Following is a statement by the Ministry of Social Cohesion urging all citizens to remain united and calm in light of the current situation in the country:
The Ministry of Social Cohesion, in the wake of the Georgetown Prison unrest, wishes to urge all Guyanese to remain united and calm at this time. We condemn all efforts to use this opportunity to polarize and fracture us as a nation. This is not a time for division in our society as every Guyanese must be each other’s keeper given the current circumstances.
The Ministry is appealing to citizens across the length and breadth of our country to desist from engaging in hate speech, particularly in the areas of politics, race, ethnicity and religion via social media and in their respective communities. Additionally, persons are being urged to desist from spreading rumours and unconfirmed reports, which may incite negative actions and animosity.
At such a critical time, citizens are encouraged to follow important safety precautions communicated by the Ministry of Public Security, which is working to ensure the safety of all of our people. The Ministry wishes to commend the Joint Services for the work, which has been done so far and expresses confidence that ongoing efforts to recapture the prison escapees and all other approaches to restore normalcy would be successful.
We take this opportunity to offer sincere condolences to the loved ones of Prison Warden, Odinga Wickham, who lost his life in the line of duty. Also, the Ministry wishes to convey regrets on those injured and otherwise affected by the incident.
