Manickchand and Dharamall in Facebook clash over performance in office and Government projects

Minister of Education Priya Manickchand and former Local Government Minister Nigel Dharamlall got involved in a heated social media spat this morning over their performance in office and the execution of Government projects under their watch.

The two former Cabinet colleagues went at each other with accusations of underperformance in office, while trading blame for the state of the portfolios they managed.

Dharamall was forced to resign from office last year after explosive sexual assault allegations involving a teenager surfaced on social media. Though he was investigated, he was never charged with any crime after the schoolgirl withdrew her accusations.

The fallout between Dharamlall and Manickchand was reportedly triggered by a response Manickchand made on a Facebook post yesterday, as to whether the former Minister Nigel Dharamlall would be among the persons to be banned from going into schools without authorization from the Ministry.

The person asking the question made reference to the rape allegations that were leveled against Dharamlall last year.

In response, the Education Minister said “yes”.

This morning after Manickchand made a Facebook post about the construction of a bridge in the community of Jawalla in Upper Mazaruni, which is now assisting school children, Dharamall reposted the photographs of the bridge and said a certain “Minister” referring to Manickchand, was trying to take credit for construction of the bridge. He said the construction of the bridge was as a result of a visit to the community in 2019 by himself, current Amerindian Affairs Minister Pauline Sukhai and then Presidential Candidate Irfaan Ali.

Dharamlall also made reference to another Government project that was recently highlighted by the Education Minister which he claimed was as a result of a promise by the Vice President.

Minister Manickchand in a comment under Dharamlall’s post said those who are capable of understanding, would know that her reference to “we” in her posts about the bridge was a clear reference to the Government of Guyana. She said he can continue to make posts, as if people are still paying attention to him.

Dharamlall shot back and told the Education Minister that people have been paying attention to him and that is the reason why he knows the education sector is in disarray, telling her that she prefers to blame everyone else except her failures.

He said it is the President who is the driving force behind the improvements to the education sector and not the Education Minister.

Manickchand returned fire, and told Dharamlall that if he were interested in the President’s well-being, he would have behaved very differently. She reminded him that the management and repairs of regional schools and dorms were under the direct purview of the Local Government Ministry that he was in charge of, while he was in government.

The Education Minister has been pointing out repeatedly in response to various social media posts that many of the issues at Government schools as it relates to the maintenance of those schools are directly related to the Local Government Ministry.

Dharamlall was the Minister of Local Government when fire was set to the Mahdia School Dorm resulting in the deaths of 20 children.

While Dharamlall was forced out of Government over the sexual assault allegations, he has remained prominently on social media, lashing out daily at critics of the Government. In recent days, he has surfaced during the President’s visits to various communities.