Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed has highlighted the contrast between Guyana’s mineral wealth and the economic hardships faced by residents of Port Kaituma and Matthews Ridge, Region One (Barima/Waini), as he visited families affected by the MV Barima tragedy.
Speaking while on the Barima River, Mohamed pointed to the size of the vessel transporting the manganese from the region. “I just want to show my fellow Guyanese the amount of resources we have in our country,” he said.
He posited that the vessel was almost as wide as the river and pointed to the regular transportation of manganese from the area. “As you can see, this vessel is as wide as the Barima River. On almost every other day, they are transporting manganese from the company at Matthews Ridge, Guyana Manganese Inc.,” he said.
Mohamed questioned why communities in the manganese-producing region continue to experience significant challenges despite the value of the resources being extracted and transported from the area. “And yet the people of Port Kaituma and Matthews Ridge, they are struggling to make ends meet when the day comes.”
He cited poor healthcare facilities, deteriorating roads and inadequate schools among the challenges confronting residents. The heavy trucks used to transport manganese have also contributed to the deterioration of roads in the area, he noted. “The roads, especially with the big trucks that got to transport the manganese, mash up all the roads. The roads in a deplorable condition.”
He also criticised the state of education and healthcare facilities in the communities, saying residents were not seeing adequate benefits from the natural resources being extracted from their region. “The education system, the schools in a mess, hospitals, everything. So we are a rich country, but the people are poor.”
He further said that hundreds of millions of US dollars worth of manganese are transported from Port Kaituma through the Barima River and into the Atlantic Ocean, where the mineral is transferred to larger vessels.
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