Former APNU+AFC MP calls Regional Chairman’s bluff

A former opposition Peoples National Congress (PNC) Member of Parliament (MP) has lashed
out at Region Ten Chairman, Mr. Deron Adams, accusing him of insincerity, hypocrisy and
double standards.
In a live social media programme ‘Inside The Ring’ hosted by MP Mr. Sherod Duncan, Adams
lampooned the government’s composition of a Board of Guardian in the Region where it secured
only 14 percent of the National and Regional votes at the March 2020 polls.
Adams felt the government should have appointed PNC representatives on the Board or
restructure it.
“I am disappointed that at the last election we had over 19000 plus votes going to the coalition
and just a mere 3000 going to the (ruling) PPP. The composition of that board of guardian
shows lack of diversity… directed towards the people of Region Ten. A community with a
greater majority of afro Guyanese would have seen the appointment of an eight-member board of
political loyalists to the PPP, loyalists who have an agenda to remove many single parents
currently on public assistance with no legitimate plan of transition for these persons. This move
is the latest in a series of signals that non-diverse board and management are unacceptable and
should be recalled,” he said.
But the ex-MP censured the RC for remarks he felt was an attempt to rewrite history.
“Mr. Adams is complaining about something creating the impression that while we were in
office that it was different. The truth is that we did exactly the same thing. So, when I hear him
complaining I am saddened by his comments because he is not only lying to himself, but to the
people of his region.”
In the interview, Adams told Duncan that under the five-year tenure of the APNU/AFC the
Board comprised representatives from across the Region and of diverse political persuasions.

But a closer examination shows those Board members represented political parties which formed
the ruling coalition A Partnership for National Unity Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC): the
PNC, AFC and the Working Peoples Alliance (WPA).
“This current board that was installed by (Minister of Human Services and Social Security) Ms.
Vindya Persaud is eight members…are card bearing members of the Peoples Progressive Party
(PPP) in a Region that has been won heavily by the coalition. There is no afro-Guyanese on that
Board to represent the wishes of afro Guyanese. Come on at least 50-50 in Region Ten,’ Adams
stressed.
The Regional Chairman wants Minister Persaud to revamp the Board to facilitate balance
“We want a Board that will deliver fairness. This is a Board for single parents and have to
present their arguments before they are approved for public assistance. This is unacceptable,” he
declared.
The former MP previous Boards of Guardian and the Linden Enterprise Network (LEN) Boards
will reveal that other than the Ministry of Finance representative, LEN had only one ethnicity
and persons of the same political persuasion.
“Let’s not fool ourselves because the evidence is that every single member of the LEN Board
was politically affiliated to APNU+AFC in a significant way and were all afro Guyanese. We
were not balanced as you are telling me that we couldn’t find at least one East Indian from
Region Ten for the Board. We believe that it was our (afro Guyanese) time and we should (have)
dominated,” the former MP said.
The former MP admitted that it should reflect diversity noting that while they would like to see a
racially and politically blended Board the reality is that it was not done under the APNU+AFC
government and doesn’t see it being done under the PPP/C administration.
“I would like to see a different composition, but we had several opportunities of changing the
Board make up, but we never did. While some persons voiced their disapprovals those in
Georgetown made all the decisions and expected the Regions to execute them. The Board of
Guardian was not different as every member of the Board was afro Guyanese why didn’t he and

others voice their disapproval then? We could have changed the Board! But no! He was very
comfortable and now he is complaining, nonsense!” the former MP stressed.
The former MP said that a different approach should be taken by the APNU+AFC Regional
Chairman, stating that instead of condemning they should seek to work together
“Telling the PPP/C that what they are doing is bad and we demand them to change the Board
will certainly not work. So instead of that approach, I think the Regional Chairman should seek
to express his disapproval in a more professional manner and hopefully I am sure that the
Minister may consider it but to take a ‘badman or bully’ approach certainly can’t work,” the
former legislator counselled.