WIN MP Natasha Singh-Lewis’ statement on St. Cuthbert’s Mission (Pakuri) is less than an honest assessment of the community’s realities and more a carefully crafted political narrative designed to create the impression that the PPP/C government has abandoned the village.
That claim simply does not withstand scrutiny. In fact, I want to be bold enough to say that the statement is riddled with lies, inaccuracie,s flights of fantasies, misinformation, and generalisations.
I would be the first to say that no one should dismiss the concerns raised by residents.
Every community has challenges that deserve attention, and the PPP/C government has consistently demonstrated that it listens and responds.
What is unacceptable, however, is using those concerns as political ammunition while ignoring the substantial investments and continuous engagement that have taken place in St. Cuthbert’s Mission over the last two years.
To suggest that Pakuri has been “forgotten after elections” is demonstrably false. The PPP/C Government has maintained a sustained presence in the community through ministerial visits, community engagements, and investments in infrastructure, education, healthcare, youth development, agriculture, housing, information technology, and social services. Ask the residents and the village council. If they are being honest, they would tell of how many times that the government has responded to their concerns.
The government has invested in improving roads, community facilities, water systems, and electricity services while simultaneously supporting Indigenous livelihoods through grants, training, agriculture initiatives, and business opportunities. How come Singh-Lewis arrived at such a conclusion? Because of the two meetings that WIN had in the village for staging the political stunt?
Ministers and technical teams have repeatedly visited the village to hear directly from residents and to address concerns as they arise. That is the opposite of abandonment.
The allegation that there are “no meaningful recreational or developmental programmes” for young people ignores the many national programmes that have reached Indigenous communities, including St. Cuthbert’s Mission.
Young people today have access to the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) scholarships, technical and vocational education opportunities, Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport programmes, sports initiatives, youth leadership activities, entrepreneurship support, ICT hubs, and training through several government agencies. Thousands of young Guyanese, including Indigenous youths, have benefited from these opportunities over the past five years.
Could there always be more activities during the school holidays? Certainly. The government itself has acknowledged that youth engagement must continue expanding. But to claim there are “no programmes” is simply inaccurate. Opportunities abound for the youths of St. Cuthbert’s Mission. They just have to reach out to the village council or the Ministry.
Likewise, any suggestion that government has ignored women’s empowerment is equally misleading.
Across Indigenous communities, women have benefited from business grants, skills training, agricultural support, leadership programmes, and economic empowerment initiatives. The same is the case for St Cuthberts Mission.
If a particular training facility requires reopening or additional programming, that is an operational matter; not evidence of government neglect.
The PPP/C Government has repeatedly shown that when communities identify gaps, resources are mobilised to address them.
On mental health, Singh-Lewis attempts to portray the issue as though government has done nothing.
Mental health remains a national challenge affecting communities across Guyana and around the world. Unlike previous administrations, however, the PPP/C government has expanded healthcare services, strengthened mental health interventions, increased outreach through the Ministry of Health, and continued deploying specialist teams into hinterland and riverain communities. If residents have requested more frequent psychological services, that request deserves consideration; not political exploitation.
Last week, St. Cuthbert’s Mission welcomed Dr. Timothy Morgan, Director of Mental Health; Dr. Mark Constantine, Head of the Ministry of Health’s Psychology Department of Training and Education; and a team from the Ministry of Health for a dedicated community engagement on mental health. Residents were given the opportunity to speak openly about their experiences, while the visiting team assessed the community’s needs firsthand.
They committed to returning with a structured programme to train teachers, nurses, Village Council members, part-time workers, and other community leaders, while working alongside the Ministry of Education to strengthen mental health support within our schools.
These are concrete commitments that should be acknowledged and supported as they move toward implementation.
The same applies to domestic violence.
This government has invested significantly in strengthening support services for victims of domestic violence through the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security. Public education campaigns, counselling services, safe spaces, and community outreach have all expanded under the current administration. Pretending these initiatives do not exist serves only a political narrative.
Perhaps the most misleading section of Singh-Lewis’s statement concerns electricity, water, and public infrastructure.
Residents may indeed experience interruptions due to mechanical failures or maintenance issues. That happens in communities across Guyana. Temporary service disruptions do not erase years of investment aimed at improving these systems.
Government has continued investing in hinterland electrification, water supply improvements, roads, public buildings, schools, health facilities, and community infrastructure, including projects benefiting St. Cuthbert’s Mission and other Indigenous villages.
What the statement deliberately avoids mentioning is that government officials continue engaging village leaders whenever operational issues arise to ensure repairs and improvements are undertaken.
Most revealing, however, is the timing. Only weeks before a national election, Opposition politicians suddenly arrive in the community, accompanied by cameras and prepared statements, claiming to have discovered problems that government has already been working to address through continuous engagement.
Listening to citizens is important. Every elected representative should do it. But listening should not become an excuse for distorting reality.
The residents of St. Cuthbert’s Mission deserve honest representation not selective storytelling designed to score political points. I condemn Singh-Lewis and WIN team for seeking to create a mountain out of a molehill. I think that they used the people of St Cuthberts Mission to play their game of nasty, thirsty and opportune politics ahead of next week’s NTC Conference.
Let’s wait and see which other community will fall prey to their nasty politricks as the NTC leaders and Toshaos make their way to town over the next few days.
The PPP/C Government has never claimed every issue has been solved overnight. Development is an ongoing process. What distinguishes this administration is its willingness to return to communities repeatedly, invest consistently, and respond to concerns with action rather than political slogans.
Natasha Singh-Lewis is no genuine representative for the residents even though she is entitled to be an advocate. She is not entitled to rewrite reality.
By portraying Pakuri as a forgotten community while ignoring years of government investment, ministerial engagement, youth programmes, healthcare improvements, Indigenous development initiatives, and infrastructure projects, she presents an incomplete and politically convenient narrative.
The people of St. Cuthbert’s Mission deserve better than being used as props for political mileage. Their concerns deserve solutions, not sensationalism. Their future deserves partnership, not political theatre.
The facts remain clear: The Government has not abandoned St. Cuthbert’s Mission. It has continued investing in its people, engaging its leaders, and working to improve the quality of life for residents. Challenges remain as they do in every developing community but to suggest that nothing has been done is simply untrue.
Pakuri deserves facts. Guyana deserves honest politics
DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited.2563