…working group formed

A ROAD which is expected to link several villages in the Rupununi is expected to come on stream soon, as a working group has been established to undertake discussion on the road’s fruition.

According to a release from the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, the road will ensure connectivity between Nappi and Yupukari and their respective satellite villages, and the second round of consultations with key stakeholders were held at the Amerindian Hostel in Lethem on Monday.

Vice President and Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock; Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman; Regional Chairman, Brian Allicock, and Regional Executive Officer, Carl Parker, engaged leaders from the respective villages and other key stakeholders as efforts intensify to ensure the more than three thousand residents living there, have access to improved road connectivity.

The Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) is funding the project with a budget of approximately $200M.

The Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs stated that the group is scheduled to meet this coming weekend to agree on and finalise the route so work can commence from Nappi to Yupukari.

Minister Allicock, during Monday’s consultations, stressed the importance of cooperation among stakeholders since access to alternative roads can lend to a range of benefits for residents.

“We have been supporting villages to have cottage industries, create products, do agriculture, it is for your own good, for the economic growth of your community so you need proper infrastructure in place, roads, bridges, drains,” he said.

Minister Trotman noted that there should be immediate movement with such an investment. “Things need to get done we could end up talking about this for another five years or 10 years, so I am committed to working with not just Vice-President Allicock, but his brother, Chairman Allicock; Toshao’s, Councillors and all of you to get this project done. Let us not wait another three or four years, something may happen, the will may pass, so let’s get it done,” he said.

Regional Chairman, Brian Allicock, commended the government on the project. He said the government gained a plus, “for explaining to its people who are going to benefit from such an activity, for them to know how, when and whose doing it. So consultations are necessary and you heard from the chair that the people were happy.”

Nicholas Fredericks, Chair of the National Toshao’s Council, commended the initiative by the government.”We as Indigenous Peoples, in the past, have never had the opportunity to have an input into developments like these and this shows that government and Indigenous Peoples can work together and especially at the national level. As the chairman this is what we want to see across the country,” he said.

The village of Toka is expected to be linked via the road and councilor, Eugene Isaacs, stated that “I don’t think we have much problem there because I was trying to push a road through to Kwaimatta which was reasonably successful, we didn’t have a scraper and we were able to lift that road and make it almost accessible throughout the rainy season except the part that wasn’t completed and that is to show that with a little more lifting and with some gravel, definitely, a road can go through there at a cheaper cost.”

Nappi’s Toshao, Guy Fredericks, said getting the people involved in the discussion is a means forward. Karanambo’s Melanie Mc Turk, who supports the project idea, also held some reservations about the project including its passage through the Three Mile bush area.

Mc Turk explained that, “the Three Mile bush is our critical area, which is the largest bush in the entire Rupununi. When we talk about jaguars, agouti, capybara, the giant ant eater – all of which our tourism is dependent on – [even] our food supply, this area is a refuge and regeneration point for those species”.

The road network is expected to pass through the villages of Toka, Kwaimatta, Yupukari, Quatata, Kaicumbay, Fly Hill, Parishara, Hiawa and Karanambo. The Nappi to Lethem stretch has already been completed.

Engineer in the Ministry of Natural Resources, Gregory Williams, explained that the aim is not to just undertake the construction of the roads, but also protect the natural habitat, the aesthetic, agriculture and more so, avoiding encroaching on villages.