“Standing side by side with our govt” – Ann’s Grove residents satisfied with the work of their govt
DPI, Guyana, Wednesday, July 3, 2019
Residents in Ann’s Grove, Bee Hive, Duchfour and Clonbrook came out in their numbers for a community meeting with their government ministers, to have their concerns addressed.
At the engagement was Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder, Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, Minister of Education, Dr. Nicolette Henry and Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock.
Prior to the meeting, the ministers conducted a walkabout exercise in the community where they met with and engaged residents right in the comfort of their own homes – a welcoming gesture for many who were happy to speak with and entertain their elected officials.
In his opening remarks, Minister Patterson gave a resounding commitment to the people of Ann’s Grove, boldly saying that:
“Just this afternoon, I passed an instruction that lights must be lit in Ann’s Grove, and that will be done in just 6-8 weeks”.
This would be welcomed as one of the concerns from residents centred around travelling in the dimly lit streets after hours.
The cheers that met this announcement were compounded with the cheers of the farmers present who received Minister Holder’s commitment to ensuring that the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) do everything in its remit to address the drainage concerns in the small farming community.
However, what could be deemed as the most touching moment of the meeting’s proceedings was from Minister Henry, who informed villagers that the best composition at this year’s National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) English Exam came from one of the students from within the community.
While the issues raised by the residents were few and dealt mainly with drainage and infrastructure, there was an overwhelming show of support for the work the government has done and continues to do as resident Twidale Jerrick put it best: “I am here to congratulate the present administration for the work they are doing, and I am so happy as a young individual, and even as I stand here as a single parent side-by-side with our government, I am so happy for what they are doing.”
Images: Giovanni Gajie