OVER the last few months, this nation was tested by a political terror outfit that was allowed to hijack it. All of our people must be grateful for the voice of our regional and international brothers and sisters who held resolutely to the philosophy – one person: one vote, and thus contributed to the crushing of the strategy to destroy our motherland.

Today we have a democratically-elected President, His Excellency Dr. Irfaan Ali in place, and functioning to the best of his ability. One of his first acts in service to all the people in our rainbow nation was to unveil a program that is going to be offering G$25,000 relief to each household due to the adverse economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This is who we are as a nation; we are our brothers and sisters’ keepers. This is what a caring government does for its people who have suffered immensely due to the mishandling of this health crisis by the Granger squad because they were more obsessed with political power to feather their nests. Today, we reaffirm that spirit of looking after each other as we saw a group of young people on Sunday, August 30, 2020, led by led by one Carl Melville and Sasenarine Singh, cleaning and removing over one tonne of garbage from the seawalls. Also, a local private sector company donated six garbage bins for the bandstand area, which should serve the objective of greater cleanliness.

Then within three hours, His Excellency, the President Dr. Irfaan Ali, and the First Lady walked into Tiger Bay and spoke directly to the residents there and distributed over 500 food hampers and hundreds of face masks. What the public did not hear, but what was witnessed by those nearby, was the one-on-one conversations between a President and his people. One young man called “Gado” called the President into his yard. The youthful President jumped over the drain and walked into Gado’s yard and listened to this young man. This is what Gado said, “Mr. President, I have a young family, I need a piece of land.” And this was how his President responded, “My government shall fix this”, as he asked one of his advisers to take Gado’s number and to pass it on to the Minister of Housing to facilitate the commencement of the process?
The overwhelming majority of the people welcome these acts of servant leadership that were absent from the land when the aloof and arrogant David Granger held the office. The disdain for the nation was so much that Mr. Granger ignored the fourth estate with fewer press conferences.
That is why it is shocking to witness scenes of fundamentalist protesters griping about Clairmont Mingo and goaded on by Granger because he was an absent leader when he was President.

Mingo has four separate charges of electoral malpractice as witnessed not only by the local observers, but the foreign observers in the Ashmins Building. Yet, Granger has found the time to support Mr. Mingo but had no time with the plight of the people. Further, you have got to have some brass as a former President to advocate for Mingo’s rights but totally ignore the rights of the Guyanese people for five months of 2020 when Mingo’s actions as the Returning Officer sought to frustrate democracy.

So despite all that happened between March 2, 2020, and August 2, 2020, this nation must demand that the colourful thread of this rainbow nation must be allowed to be woven to form a stronger nation in unity. The intimidating tactics of the Granger Squad must be rejected.
We also condemn the deliberate exposure of the masses to the coronavirus because of these acts of accumulating people in packs; some without masks in total violation of the COVID-19 regulations. Even Granger had his nose uncovered when speaking to the media in front of the courts exposing him to the deadly virus and if he was a carrier, exposing the listeners.

The time is now for Guyana to represent to the world that every creed and race can stand side by side in harmony and work together for the greater good of all but we must do so following the rule of law and responsibly. That is why it makes sense to do what His Excellency is doing. Engage responsibly and directly to empower all. The ways of the Granger gang must be rejected where they use the poor and the working class conveniently to serve their political interests and not the interest of the people. United we stand; divided we fall.