GUYANA| Gov't Wall at Timehri Airport impeding commerce, creating social divisions

GEORGETOWN,  Guyana, September 12, 2023 - Government’s expenditure of several million dollars to build a controversial wall at the Timehri Airport  has become a matter of concern not only to the vendors who now have problems selling their goods, but it  also gives the perception of an overt division among the classes in Guyanese society.

“The colourful wall does not camouflage the ugliness the government is trying to hide, only serves as a reminder of the dualism of the politics in Guyana that caters for only one class and one set of people in society,” says veteran trade unionist and General Secretary of the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC), Mr. Lincoln Lewis.

The Government of Guyana has spent millions to build a wall in front of the vendors at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, (CJIA), Timehri, in effect blocking their trade from passersby, who will have to go through each opening before seeing what is taking place.

Authorities of the CJIA, in a statement, said the erection of the wall is the area that “forms part of the security zone of the airport and steps were taken to provide a safe and secure environment for users of the airport” which included the “construction of a new facade to enhance the overall appearance of the shops and its immediate environs.”

But the trade unionist rubbished the justification, querying who is advising Ali and others of these ill-conceived projects. 

According to Lewis, what President Ali government ignores or deliberately facilitates by building the wall is that it reduces or prevents vendors from attracting passers-by.

The wall poses a threat to the economic livelihood of the small business owners and their families, he said. ”

The wall represents division he said. They are choking business out with a colourful wall, so people will not know the suffering behind the wall that they are hiding from society, he offered.

He further asserted that the wall is symbolic of the government’s behaviour, not only of marginalisation, but shutting people out, casting them aside.

Some shop owners told Village Voice News there have been vending in the same area for years because a need existed, and in some cases, it was a last resort to economically provide for themselves and family. An upset vendor chimed in “like dem want we fuh go an thief to survive.”

Vendors, who preferred not to be identified for fear of being victimised, said the wall is also blocking the free flow of breeze and has made the place hotter.

A taxi driver who plies the airport route told this publication the government does not know, or care to know, how to deal with the vending situation around Guyana.

“These people have a right to eke out a living if government can’t provide jobs for them,” he said.

Lewis is calling on the government “to tear the walls down.”  According to him, rather than build walls we must build relations. 

The Ali/Jadgeo regime, he said, is painting a picture that is not real and that is how they are managing society; a colourful picture that is unreal, no different from the politics we see everyday. “All they do is put up a façade; they have no vision.”

Lewis shared that rather than building walls and shutting people out, demonstrating the government is devoid of thinking and vision, the government should seek personnel who could help them to think properly. 

To this end the trade unionist, called on the government “to work with the Opposition and other stakeholders because they don’t have a monopoly on knowledge or how to move this country forward in a proper manner.”

The trade unionist contends the wall symbolises the politics of division and proves President Ali could only deal with certain things in society, not among which include the people and their well-being.  “In their minds what is behind the wall is ugly, including the people, so what he did is put a colourful wall to camouflage what they see as ugly, unsightly. It is a narrow simplistic way of thinking.”

The people at the airport have established a community in the area, having been there for more than two decades. Some have built homes. Persons have taken to social media to share their view about the wall. One such person is Mr. Gordon Moseley, publisher of NewsSource.

He expressed the view that the vending situation is part of Guyanese unique culture and the government should have capitalised on it, not built a wall to shut people out.

Moseley noted “If we are serious about tourism, we would embrace the reality of the Guyanese identity. And the Wall folks should pay attention that whenever visiting dignitaries come, like the former British PM, their embassies don’t take them to the Pegasus, the Marriott or Amici for a meal, Instead, they head to the back of West Ruimveldt to a restaurant in a backyard known as the Backyard Cafe.”

According to him, “we can’t shut people out from this One Guyana in the name of looking good…even if it’s behind all of the colours.”

Another prolific social media commentator, Mr. Egland Gomes, said the wall represents the “vile racist policies [of the Ali government and] must be condemned by civilised society.”