PRESIDENT Dr Irfaan Ali, on Sunday, chastised the Leader of the People’s National Congress/Reform (PNC/R), Aubrey Norton for attempting to sow the seeds of division between the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) government and the residents of Region Ten (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice).

The Head of State’s comments came on the heels of similar sentiments offered by Prime Minister, Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips and Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, on Saturday, in response to claims made by Norton that plans were in works to remove the electricity subsidy for residents of that region.

During a meeting with workers of the Linden Utility Services Co-op Society Limited, on Friday last, Norton claimed that the PPP/C government will have the Interim Management Committee (IMC) remove the subsidy, forcing them to pay more for electricity.

But President Ali assured the residents that the government has no plans to stymie development in any region or exclude any Guyanese citizen from the many benefits available locally.

“The people of Linden can understand and appreciate one thing, this is a government that will embrace them like every other Guyanese. We don’t have a message for Linden and a different message for Berbice and a different message for Region Nine. We have one message for Guyana, all of us together, forward, prosperity for all, so Mr. Norton continue this path of propaganda, continue this path of mischief-making, it will bring you nothing,” President Ali said in response to questions from the press following his tour of the Parika Market on the East Bank of Essequibo.

The President reminded that the PPP/C government has invested heavily to ensure residents of the region are afforded tangible benefits. President Ali spoke directly about the creation of 125 jobs in early 2022 through a private-public partnership with the local business community.

In January, the government supported the opening of the rebranded Kara Kara call centre (Midas BPO) at Linden which was reopened after being closed for some time. The centre is expected to be employing another 150 Lindeners by the second quarter of 2022 and holds the potential to hire as many as 1,000 persons.

“There is no differentiation between the people of Linden from the people of any other region. When we came into government we came with a banner, stronger together. We will do nothing under our leadership that will make us weaker. We will do everything under our leadership to make us stronger under one Guyana.

“Beware of those that try to destroy this trust, beware of those who try to instigate bad feelings against each other,” President Ali said.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, Vice-President, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, in a statement on Facebook page rejected Norton’s claim that the electricity rates in Linden will be increased.

“Reeling from his rejection by the people of Linden as evidenced by the poor turnout at his meeting, Aubrey Norton has embarked on his familiar acts of deception and desperation.

“The most recent of such is his peddling of the lie that the PPP/C Government plans to remove the electricity subsidy from Region Ten. This is totally untrue as the government has no such plans.

“Guyanese should therefore not fall prey to Norton’s attempt to mislead and cause panic,” the Vice-President noted.

Additionally, Prime Minister Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips, on Saturday, revealed that the Interim Management Committee was actually established to manage the Linden Utility Co-operative Society Limited (LUCSL).

“This action followed a determination by the Chief Co-operative Development Officer (CCDO) that LUCSL is being mismanaged,” the Prime Minister stated on his Facebook page.

He went on to explain that the Co-operative Society Act, Chapter 88:01, empowers the CCDO to take over any Cooperative or Friendly Society, or Credit Union, that, in the opinion of the CCDO, is being mismanaged or is not transparent.

“As such, an Interim Management Committee comprising of [sic] seven Lindeners of good standing was appointed by the CCDO to manage the society,” the Prime Minister revealed.

The seven Lindeners are: Renee Mac Donald, Chairperson; Winston Caesar, Hilton Lyle, Wanda Richmond, Courtney Handy, Leon Greaves and Latoya Walks.

And according to the Prime Minister, “at no time were they told that there will be any increase of electricity rates for Linden.”