Agri. Minister hosts massive community outreach in Reg. 6
Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha
Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha

– NIS, land matters most reported

HUNDREDS of residents from several villages in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) turned up to have their issues addressed as Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha hosted a community outreach at the Albion Community Centre Ground.

The day’s proceedings saw persons with longstanding agricultural, land, water, insurance and other issues meeting with the minister and his team, hoping to have some degree of relief. Many persons, most of whom said they had experienced the royal run around for a number of years, were seen leaving the meeting with smiles on their faces.

Latchman Mohaan, a past worker of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) said that he has been working with the corporation for 22 years but is having problems receiving his benefits.

“When I went to NIS, they said that my contributions are short. I worked hard for 22 years, I am an old man now and I need my money. Mr. Minister I need your help. My wife is not working and is me and she alone. I see you helping people all over the country so I come here for some help,” Mr. Mohaan said.

Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha meets with residents of Region Six at the Albion Community Centre Ground

Kamroon Razack, a 66-year-old resident, said that for years she’s been seeking help but never got any assistance.

“The drains in my area need digging. I’m glad the minister came here today so that he could help me. He told the people from NDIA and the region will come and do some work in the area, so I’m looking out for the help,” Ms. Razak said.

Parmanand Ontar, 40, from Fyrish, said that he had been going to the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission for years after paying for his transport.

“Almost seven years I pay for this land and I have not received a transport. I have my agreement of sale and all my receipts, so I’m here today to see the minister to see if he can help me, because every time I call they can never give me a straight answer,” Mr. Ontar said.

Mariana Stewart, a single mother of five, said she was pleased with her interaction with the minister after trying to get some assistance with her farm for years.

“I am from New Amsterdam and when I saw that the minister was having this outreach I decided to come. I have a small farm that feeds me and my five children. I usually plant and sell greens. I have a few chickens too. I would just like a little help on my farm, because many of my chickens died and I don’t know why. The minister immediately told the extension officers to visit my farm to see why my chickens died. They said that they would come on Monday, so my trip was worth it,” Stewart said.

Irvin Shepherd, a farmer from Stanleytown, said that he had cattle, but they all died some time ago.

Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha meets with a resident of Region Six

“All my cow dem die out from rabies, so I’d like for some help to get myself going again. I also sell coconut oil, crab oil and press oil, but it gets rancid fast, so I’d like some advice on how I could get the oil dem to last longer. Minister, I commended you. You are the only minister I heard say you are going to do something with the second phase of MMA. I heard the President say that he will transform the sector and I know that things will happen now. All the time all we had was promises and now we are seeing things happening,” Mr. Shepherd said.

Many persons who attended the outreach commended the minister and the government for their proactive approach to dealing with issues across the country thus far. Citizens had complained that, over the past five years, most of their issues went unaddressed after several failed attempts were made to meet with government officials under the previous administration.

Since taking office, government ministers have been hosting massive community outreaches across the country in an effort to address the backlog of issues faced by citizens across the country. Minister Mustapha, while offering comments on Saturday’s event, said that these outreaches are a testament to government’s commitment to meeting with citizens and having their needs addressed.

“While on the campaign trail, persons expressed their dissatisfaction with the way the country was being run. One of the commitments we made during the elections process was to meet with citizens and have their issues addressed as soon as they took office. Every week ministers are out in different communities meeting with people. You know we are dealing with Budget 2021, but we understand that these engagements are important and have to continue,” Minister Mustapha said.

Minister Mustapha also said that GuySuCo is now working with NIS to resolve the many issues pertaining to workers’ contributions. He urged GuySuCo to monitor worker’s contributions before they reach the age of retirement.

Minister Mustapha was accompanied by senior officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, regional officials and officers from the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GLSC) and the National Insurance Scheme (NIS).

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