-by Celestine Chacon
President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali is taking his community engagement efforts directly to the people, using a bicycle to connect with residents and hear their concerns firsthand.
On Wednesday, the President cycled through Alexander Village and River View in Ruimveldt, Georgetown, as part of his Community Ride initiative.
The President, joined by Housing Minister Collin Croal interacted directly with residents and community members, hearing their concerns and discussing issues affecting their daily lives. In River View, the President met with families living along the river dam and held discussions on their relocation to safer and more suitable housing.
“We want to help you all. So, you all can’t say that you don’t want to move from here, there’s no way we can develop here. This is on the riverbank. So what we want to do, we are ready to move y’all incrementally. Then we’ll take down all of this, right, and we’ll help you with the social housing program. And then out here, we can build a little wharf, build a little shed so all these fishermen can still come back, can stay here and use the facility,” he said.
Meanwhile, at State House, the President held another engagement with farmers and community leaders from Nabacalis, East Coast Demerara. During that meeting, residents raised a number of concerns, including flooding in sections of the community, the condition of bridges, the need for a functional library, and the establishment of a designated space for vendors.
President Ali committed to having the relevant ministries address several of the issues raised, with some Immediate interventions. Residents welcomed the engagement and expressed gratitude to the President for meeting with them and listening to their concerns directly.
The engagements signal a continued effort by President Ali and his administration to bring government closer to communities.