– upbraids Nigel Hughes for playing politics with pit latrines while ignoring his own party’s failures

THE A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) have found themselves on the receiving end of a political broadside from Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Mohabir Anil Nandlall.
During his weekly programme ‘Issues in the News,’ Nandlall pulled no punches as he slammed and upbraided the party, particularly the AFC’s leader Nigel Hughes, for what he described as a “hypocritical and deceptive” attempt to criticise the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government’s efforts in the hinterland communities.

Nandlall’s fiery response came after Hughes, on a visit to the Upper Mazaruni, decried the current sanitary conditions at the Phillipai Primary School, where over 200 students rely on outdated pit latrines.
Hughes expressed shock and outrage, painting a grim picture of the school’s facilities.
However, Nandlall was quick to remind him—and the nation—of the AFC’s own failures when they had the chance to address these issues during their time in government.

EMPTY PROMISES OF THE PAST
Nandlall did not mince words over the APNU+AFC’s sudden concern for Amerindian communities, which rings hollow when one examines the track record of the same party during their time in office from 2015 to 2020.
“We don’t impose our will on the leadership of those communities. We are guided by their advice, and we are guided by their instructions in terms of what their priorities are, and having regard to the resources available to the government, then we make decisions right there, in consultation with the Amerindian communities,” Nandlall said, contrasting the current administration’s approach with the previous government’s neglect.

Under the APNU+AFC administration, the plight of the Amerindian communities was largely ignored. Despite being in a position to enact change, the coalition failed to address the most basic needs of these communities, including the provision of proper sanitary facilities.
Nandlall highlighted that during the APNU+AFC’s five-year tenure, not a single school was built in the interior regions and the pit latrines that Hughes is now so shocked by were left untouched.
According to him, the AFC’s sudden concern for the conditions in Phillipai is nothing more than a political stunt, a desperate attempt to regain relevance by capitalising on the struggles of the Amerindian people.
“This gentleman goes into the Upper Mazaruni, perhaps for the first time in his life, and he discovers the living conditions in those communities. He has never seen this before. You see, he grew up in a privileged household… For the first time, apparently, he’s seeing pit latrines. And he’s seeing that Amerindians are using pit latrines.

“I am not saying that we should continue using a pit latrine. The use of pit latrines in 2024 by schools or by anybody is a deplorable thing and we have to change that,” Nandlall remarked, highlighting the disconnect between the AFC leadership and the realities of life in Guyana’s hinterland.
The APNU+AFC’s neglect of Amerindian communities extended far beyond the issue of pit latrines.
Nandlall reminded the public that from 2011 to 2015, the coalition, using its one-seat majority, systematically cut billions of dollars from the Amerindian Development Fund.
This fund was designed to uplift the most vulnerable communities in the country, yet the AFC chose to undermine it at every turn.
“They cut every single budget, using their one-seat majority, and cut out billions of dollars out of the Amerindian communities. That is what they did. I am not making this up,” Nandlall stated, urging the public to remember the facts amidst the AFC’s current rhetoric.
He added that the AFC’s actions in government paint a clear picture of their priorities—or lack thereof—when it comes to Amerindian development.
They dismissed 2,000 Community Development Officers (CSOs) who were providing much-needed support to these communities, depriving them of valuable resources and stifling local development.
The AFC’s legacy is one of abandonment and broken promises, a stark contrast to the PPP/C government’s commitment to improving the lives of all Guyanese, regardless of where they live.

COMMITMENT TO REAL CHANGE
In stark contrast to the AFC’s neglect, the PPP/C government has made tangible progress in improving the conditions in Amerindian communities.
Nandlall outlined the government’s ongoing efforts to replace pit latrines with modern lavatory facilities across the country.
“We are changing that, and we are replacing it with modern lavatory facilities, and we are replacing it with modern sanitary blocks right across the length and breadth of the country,” Nandlall said, as he highlighted the government’s proactive approach to addressing these issues.
Education Minister Priya Manickchand also previously weighed in on the issue earlier this year while defending the government’s $135.2 billion allocation towards the education sector in the 2024 national budget.
Manickchand emphasised that this allocation is in keeping with the administration’s vision of a world-class education system, which includes significant investments in hinterland schools.
According to recent media reports, the Education Minister had said that the government has approved plans for a new toilet block at Phillipai Primary School, and construction is set to begin soon, while noting that the Region Seven administration received the necessary funding in June, 2024.
This commitment to improving education in the hinterland is a key part of the PPP/C government’s broader strategy to uplift all Guyanese, particularly those in remote and underserved areas.
Under the APNU+AFC government, secondary education access stagnated at 78 per-cent, with no new schools built despite having funds available. In contrast, the PPP/C has allocated $94.4 billion in 2023 and now $135.2 billion in Budget 2024 to advance its vision of a world-class education system, ensuring that no child is left behind.

THE TRUTH BEHIND THE RHETORIC
According to Nandlall, the AFC’s recent criticisms are nothing more than an attempt to deflect attention from their own failures while in government.
As he pointed out, the current administration is dealing with the very issues that the AFC ignored during their time in power in keeping with the PPP/C’s commitments to delivering on its promises, and this assurance is evident in the progress being made across the country.
Also, Nandlall did not shy away from addressing the broader implications of the AFC’s rhetoric, labelling them as “con men” who make promises they cannot fulfil.
“When you’re in opposition, anybody can promise anything. They promised the sugar workers an increase. What did they do? They shut down all the estates,” Nandlall said, while pointing to the AFC’s track record of empty promises.
He said that the PPP/C government, on the other hand, has a proven track record of delivering on its promises.
From restoring the Education Sector Plan to allocating billions for Amerindian development, Nandlall added that the government is working every day to improve the lives of all Guyanese.

“We promise that which we can deliver. We told the Amerindians that once we get the LCDS (Low-Carbon Development Strategy) funds, they will get a percentage of it. And they have been receiving those funds.”
The country’s LCDS 2030 commits 15 per cent of all revenues earned from the forest to be paid to Amerindian villages as development investments.
Guyana has earned less than it did in 2023, which saw some $US22.5 million being dispersed to 242 villages.
This year’s earnings of $US87.5 million would have seen villages receiving less money than they did in 2023, had the government maintained the 15 per cent payout.
The PPP/C government has increased the percentage of this year’s earnings to 26.5 per cent, which will see the villages receiving $US23 .2 million, or $4.84 billion.