President Irfaan Ali on Sunday assured residents of Linden that not only will the government maintain the current benefits enjoyed but that those benefits will be extended in the coming years.
His comments come on the heels of similar guarantees offered by Prime Minister Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips and Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo on Saturday.
It is in response to comments made by the Leader of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R) Aubrey Norton who recently claimed that plans were afoot to remove the electricity subsidy currently enjoyed by Lindeners and residents in other parts of Region 10.
“There is no differentiating the people of Linden from anywhere else. When we came to government, we came with a banner – stronger together – and we will do nothing to make us weaker.
“Not only do I want to assure that the benefits will continue but we will extend those benefits,” Dr. Ali said when questioned by reporters during a walk-about at the Parika Market on Sunday.
Dr. Ali used the occasion to once again reiterate his ‘One Guyana’ initiative and said citizens must “beware of those who try to destroy and instigate bad feelings against the government.”
“I don’t spend much of my time on negative things. I spend my time on building Guyana.
“The people of Linden understand and appreciate one thing…this is a government for all of Guyana. We don’t have a different message for Linden and a different message for Berbice and a different one for Region Nine… we have one message for Guyana,” Dr. Ali said.
The President said citizens, especially those of Linden must reject Norton and the PNC/R’s propaganda and embrace the concept of One Guyana.
“This is not the Guyana of the past; this is Guyana moving forward together.”
During a meeting with workers of the Linden Utility Services Co-op Society Limited on Friday, Norton claimed that the PPP/C government will attempt to install an Interim Management Committee (IMC) which will remove the subsidy.
But Jagdeo on his Facebook page rejected this claim and said Norton was reeling from his rejection by the people of Linden as evidenced by the poor turnout at his meeting. As such, Jagdeo said, Norton has embarked on his familiar acts of deception and desperation.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Phillips revealed on his Facebook page that the IMC was established to deal with mismanagement at the Linden Utility Services Co-op Society Limited (LUCSL)
“This action followed a determination by the Chief Co-operative Development Officer (CCDO) that LUCSL is being mismanaged,” the Prime Minister stated.
He posited that the Co-operative Society Act, Chapter 88:01, empowers the CCDO to take over any Cooperative or Friendly Societies, or Credit Union, that in the opinion of the CCDO is mismanaged or not transparent.
