Former President David Granger has described as “fake news,” a commitment by the PPP Government to reopen sugar estates which were closed by Granger’s coalition government in 2018.
“They say they are opening the sugar factories, [but] I don’t know if this is true. Its fake news,” Granger said in a Public Interest show hosted by APNU+AFC activist, Nicole Telford.
The show was aired on the APNU+AFC’s Facebook page.
The closure of the four sugar estates at Rose Hall, Skeldon, Enmore and Wales, had impacted more than 7,000 workers who were left without jobs and some, even without their severance packages.
The same year the estates were closed, the PPP severely criticized the then government for its handling of the situation, and made a commitment to reopen the estates once it was returned to office.
The party formally registered its commitment including in its 2020 elections manifesto – excerpts of which were made public.
But according to Granger, he is yet to see the PPP’s manifesto, even after the party has won and assumed office.
“I haven’t seen a copy of their manifesto,” he said, adding that it was the PPP Government that had closed the estates at Diamond and Lusignan.
“Even the unions are asking when are they going to open the sugar plantations again; they promised to reopen all,” he noted.
Since assuming office on August 2, the PPP Government had repeatedly said that it will honour its commitment to the people and reopen the estates.
As recent as Saturday, Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha reassured farmers and residents of Region 5 (West Coast Berbice) that the four estates will be reopened.
He added that before this is done, a new board of directors will soon be appointed to oversee the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) and that there will be a reshuffling of the management of the Corporation.
“We are looking to improve management, we know for a fact that the management of GUYSUCO had lots of criticism and we want to improve that partnership between workers and management,” Minister Mustapha said.
But Granger is holding firm to the belief that the reopening of these estates will not materialize, neither will the PPP be able to create 50,000 jobs as was promised during the elections campaign.
“It looks as if they are removing 50,000 jobs to me. So when it comes to these 50,000 jobs, this is going to be marvellous. They started by removing people from their jobs. You cannot go on the street and recruit talented people. It’s fake. I dare them to show the Guyanese people a manifesto, identifying where these 50,000 jobs will come from,” the former President charged.
When is Granger going to hold regular press conferences with, er, the press? You know, like NR, SN, KN DW, GT and all the rest.
You mean not just his pet media and Benschop? What if somebody says where are the SOPS? Why did all the sugar estates get divied up in the inner circle and to entities connected?
all those tough questions of which he knows he cannot defend.
Exactly. He shivers when he sees the real press staring back at him. Lol.
What???? Election promises? So what about your own promise to “Change the Constitution”?????????? Was that fake news too?
Lets look at other fake news:
1) Honesty—Fake news
2) Decency–Fake news
3) Integrity–Fake news
4) Our SOPS show we won — Fake news
5) Millions of dead people flew out of Guyana then voted from abroad — fake news.
6) PPP retrenching 100’s of unbiased Civil Servants like JH, Ms Joseph, Lampy, Pampy, Khan (s) , etc…etc… *all of whom were hired in 2015 to support the Coalition.
How about real news?
The entire Country is sick and tired of being sick and tired and listening to the absurd nonsense day in and day out since March 4, 2020 when 2 smirking duncy riggers tried a ting in the Ashmins Building and the entire world was left shaking its collective head.
Good post. Let me give Granger another real news- Rigging is not an option anymore.
Maybe that’s why Joe Madmon wants to work for the PPPC govt. That’s the only way he’ll walk the corridors of power again.