| – Organisers refute allegationsThe Ministry of Home Affairs via release, accused a number of Opposition officials and members of the African Cultural and Development Association (ACDA) and the Ghana Day Committee of making racially hostile comments towards the Government.The released stated,Asics Dynaflyte 2 Womens, “It has come to the attention of the Ministry of Home Affairs that recently a Conference was held at ACDA’s Headquarters at Thomas Lands, Georgetown. The Conference was sponsored by ACDA; the Ghana Day Committee and the Cuffy 250 Committee. Among the participants at the Conference were, David Granger, Aubrey Norton, Sharma Solomon, Carl Greenidge, Hamilton Greene (sic), David Hinds, Nigel Hughes, Lincoln Lewis, and Mark Benschop”.The ministry further stated that according to reports they received, the conference participants heard presentations from persons above-mentioned.“The presentations were laced with racial hostility towards the Government of the day; self-flagellations, attacks against the Guyana Police Force and the PPP/C Administration above all, the Conference formulated a series of protest actions aimed at creating public disorder and disharmony in the country’.The release further stated that there were also talks about future protest actions, public meetings, picketing exercises and protest walks.“No assurances were given that these intended protest actions would be peaceful”, the ministry said.The ministry further alleged that at a public meeting dubbed “Save the City” held at the City Hall compound saw a number of APNU and WPA activists present. It was alleged that David Hinds said, “If Sooba is not removed (as Town Clerk) we will take to the streets and shut down the City of Georgetown. Get ready to fight! Get ready to battle!”“The Ministry has noted the reckless behaviour and denounces the public display of lawlessness spearheaded by Hamilton Greene (sic), Mayor of Georgetown at the said activity.In addition, the Ministry of Home Affairs noted that during a protest action on the grounds of the National Assembly, a group of demonstrators “organised and led by APNU Parliamentarians” pushed down Police barriers, and created an atmosphere which was not conducive to the maintenance of the peace and good order around the Parliament.The Ministry said that it will continue to closely monitor the “planned activities” of the said organizer and stand firm in its commitment in ensuring that the peace and good order in Guyana will not be disturbed.When Kaieteur News contacted Working People’s Alliance (WPA) Executive Member, Dr. David Hinds yesterday, he categorically refuted the accusation that he made a statement at the protest on the grounds of City Hall.“I was nowhere there at the protest at City Hall, so I don’t know where the Ministry got their information from,” Hinds asserted.Meanwhile, a release from the Ghana Day Committee dated August 9, 2013 stated that the statement by the ministry “sought to cast the recent Forum on the State of Black African Guyanese in a racist and unlawful light and represents not-so-veiled threats against the participants”.The statement further pointed out that the forum was extensively covered by the local media and none of the entities reported these claims by the Ministry.“In addition, since the forum was well advertised in the pubic media, the suggestion that it was a “sinister plot” is clearly an attempt to mislead the public.”The Ghana Day committee condemned the statement and challenged the ministry to provide the evidence to support the charges mentioned.“We challenge the Ministry to publish in the state media all the presentations at the forum so that the public could judge for itself.”The committee also denied that any of the presentations at the forum by their speakers attacked the Guyana Police Force.“While some of the presentations took the government to task, none of them was laced with racial hostility. The Forum did not plan any protest actions.”‘The Ghana Day Committee views the attempt to link Aubrey Norton’s statement at the forum to a robbery at Celina’s as ugly and dangerous. We also note that the statement listed Lincoln Lewis, Mark Benschop and Hamilton Greene (sic) as presenters at the forum. While we are glad that these gentlemen attended the forum, we wish to point out that none of them made presentations or spoke from the floor. We also wish to point out that ACDA was not an organizer of the Forum’.The Committee further condemned “the endeavour by the government to “criminalize” and “racialize” efforts by the African Guyanese community to discuss and plan to tackle the problems in the community”.‘We also urge all Guyanese of goodwill to raise their voices in condemnation of this attack on the freedom of assembly and the right to discuss public matters in the public space without official harassment. Finally this attempt by the government to tarnish our efforts will not deter the Ghana Day Committee from fulfilling its promise to mobilize the African Guyanese community to look after itself.”Meanwhile, an ACDA official stated that the association had no part in the activity. It was related that the Akwaaba Centre was just rented to the Ghana Day committee for the event. |
