Ricky Munilall, 42, also called ‘Lenard’ has attempted suicide twice and is seeking help against what he says is an unfair judicial system.
According to Munilall, who has been declared medically unfit to work, the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) has refused to pay him a pension plus the court has ordered that he pay $40,000 monthly to support two of his four children who live with their working mother.
The man claims he has been pushed by the system to harm himself and is pleading for help. After a magistrate ordered that he pay $2500 weekly for each of two children, he has attempted to end his life.
“I got confused because I don’t have any source of income coming from anywhere; I don’t have anyone helping me, so I just got home and I picked up a bottle of Gramoxone. I was taken to the hospital and I was in there for seven days…” the distraught man related.
The substance was stored at home and is used to spray his garden, Munilall explained.
The former cane harvester was medically discharged from the Rose Hall Estate after 27 years’ service.
In December 2013 he was attacked by drunk men and got head injuries, resulting in him being placed on 27 weeks sick leave, following which he was dismissed from the estate.
His wife walked out, leaving him with five children ages 17, 15, 13, 12 and 9. Following this, Munilall took her to court and filed for full custody of the children, which was granted with the mother having visitation rights four days weekly.
In November 2014 she removed the two younger children and took the man to court for custody and financial support. She was granted full custody of three children; however the youngest refused to go with her.
Munilall has to take care of two of the children including his disabled son, and daughter who attend President’s College. In addition to that, he has to financially support – $2500 weekly – the two who are with their mother.
When Munilall was discharged from the Estate, he received a huge sum of money, but the majority went to the court.
Last month, he tried to get the court to reduce the sum to $1500 weekly. That application was denied.
“Mr Alex Moore told me that he is willing, providing that my mother or my father or my brother or my sister or a relative, pay the remaining $2000. If not he is not reducing anything and he said that my application is denied.”
Munilall said he has since tried unsuccessfully to get a part-time job.
He showed this publication documents from the National Psychiatric Hospital which suggest that he is receiving treatment for depression leading to suicidal ideas related to head trauma.
Munilall says he cannot afford $5000 weekly even though he has now rented his home and is living with his parents along with two of his children.
Meanwhile, the man says even the National Insurance Scheme has let him down. After making contributions over the years to the scheme, there is nothing he is getting from it.
According to him, when he was on leave he did not receive one dollar from NIS. He was also denied the grant to purchase needed spectacles.
He disclosed that NIS told him he had to work the day before the application was made. “How could I have worked the day before the application was made and I was declared medically unfit to work?” Munilall wanted to know.
The troubled man is now of the view that he will be going to jail since he cannot afford what the court has ordered.
( Guyana Times)
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What the HELL is going on in Guyana? this lawlessness has got to stop. What is the “NEW” government dong for their people? A man works for 27 years and NIS is not paying him anything?
This is insane and inhumane for this man. His circumstances should be taken into consideration. Seems as if the judges in Guyana are still living in the dark ages and make judgements based on laws of the dark ages versus reality. Should that man succeed in taking his own life, you will have children without a father.