Dear Editor,

PLEASE allow me a space in your letter column to share my views as to the misinformation being peddled by former AFC executives in Berbice.  Both gentlemen are well known for being part of the previous government.

During some recent televised and live Facebook programmes, both gentlemen seem to be upward, downwards peddling misinformation about the government’s cash grant to farmers.

However, at one time, both gentlemen would praise the government by thanking President Ali and Vice- President Bharrat Jagdeo for such a great programme and on the other hand they would attack the government by slamming the Minister of Agriculture and its agencies. Seems they are playing the one foot here and one there game.

I am not defending the officials who submitted the first list of beneficiaries for the grant. It was done in a short period of time and best to their knowledge. So we must accept that they did what they had to in putting together the information needed in a short period.

However, I believe that they did that list without going house to house to have a firsthand look to know exactly if the names on the list should be there or not. I believe that is where the problems started.

However, both gentlemen are making some serious allegations about persons who already collected the grant that they have done so illegally because they are not famers. They also say that those names that were left out are the real farmers. They also said that multiple persons in one household received the cash grant by claiming to be farming the same.

I would like to enlighten the two gentlemen as to the claims, which the Hon. Vice-President a few weeks ago publicly said that those who should be on the list and are not there have one month to do so.  Also the VP publicly said anyone that collects the cash grant and does not qualify have to repay the amount which is given.

In Berbice, three offices were set up for said purpose and direct numbers were provided so that anyone with information as to the persons who collected the grant that should not have collected, to provide the information of those persons. All the information given we were told would be confidential.

However, until this day, I did not hear any of the two gentlemen call in to give any information as to anyone that collected that should not get that cash grant.
I am challenging both of those men to come forward and provide the names of the persons who received the grant by providing false information to the officials and publicly calling in the police to investigate the same.
I am calling on both gentlemen to stop peddling lies and give information as to who and who collected that should not have.

I must commend the Hon VP Bharrat Jagdeo MP and Minister of Agriculture the Hon. Zulfikar Mustapha, MP for the extension of time given so that those persons whose names were not on the list can have it now intact on it.
Let’s work to better the agriculture sector rather than to peddle lies and deception for fame and personal aims.

Yours sincerely,
Abel Seetaram
Former AFC Executive and
RDC Region Five Councillor