Gov’t will ensure your safety -PM assures Mon Repos/Enmore residents

Prime Minister Mark Phillips has assured all Guyanese of government’s commitment to maintaining law and order while ensuring citizens’ safety countrywide.

The Prime Minister met with residents of several villages along the East Coast of Demerara on Wednesday, whose safety was threatened by violent protest actions on Tuesday by residents of neighboring villages.

“As a government, we going forward will take all the necessary measures to ensure that all the communities have vibrant community policing groups, and for people to understand that you have a right to protect your property, and anyone involved that is identified. I know the intelligence community is working overtime, and anyone they identify as being leaders and instigators of what occurred yesterday, will face the full brunt of the law, I can assure you that.”

On Tuesday, scores of residents and vendors of Mon Repos were subjected to robberies, beatings, arson, and looting of their businesses, by persons claiming to be protesting the police killing of Quindon Bacchus.

During one of the meetings at Mon Repos Primary school, the Prime Minister reassured residents that government is working steadfastly to return normalcy to the affected areas.

“I just want to assure you that as Prime Minister, I have been working with the president, the attorney general, and other ministers of government to ensure that we have peace and stability in our country,” he had said. 

The Prime Minister condemned the acts of violence on Tuesday, and called on the opposition leaders and the leaders of the protestors to “accept that they did something wrong, condemn it.”

The Prime Minister assured that every effort will be deployed to ensure a safer environment for all citizens.

“I wish to assure you that we as a government will ensure that the Guyana Police Force, the Guyana Defence Force, the Guyana Prison Service, and the Guyana Fire Service are resourced to provide a safe environment, safe from crime and safe from what happened yesterday (Tuesday),” he said.

He assured residents that the police officer fingered in the death of Bacchus is still confined to the police barracks as the investigation is ongoing, and will be investigated properly. The report will be submitted by Monday.