Linden : President David Granger, last evening, said that his first task for the new Linden Town Council after Friday’s Local Government Elections (LGEs), is to ensure that every child, bar none, attends school. He was at the time addressing residents of Linden, Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice (Region 10) at the Mackenzie Car Park.
Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and his wife, Mrs. Sita Nagamootoo, Minister of Legal Affairs, Mr. Basil Williams, Minister of Social Cohesion, Ms. Amna Ally and Minister within the Ministry of Communities, Ms. Valerie Adams-Patterson also attended the meeting.
President Granger said that his vision for the region is for the cycle of hereditary poverty to be broken and he remains convinced that there is no better social’ equaliser than education.
“There are too many poor people in this region and they cannot play their part in the economy if they remain poor. Lindeners must aim for equality. People who are not equal cannot enjoy the same opportunities,” the Head of State said.
He said the regional administration needs to focus on job creation for young people right within the region, urging them to seize opportunities for wealth creation in the areas of agro-processing, manufacturing and packaging.
“We have to work together, the municipality with the region and the region with Central Government,” President Granger said.
The President noted that Linden has always been a town of business, a fact that the Government recognises, which is why it has moved to introduce the Linden Enterprise Network (LEN) microcredit scheme to foster entrepreneurship.
Speaking of his Administration’s commitment to empowering citizens, he called on citizens to approach Friday’s Local Government polls in a spirit of unity; noting that development will not be realised if the country remains divided. He also gave assurances that as long as his Government is in Office, Guyanese will have democratic elections every three years.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Nagamootoo said that LGEs are not mainly about power, but rather it’s about empowering the people. He said that the people at the community level are agents of change, but they cannot effect change unless they are empowered.
“It is not right to only have government at the top, we need government at the bottom, who will include the grass roots,” the Prime Minister said.
Similar sentiments were expressed by Minister Williams who said that these elections will translate into a better life for citizens across the country; ensuring that they have better roads, bridges, schools, and other vital services.
Minister Adams-Patterson, a Lindener, said that over the past nine months, change has already come to the region; highlighting the new roads at Block 22, Lover’s Lane and Retrieve as examples. She said that this year, $500M has been budgeted for housing development in the region and informed that already the Ministry of Communities is working with the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission to look at areas where lots can be developed.
“The mandate of this government is that when we give you house lots, it must have roads, water and lights…we are building communities,” she said.
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