CHAIRMAN of the National Toshaos’ Council (NTC), Nicholas Fredericks had reason to pull several Toshaos into place on Monday, after they allowed themselves to be negatively swayed by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Opposition.

At the opening of the 13th annual NTC Conference at the Arthur Chung Conference Center, a group of Toshaos refrained from standing in respect of President David Granger when he rose to make his address and also used the forum to pass out invitations to an event organised by the Opposition Leader.

The invitations ran counter to a cocktail invitation by the President, on Monday evening, at State House, for Toshaos participating in the Conference. It was anticipated that those leaders would have had further discussions with the President in a lighter setting. Although some planned to thwart such, the NTC Chairman was not having it and stood to the podium following the President’s address and blasted the leaders for their blatant act of disrespect.

“We are here for a conference. When it is protocol that whenever His Excellency of any country gets up to go and make a presentation that we all stand and, observing this morning, the Opposition were right in front of us [and they] did not have that respect to stand to our President,” the Chairman said.

“He is still our President. Nobody else was sworn in; he’s the Executive President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana and, for me, sitting down while all of us indigenous peoples are paying respect —they just showed him disrespect by sitting down. What message is that sending to us?”

The NTC Conference, which runs from October 7-11, 2019, is intended to deal with issues which promote good governance in villages; strategies for reducing poverty; improvements to health and education; land-related issues; protection and conservation of the environment and more.

The body comprises of all Toshaos in Guyana and is represented by one Toshao from each of the ten administrative regions on an Executive Committee. In his candid remarks, the NTC Head noted his disappointment with the behaviour of the group of Toshaos as he explained that the events set up have been organised for their benefit and the benefit of the people in their villages.

Regarding the counter invitation which surfaced at the opening ceremony, Fredericks told the room of leaders: “And now circulating invitational cards to a reception by the Opposition when we were verbally invited —and documented invitation also — to a reception with His Excellency this evening (Monday). He’s expecting us to interact with him this evening so I want to urge and I want to let you know that from this conference we are all going to the reception of His Excellency.”

On Monday evening, some of the leaders disobeyed Frederick’s order and took to the Office of the Leader of the Opposition on Church Street, Georgetown. They traded in dinner at State House with the President to sit at a few tables at Church Street scattered with bottles of GT Beers and Coca-Coca Cola.