Demerara Waves Online News- Guyana Riding on the Crest of Truth
Last Updated on Wednesday, 10 January 2024, 22:13 by Denis Chabrol
President Irfaan Ali and PNCR-led APNU+AFC coalition parliamentarian Jermaine Figueira shake hands in Linden at the signing of the contract for the construction of a new four-lane Wismar-Mackenzie bridge across the Demerara River.
After spending millions of dollars and making representation to the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) administration for improving the social and economic conditions of people in Linden, opposition People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) parliamentarian Jermaine Figueira is protesting his removal as a shadow minister.
In Mr Figueira’s letter to the PNCR’s Central Executive, which was seen by Demerara Waves Online News, he said he was caught by surprise of the announcement by Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton at a meeting of opposition parliamentarians to remove him as a member of the Shadow Cabinet. The shadow portfolio of Culture, Youth and Sport has been handed to Ms Nima Flue-Bess.
Other changes see Natasha Singh-Lewis taking over education from Ms Coretta Mc Donald who is now in charge of labour. The oil and gas sector, which was largely handled by Mr David Patterson of the Alliance For Change (AFC) has been assigned to the PNCR’s Chairman, Shurwayne Holder. Mr Patterson is now responsible for Public Works. Attorney-at-Law Geeta Chandan-Edmond is now responsible for Governance, and Attorney-at-Law Khemraj Ramjattan takes over the Home Affairs portfolio from her.
Mr Figueira said he was not consulted and no proper reason was given for the decision. “I was shocked yesterday when I was informed by the Leader, at an MPs meeting that I would no longer hold any portfolio including that of Culture, Youth and Sports, which I shadowed successfully for the past four budgets, and after I have been preparing for the upcoming presentations in a matter of days. There was no consultation done and the forced reasons given in my respectful view, were most nonsensical, and without merit,” Mr Figueira told the Central Executive Committee members.
In asking for the over-turning of the decision to throw him out of the Shadow Cabinet, he said if the funding that he and his organisation have spent on programs, relief and events, it would be found that the party as a whole has not made such contributions in years. “The party and opposition is the net benefactor of all my efforts. In the circumstances, I am appealing to the Central Executive Committee to review this decision, and if it is found to be unwarranted, to reverse it,” he said.
But another PNCR member, speaking on condition of anonymity, disagreed with Mr Figueira’s decision to question the Opposition Leader’s decision to remove him from the Shadow Cabinet, saying that the President of Guyana similarly enjoys the right to decide who should be a minister. “Like the President with his cabinet, the Opposition Leader enjoys the power of deciding who sits where in his Shadow Cabinet and if in his judgement he sees it fit to make changes then that not an issue. We saw President Irfaan Ali putting Sonia Parag, a newbie to Politics in front of several persons to head Local Government and that was no issue so why Jermaine Figueira being replaced is a matter of concern? Jermaine remains a competent MP who will now focus greater on Region 10 and being Chairman of the PAC (Public Accounts Committee),” the parliamentarian told Demerara Waves Online News.
In addition to spending monies from his organisation to assist in small business development and support sport in Region 10, a PNCR/APNU stronghold, Mr Figueira said he had made representation to the President, Ministers of Public Works and the Minister of Housing for regularisation of squatting by the issuance of land titles, improved roads; access to cash grants, public assistance, health assistance for cancer and dialysis patients and residents children gaining scholarships. “My interventions at the government level has brought relief to many,” he said. He also said he has assisted small contractors to become compliant and made representation for them to be awarded contracts. “These are actions and levels of representations I have been able to make and acquire from Government who is the custodian of the peoples resources, despite the many challenges,” he said.
In his address at last week’s signing of a contract for the construction of a four-lane Mackenzie-Wismar bridge across the Demerara River, President Ali had boasted of his government’s achievements in housing development, improved roads and the creation of a pool of small contractors in that town.
After Dr Ali’s address, the Region 10 Chairman Derron Adams and Mr Figueira shook the President’s hand. Against that backdrop, Mr Figueira questioned whether the Opposition Leader’s decision to strike him off the Shadow Cabinet had anything to do with the handshake. The Region 10 APNU+AFC parliamentarian disagreed with Mr Norton’s refusal two years ago to shake the President’s hand because he is “an oppressor.”
“I questioned if this decision/action of me being penalized/ victimized is a result of my fortright attitude to speak my truth and being a free thinker and not a conformist, or was it because I disagreed with the Leader and not the Party’s position of not shaking the President’s hand policy in this modern era of political and diplomatic engagements. I shook the man’s hand that was extended towards me. I did it because its the sensible and courteous thing to do,” Mr Figueira said.
The APNU+AFC lawmaker said he and the people of Region 10 know that he is a valuable asset to the PNCR, but the PNCR Leader clearly did not think so, even shrugging off the political value of his work. “All these initiatives are done even when the party has not been able to do same as a whole or fellow MPs individually. The party leader says my doings are not political work, its social work. Wow! Addressing the needs of people is not political work? Ok!,” he said.
He said he could help but feel that his value and contributions towards the PNCR are not appreciated by the Leader and is “taken for granted by how I was treated by him.” “The level of disrespect which was accorded me by the Leader of this party was not warranted,” he added.
He recalled that just December 2023, several days ago, his team consisting of regional councilors and others distributed in excess of 5000 toys, several hundred footwear and bicycles to thousands of children from Region ten’s constituency. Describing Mr Norton’s decision as “unmeritorious and unwise”, he argued that move does not auger well for a party that boasts of being democratic and supportive of young people. “Young people that commands a significant share of our population which I share very good relations with among others.”