Opposition Member of Parliament and PPP General Secretary, Clement Rohee has lashed out at the Government for its lack of vision and incompetence in the Security Sector.
Rohee speaking on the final day of the 2017 Budget debates said what is being witnessed is the withering away of the security objectives, which according to him has resulted in the bold-face rise in criminal activities.
The former Minister of Home Affairs under the PPP Administration said the Guyana Police Force is sending the wrong signals to the criminal underworld with the constant infighting among top ranks, deeming this as “shameful.”
Rohee is contending that Law Enforcement in Guyana is now being used as a political football. He told the House that the security sector is now worst off than it was and questioned if the GPF is capable of delivering the desirable service the populace.
He described the strategies employed by the Coalition Government as “old wine in new bottles” making reference to the fact that many of the initiatives began under the PPP regime.
According to him, Government needs to strike the right balance between strong law enforcement and protection of the Citizens, who can no longer “walk the streets in peace.”
Speaking more holistically on the National Budget, Rohee said it is reminiscent of a time when the people were told to eat less, sleep less and work harder when “their bellies were already empty,” under the PNC Government.
Rohee said the current state of affairs would lead the people to “throw off their oppressors with either blood on their hands or blood on the carpet.”
The budget lacks imagination; he said and questioned where the logic is and how will the Government’s development model succeed, given the present atmosphere of political instability and uncertainty, the existence of a demoralized private sector and witch hunting and other misdeeds.
The PPP general secretary believes the APNU+AFC is more preoccupied with plotting and planning to stay in Government than addressing the citizens concerns and safety.
He concluded that the growth model was built on a weak foundation and it is about to fail, hence he echoed the call for the budget’s withdrawal.
