RECENTLY, Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton held a youth symposium at Congress Place, Sophia, where he made several damning statements about the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic’s (PPP/C)’s record on youth, education and cricket carnival concerts.

Norton then went on to profess his undying love for Guyana’s youth and outlined his vision for how they would be treated if he wins the presidency in 2025.
He attempted to convince those present at the symposium, of what he referred to as the “APNU+AFC Coalition’s record” in office from 2015 to 2020, and sought to correct the “PPP propaganda.”

Norton seemingly had his audience engrossed as he spoke about youth and culture, but most Guyanese are condemning the very things the Opposition Leader said.
They believe that Norton did not speak the truth to the young people and virtually all of Guyana, and, by extension, was only telling a half-baked story riddled with misinformation and falsities.

Furthermore, they believe Norton’s attempt to brainwash the youths and Guyanese into supporting his line of politics of opportunism, rancor, race hate and divisiveness will not work, especially with the progress of the PPP/C’s “One Guyana” initiative.

Firstly, the arguments put forward by Norton in his speech to show that the PNC-led APNU+AFC cares for youths, youth development nationally and empowerment are weak and foolish in nature.
One would think Norton would quote some big figure or project during the five years that the coalition was in office, but instead, he quoted six early education development centres for $270 million. Also, isn’t that what a government does?

He stated that this care for youths and education was informed, in part, by APNU+AFC’s youth policy. Well, where is it? And how come the public is only now hearing that there was a PNC or coalition youth policy?
Similarly, he somehow remembers conveniently that the coalition trained “many young people,” empowering them and utilising state resources for businesses.

Assuming they did help youths, Norton should share the figures and types of Guyanese (ethnicities) the coalition helped with their businesses, because the only thing the public recalls is the scandal with the barbershop and Christopher Jones multibillion-dollar Durban Park which is run-down, and the ministers’ salary increase to name a few.

There was no Ministry of Youth, Sport and Culture and what the Ministry of Business did is anyone’s guess. It is not true that the coalition government had been busy developing programmes for young people, and the Granger five Bs Initiative failed to achieve any real and meaningful impact on the educational side of things, apart from being a policy that was plagued by allegations of fraud, mis-spending and corruption.

Secondly, the Opposition Leader said that the coalition government reintroduced law scholarships but failed to mention the other things they introduced. He did not tell the public that there was massive corruption taking place with how the APNU+AFC government had administered the scholarships that they introduced and met. Sitting ministers, their children and party representatives were purportedly the first to get, ahead of the long line of poor Guyanese.

Thirdly, Norton, of all people, cannot really be seeking to lecture the PPP/C government on having the right entertainment and cultural policy for the youths of this country. This is sheer double standards and hypocrisy.
What is good for the goose is good for the gander. If Buju Banton, who is a convicted criminal, and a controversial lyricist, is his idea of being good for young people in 2019, then by all means, Machel Montano is great for the same young people whom Norton is concerned about.

One does not think it is fair to say that the PPP/C is feeding youths “a diet of lawlessness,” when Norton’s party was in power, they sponsored a convicted felon and spent $50 million on tickets so as to patronize the event. Also, Norton, who wants to be president, and his association with the vibes on Bam Bam Alley, has the public confused.

Using the Cricket Carnival Concert and music, in general, for politicking is not the right time to have a conversation about Guyana’s youth or culture. Norton appeared to be politically opportunistic, even if his concern was seen as having merits, which it does not have.

Also, bringing the promoters and deejays into the mix is just a silly act of desperation.
Fourthly, Norton purports to give the public his idea of what a culture minister should do, as well as his cultural policy outlook for youths. Wasn’t he the Adviser to the President on Youth Empowerment during the term of the coalition? Why did his colleagues or Coalition Government not listen to him? Moreso, why did they not care about his visions or perspectives?

The public is warned against holding its breath while waiting in anticipation for a plausible explanation, because only he knows.
Finally, nothing that Norton said about either youth or culture is true. It is not remotely impossible that it is true that Guyana’s education system was destroyed by the PPP/C government, when we have the highest level of illiteracy rates.

The truth is, the APNU+AFC boycotted all of their promises to youth on culture, education, business, empowerment and jobs.
Youth cannot relate to the alleged inequity of resources and discrimination charges because it is not true. Where is the evidence or statistics? Where are the social media stories, posts and Instagram records?
No political or other activism will change this reality for the youth of Guyana. Waking up in 2022 and getting the courage to finally speak out on youth issues when you had the chance of doing all you said for five long years, is political stupidity at its highest level, especially in the age of the internet.