MP Jordan’s conduct ‘shocking, disgusting’
─ Finance Minister condemns opposition MP’s ‘bullyism’
Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh has joined President Dr Irfaan Ali, other ministers of government and the public in condemning, in the strongest possible terms, the conduct of opposition Member of Parliament, Vinceroy Jordan’s conduct towards Minister of Public Service, Sonia Parag.
Minister Parag was barred from entering a Community Development Council building by Jordan and a group of APNU+AFC activists, during a recent visit to Belladrum, Region Five, to deliver on promises made by the government.
“Here is a sitting minister of government going into a community in an attempt to ascertain what the primary concerns are of the community to address those concerns, and to help to bring development to the community; a community like so many others that had been neglected by the APNU+AFC for five years.
“Minister Parag goes into the community to engage with the people of that community and with the intention of providing whatever support could be provided in a short term, and then subsequently medium and longer term to address the concerns of the community…To my utter astonishment, I saw a report that says Mr Vinceroy Jordan, APNU+AFC MP, stated [that] they don’t want development in the community. He doesn’t want development in the community, and even if he wants development in the community government must have nothing to do with it.
“Well, I have news for you. This people’s Progressive Party/Civic Government is a government for all of the Guyanese people in all 10 regions, and in every single village. And we will continue to work hard to improve the lives of the Guyanese people in all 10 regions,” Minister Singh pointed out.
He questioned how Jordan, as a sitting MP, could obstruct and refuse to engage with a minister, who is visiting the community to engage with citizens with the intent to improve their livelihoods.
Minister Singh called the MP out for pretending to represent the Guyanese people yet hindering their development.
“Whether it is skills training, whether it is social infrastructure, whichever. Here is a sitting APNU+AFC Member of Parliament saying they don’t want development in this community. That was the most shocking and shameful thing that I’ve seen in a very long time. And furthermore, the bullyism almost, to behave like the government minister had no business being there. Guyana belongs to all the Guyanese people, not to the APNU+AFC alone.”
Dr Singh pointed out that the APNU+AFC appears to be more intent on obstructing, rather than facilitating development for the people they claim to represent.
“It is the role of any responsible political party to encourage, facilitate and support development, rather than to obstruct it. So, I want to condemn in the strongest possible terms, the attempt made by Mr Vinceroy Jordan to obstruct development in Belladrum.”
He reiterated the PPP/C Government’s commitment to delivering on their commitments to improve the lives of all Guyanese, regardless of the actions of the opposition.
“I want to say publicly that this People’s Progressive Party/ Civic Government, led by His Excellency, President Mohamed Irfan Ali, we will not be daunted or diverted from delivering development and improvement of the lives of all of the Guyanese people. That is our commitment to you and we will honour that commitment,” Minister Singh said.