accounting for the finances placed at its disposal.

While noting government’s support to the indigenous body, the ministry in a statement said that despite the public statements, the current NTC Executive has never ceased to condemn the $16M subvention provided by the administration.

It noted that the executive body is nearing the end of its three-year term in office and is yet to explain to its membership and the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs why it continues to resist the legislative obligation of accounting for the finances placed at its disposal.

“It is a statutory obligation of the NTC’s Executive Committee to prepare and present ‘Annual Reports’ of its financial operations, a requirement which it has never satisfied.  Indeed the general Indigenous Peoples’ population of Guyana remains expectant yet that this Joel Fredericks-led executive will fulfil this obligatory function,” the ministry stated.

The Indigenous Affairs Ministry said that it has noted the positions taken on matters by the executive of the NTC body , which it said “are not reflective of the thinking of the wider indigenous body and the general population of Indigenous Guyanese citizens.”. It said that the entity has observed a trend of public posturing by the body and Vice Chairman, Lennox Shuman.

The ministry said the body has displayed a confrontational, demanding and disrespectful tone towards the Office of the President of Guyana in writing to President David Granger on certain matters.

“Simultaneous with calls for meetings with His Excellency President David Granger, Lennox Shuman and vice chairman of the NTC issued a call for mass public protest against the Government of Guyana by our Indigenous citizenry. The Ministry will allow the Guyanese public to judge Shuman’s intentions,” the ministry said.

It was noted that the tone and content of a recently reported Stabroek News ‘interview’ gives the impression that the NTC’s Chairman and Vice Chairman are satisfied with opposition political interference into the affairs of the NTC.  “This is not unexpected,” the ministry said.

It said Guyanese are aware of the treatment of the indigenous peoples by the People’s Progressive Party while in government.  “The task of ensuring that there was no political interference by Government since May 2015 was a simple and successful one,” it noted.
The ministry noted, however, that such intimidating, political domination, control which formed the basis of PPP governance will take some more time to undo.  “The Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs is assured and confident that the true will of Guyana’s Indigenous Peoples shall before long prevail,” it said.

As regards Shuman, the ministry said it has always been aware of the countless complaints of disrespectful and inhumane treatment of the residents of St. Cuthbert’s Mission by Shuman.

“The horrifying stories” told by residents of the 129-year-old village of proud, mostly Lokonos range from threats of dispossessing them of lands for disobeying Shuman to referring to residents as “refugees” as well as forcibly expelling church leaders from the village.  The ministry said residents paint a picture of a “leviathan Toshoa.”
It said that Shuman, who is on his way out, seeks to create “an exit strategy which leaves him unscathed while destroying much of the well-constructed fabric of Indigenous Peoples’ customary governance, culture and practices.”

Such actions are ill-advised, divisive, counterproductive and inimical to the forward progression of the national Indigenous Peoples’ developmental agenda.

The ministry said it rejects the Shuman-led attack against the country’s indigenous peoples.  “The Ministry believes that the upcoming village elections provide a vehicle for the resolution of all of these issues by the people themselves,” the entity said