With more than 7,000 sugar workers out of jobs, massive poverty has pervaded the industry. What is worse is that the assets of key estates are being stripped and sold to APNU+AFC party hacks for a pittance. PPP General Secretary, Bharat Jagdeo spoke these words with much vigour yesterday at the Enmore Martyrs 71st death anniversary which was held yesterday at Robert Square, Enmore.
The Opposition Leader told hundreds in attendance that his party observed that there is wanton corruption as it relates to the assets of the sugar industry. He said he has noticed in the news that NICIL’s Special Purpose Unit sold towers belonging to the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) to APNU+AFC’s “party hack” Bobby Vieira for a pittance.
Jagdeo said, “This is not unusual because, for the last few days, we exposed how they are stripping state assets they said they want to privatise. They are moving assets that are operable to the inoperable list and selling them off to PNC officials for a pittance.”
The former Head of State said that this is taking place at the Rose Hall, Wales, and Enmore estates. Further to this, Jagdeo promised that if the PPP is to reassume office, there would be an investigation into all of these acts and “then we will see who will go to jail.”
The Opposition Leader said that the hardships facing the workers in the sugar industry are a direct result of the vindictive nature of the coalition administration.
He said, “The sector is not facing its worse time because nothing better could be done but simply because we have a vindictive government and they decided to bring sugar to its knees…The government decided to close the estates because it believed it would assist its political fortunes.”
Jagdeo commented that it was the government’s hope that sugar workers would flee, allowing it a chance to change the electoral demographics of the country.
