Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister, Anil Nandlall says that while Opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) claim to be representatives of Afro-Guyanese, all the former Coalition government did was to “pauperise the ordinary people”.
“Let me make it abundantly clear Mr. Speaker, none of the Honourable members on that side is more qualified to represent Afro-Guyanese than anyone on this side, and the record will show that successive PPP/C governments have done more for Afro Guyanese and, indeed, every racial group in this country than you have ever done since Independence… This Afro-centric charade of the Honourable members must be dismantled,” Nandlall said.
Nandlall said that while the Coalition “pretends” to be champions of Afro-Guyanese, the former regime only sought to enrich their financiers. He added that the APNU+AFC doled out millions of dollars to contractors through questionable deals when it could have used those funds to develop Afro-Guyanese communities.
The AG noted that shortly after coming into government in 2015, the Coalition government caved to a Lawyer’s Letter and paid US$5.7M to BK International rather than suing him for a contract that he breached in relation to the Haggs Bosch landfill site.
“Point me to any Afro Guyanese village that they spent US$5.7M in a single project over the past five years! Rather than confiscate for breach of contract, the Honourable members gifted BK Marine a wharf valued $40B for only $20M. Passing Title to him which expressly says that it is free from all liabilities, meaning that he does not have to pay a cent more and passing this Title after they lost the March 2nd 2020 elections. Point to any Afro Guyanese or better yet any Afro Guyanese village that the Honourable members have spent $40B Guyana dollars in over the last 5 years,” Nandlall lamented.
The AG went on to regale the House of the former President, David Granger’s revocation of land leases from almost 50 Afro-Guyanese farmers in West Coast Berbice, while prime lands were being given to “cronies”.
“What lands have they given to the people of Den Amstel, Buxton, Golden Grove, Nabacalis, Litchfield, Victoria, Belladrum, Mocha and I can go…. And Honourable members come here pretending to represent Afro Guyanese. Shame on them, Mr. Speaker!”
