PPP/C Governments are people-centric; and this has been evident in all of its actions in or out of government; as with the countrywide distribution of relief packages and masks during the raging coronavirus pandemic and the agonising elections charade the coalition parties put this nation through in the preceding five months before Dr. Irfaan Ali was sworn in as President.

The current PPP/C Government, immediately after its accession to office on August 2, went into development mode, while simultaneously establishing working methodologies and programmes to address dire needs of communities countrywide, has demonstrated that it would not digress from the traditional direction every PPP/PPPC government takes; that is, ensuring that the social sectors are prioritised in its administrative dynamics.

This is converse to the way the current PPP/C administration’s predecessors in government – the PNC-led coalition treated the citizens of the country. One of the many ways that the coalition administration failed the nation was its abandonment of victims affected by floods over the past five years, who, in every flood-affected community, faced a quandary as to when and if the APNU+AFC government would have addressed their distressing situation because, when the issue of compensation for persons, especially hinterland dwellers who lost homes and all appurtenances within, particularly farmers who lost crops and livestock after the disastrous flooding was raised in Parliament on July 27, 2017 by then Opposition Parliamentarian, Colin Croal, the coalition Communities Minister, Ronald Bulkan, told the House that compensation is not usually provided by the State for such disasters faced by Guyanese.

The dire straits of the communities in all 10 regions affected by flooding was treated as non-important by the coalition government, as weeks after such a severe catastrophe had decimated homes and livelihoods, Bulkan informed the House that the Regional Democratic Councils (RDCs) were still compiling assessment reports. Despite repeated queries by Croal on a timeline for the reports to be completed, Bulkan prevaricated, as has become the norm with recently-ousted coalition government ministers when challenged about their lack of timely intervention at crisis points affecting the citizens of the land.

Bulkan averred that a response to the crisis in Regions Eight and Nine was dependent on the outcome of a joint report between the Governments of Guyana and Brazil because Granger’s government contended that a rise in the river levels in Brazil contributed to the flooding in the hinterland areas, which begs the question of whether residents of Regions Eight and Nine are not Guyanese who are entitled to state assistance in a crisis, regardless the circumstances, instead of awaiting the outcome of a blame game with a neighbouring country.

Bulkan’s response that “… compensation is not normally offered in situations like this” is erroneous. The correct response should have been “Compensation is not normally offered in situations like this under the coalition government,” because, in such situations under the previous PPP/C administration, prompt needs assessments were carried out and immediate assistance provided, with requisite compensation and other interventions to restore life to normalcy following on a long-term basis, based on qualifying factors.

A January 20, 2009 news item in the Kaieteur News reported ‘As some communities along the Coast continue to be under water, Head of State, President Bharrat Jagdeo, yesterday said, “We will continue to hold their hands through this process.”

Addressing the flood situation and the relief efforts, the former President said that of the $100M that was set aside for assistance, some $16M had already been expended.

The comprehensive plan for expenditure of the $100M included the provision of seeds, chemicals, fertiliser, veterinary supplies, livestock feed, seed paddy, duckling, broilers and fuel.

He promised “I want those communities, some of which are still under water, to know that the assistance that they have received, that’s not the end of it…there is still quite a bit of assistance to be disbursed to these places.”

The Drainage and Irrigation works being carried out countrywide, the care packages being distributed to vulnerable families, the many people-centric interventions being made, the needs assessments of sugar factories carried out by NICIL all bespeak loudly that the PPP/C government is back; and all would be well in the nation.