FITUG roasts Nagamootoo Task Force over bungled COVID-19 response

Guyana confirmed its first case of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) over five weeks ago and with 67 persons now testing positive—including seven who have since dead —the illegitimately governing coalition’s only plan appears to be spending more than $1 billion to retrofit a private hotel, and to set up a taskforce that has so far been able only to announce that it is building a database as part of its bungled response to the pandemic.

This is the conclusion of the country’s largest umbrella workers’ representative body—the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG).

The union body on Wednesday lambasted the Moses Nagamootoo-led National COVID-19 Task

Force, saying “many measures to address the plight of the ordinary people remain entrapped in bureaucracy of this or that committee”.
According to FITUG, it remains most concerned about the inadequate response by the authorities to address frontally the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic and that “we remain concerned that the authorities are, seemingly, not seriously addressing the situation.”

Taking Nagamootoo to task, the union representative body said it appeared that the only recommendation which received positive consideration from the Task Force is the approval of some $1 billion to renovate and retrofit the flood-prone former Ocean View Hotel into a COVID-19 treatment facility.

It was noted that “while, we believe, that such a facility may be necessary, wouldn’t it also have been prudent for the identified sum be utilised to upgrade a public facility…Certainly the large expenditure on a private property where no arrangements regarding leasing and/or purchase have been finalised seems foolhardy at the least.”
The union body questioned whether “a similar sum to provide relief to the vulnerable would have been a worthwhile initiative” adding that “it would have assisted in keeping persons off the street and thus staunching the spread of the virus.”

Criticise rather than laud
FITUG also railed against Nagamootoo’s recent public castigation of persons across the country engaged in the free distribution of face masks as part of the collective efforts to stem the spread of the virus.
Nagamootoo over the weekend had suggested that those persons involved in those exercises were doing so out of political considerations.

FITUG responded saying it was taken aback by Nagamootoo’s criticism of ordinary Guyanese, noting that he made such statements after his task force ordered that Guyanese wear such masks when out in public.
Additionally, Ministry of Public Health officials are on record encouraging the use of the widely distributed masks through private citizens and collective initiatives versus using the medically certified ones such as the popular ‘N95’ masks, since this would deplete the already limited supplies available for those on the frontline, including medical and emergency services workers.

According to FITUG, “for us, it is simply befuddling that Mr Nagamootoo would choose to criticise rather than laud those who are engaged in such an effort.”
It said, “considered in totality, it seems clear to us at least, that the authorities are not really up to scratch in addressing meaningfully the pandemic…It seems to us, like many, the COVID-19 situation is being exploited to pursue narrow political ends and illegitimate preservation in office.”

The union body was adamant that given the Administration’s national response to the pandemic, “the lack of a holistic approach from the now illegitimate Government is yet another indicator that they are either clueless or ill-prepared to address the public health crisis that grips our nation”.

Absurd decision
FITUG used the occasion to also take to task the State-run Civil Defence Commission (CDC) over its “absurd decision to suspend the distribution of hampers while a successor arrangement has yet to be fully considered by some committee”.
The union chided the public assertions of vouchers as a substitute and questioned whether the initiative would not in fact “defeat the call to stay in our homes during this period…Won’t the distribution of vouchers cause recipients to congregate at redemption centres?”

According to FITUG, in the absence of any successor initiative to the distribution of hampers by the State, “the depressing situation, undoubtedly, will force many men and women, who stare at bare cupboards, to venture out in order to find a means to feed their families. What happens then? Have the authorities considered this before they took their decisions?”

The workers’ representative body was adamant, “the situation has already exceeded worrying proportions and yet proactive leadership and decisive decision-making remain an absent feature”.
Last week, Chairman of the Sub-Committee with responsibility for the CDC and the coordination of the social relief measures, Joseph Harmon, disclosed that the exercise that was being carried out by the CDC was halted since more long-term solutions were needed at this time.

Social impact
It further outlined the failure of the Government, through the Nagamootoo-headed task force to approve or implement any fiscal and/or social impact measures. Nagamootoo had said earlier this month that the Committee had recommendations aggregating over 20,000 words before it.

“Is the Government really serious or just blowing hot air as it is known for? In fact, it appears many measures to address the plight of the ordinary people remain entrapped in bureaucracy of this or that committee. All we heard on this front is the creation of a database. Has consideration been given to access to the database? Or, what criterion will be used to determine the beneficiaries? In a most fluid situation, it seems the authorities have been swept away with the tide,” the umbrella body stated.

The umbrella union is calling on all Guyanese to practise social distancing, regularly wash their hands, use a mask when out in public and to heed the other warnings of the experts.