Sukhai accuses gov’t of “hijacking” National Toshaos council

By Jomo Paul

[www.inewsguyana.com] – Former Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai is accusing the APNU+AFC administration of going against its word and politicizing the operations of the National Toshaos Council (NTC).

Sukhai at a press conference on Saturday, August 15 berated the government over its alleged failure to properly inform Toshaos of indigenous groups of the impending NTC meeting.

The NTC is scheduled to have a conference on Monday August 17, which falls in line with the APNU+AFC’s 100 day plan but according to Sukhai, the new government has done nothing but “emasculate and highjack the council.”

She said that many of the Toshaos are yet to receive any proper invitation to the conference which goes against the Amerindian Peoples Act.

“Many Toshaos have not been invited to that council by writing. Many of them have been invited within the last four days verbally,” she stated. Former Chairman of the NTC, Yvonne Pearson told reporters that the issue at hand is a show of disrespect for Amerindians in Guyana by the new administration.

“At no time in our history were we treated like dirt and now the NTC…the executive members are not recognized by the new administration…This was the first step of disrespect as soon as the new government entered office,” said Pearson.

She said that though the Minister in charge of the Ministry has a legal advisor, the proceedings were not done in accordance with the law and that was “disturbing.”

“It leaves you to wonder that if we have the law…you have a qualified person as your advisor and attorney at law then what is really happening here…How do we expect the full participation of all our newly elected Toshaos at this upcoming conference when many of them are not informed,” said the Former NTC Chair.