Despite promises by the APNU/AFC Government under the leadership of President David Granger, even after British Security Advisor Russel Krombe handed over a report of recommendations in 2018, the coalition administration has failed to address the crime situation in Guyana.
This is according to Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, who on Thursday said that the David Granger-led administration had touted its “security credentials” prior to assuming office in 2015, with claims that its security experts would have resolved the frequency of criminal activities throughout the country but to date, nothing has been done, as crime spirals.
“He (President Granger) was supposed to end all crime in Guyana, saying that the PPP was all bluff. Then to see the appalling failures of his government and his Security Minister on a daily basis, saying things that simply do not make sense without addressing the real problem. Then clearly, the people of this country have a right and we have a right to examine their failures. From the 17 persons losing lives in the prison fire…and until now the situation at Lusignan is appalling, and you can have a prison break at any time”.
Jagdeo stated that statistics can support the fact that the APNU/AFC have failed to protect citizens and curb the crime rate here and noted that the spike in criminal activities has been ongoing but that relevant authorities have been denying the figures.
He lamented the current situation in Guyana where robberies and murders, coupled with accidents, occur on a daily basis, claiming the lives of innocent people, while the APNU/AFC is yet to address such an issue.
“For the piracy recently, those who suffered from the acts of piracy in Berbice, our Presidential Candidate went up there and also met with several members of the family and witnessed the dire poverty in which people live in those areas. How important the earnings of these individuals who went to sea to earn a living were to maintaining the livelihoods of their families. Then we had the incident with the robbery (at El Dorado Trading) and I spoke with Mrs Stoll (wife of the dead businessman)…another young Guyanese businessman whose life was snuffed out and there are others who suffered death and injury there and so that too, that is senseless killing”.
The Opposition Leader even referred to a murder, which occurred little over a week ago in front of his office at Queenstown, Georgetown, where a man was strangled to death with a belt. The perpetrator had been caught by public-spirited persons and then handed over to the Police.
According to Jagdeo, these crimes could have been prevented but now the result is that innocent lives were lost while families and loved ones are left to suffer.
