— Drainage, road issues to be addressed
— Housing challenges to be resolved
— Youths to get skills training
— Minister Benn named gov’t ‘rep’ to community

CONTINUING his mission to have government reach Guyanese where they are to advance development and defeat hate-based narratives from the political opposition, President Irfaan Ali on Sunday met residents of Leopold Street, Georgetown, to hear their concerns and invite them to be part of national development.

Accompanied by Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn, who has now been designated as the Cabinet member to engage Leopold Street residents regularly, President Ali invited youths of the community to get involved in government’s aggressive housing-construction projects which he said previously are in need of labour.

“We need people to be trained in carpentry, in masonry, in welding… we want to come here to get our young people actively and positively involved for the development in our country, for the transformation of our country to live a happier life,” President Ali said.

The Head of State told the Leopold Street residents that Minister Benn would return and lead efforts in the area to find the young people who need to be trained.
One young resident came forward and said that he has a list of some 50 youngsters who have the skills needed for construction and more.

President Ali immediately indicated that the home affairs minister will coordinate with them to ensure results. The upcoming meeting with Leopold Street residents will include representatives of the private sector who are interested in recruiting skilled labour.

“This is your opportunity; you don’t have excuses anymore. We are coming to find you to be trained to give you the necessary skills to be part of the development,” His Excellency said.

“The roads in the community need repairs…the plan is to engage young people, who will work along with us on fixing the drainage and the roads at the same time, we are going to use the concrete roads,” the President indicated.

President Ali said the cooperation between government and citizens will send a message that every community can contribute positively to development of the country.

“It is a plan that comes from the heart, from the programme that we went to the elections with, and that programme is to bring prosperity to everybody; that plan is to give every single person an opportunity to live a better life regardless of which community you are from, regardless of the circumstances that shape your life,” Dr Ali told Leopold Street residents.

He said government will create opportunities to give every person a fair chance to live a better life, further urging residents to ensure that all of their children are receiving an education.