Abdulah: Rowley, PNM failing poor people

LEADER of the Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) David Abdulah says the “Dr Rowley-led government” has been “failing poor people” during the global health crisis owing to the covid19 pandemic.

He made the statement at a virtual press conference on Sunday morning – one day after the Prime Minister announced further relaxations to the country’s lockdown measures.

Abdulah said while the government’s decision to issue food cards and salary relief grants to those whose source of income were affected had “good intentions,” the delivery has been poor.

“Look what took place in the Parliament, on Friday, which examined how food cards and other support are being given to those whose children usually rely on school feeding.

“Twenty per cent of them got a food card. That is horrendous. That whole programme the government announced, where food cards would be issued via MPs – which was wrong in the first place because it politicised it, was a dismal failure.”

He said when the initial announcement of schools’ closure was made, he had suggested the school feeding programme continue to not only benefit students, but for the caterers to continue having a stream of income.

On salary relief grants, he said it was “ineffectively organised from the start and it indicates the government failed to consult key stakeholders about how best it should be done.”

He said Rowley is steadily reopening the economy, but questioned if it was the “same old” economy that would be reopened.

“The same economy that has made the gap between the rich and the poor wider and wider?” he asked.

Abdulah added that he believes many students who will begin writing CSEC examinations in July will be at a disadvantage. He said they had already been “left behind” owing to inequalities in the education system and the justice system.

“They are going to be in a much worse situation with the pass-failure rate.”

Had classes for students who are scheduled to write exams this year been done – in small groups – he said, “The children who are historically disadvantaged would have the benefit of face-to-face tuition.

“The government, the Dr Rowley-led government has failed, significantly, to ensure the children of poor people would not have been further disadvantaged.”

He added, “The less said about the UNC, the better because their approach to covid19 has been absolutely and totally irresponsible.”