HGP Nightly News – APNU Member of Parliament Sherod Duncan says the controversy surrounding President Irfaan Ali’s reported Long Creek farm has tapped into wider public frustration over land access, inequality, and the way Guyana’s oil wealth is being shared.
Speaking on the issue, Duncan said the public reaction on social media shows that many Guyanese are angry.
He pointed to allegations involving 150 acres of land and a reported $22 million investment, saying citizens are questioning how large tracts of land can be made available to those in power while ordinary people continue waiting years for a house lot.
Duncan argued that many Guyanese are still struggling to access even a small residential plot.
He said the average house lot is a fraction of an acre, yet many citizens remain unable to secure one.
According to Duncan, the issue speaks to what he described as a “disproportionate” pattern in how the country’s wealth and opportunities are being developed.
He said many people do not feel a true sense of ownership in Guyana’s economy, especially as the country continues to benefit from oil revenues.
“The people of this country are tremendously angry at the disproportionate nature in which the wealth of this country is being developed,” Duncan said.
He added that citizens do not feel they are benefiting in the way they should from the oil economy.
“We are simply not feeling the effects that we should be feeling of this oil economy,” he said.
Duncan also suggested that the government is running out of ideas and time, saying public frustration is building.
His comments come amid ongoing controversy over President Ali’s farm.
The President has rejected claims that the property was a hidden discovery, saying the farm has long been public information and was known even to Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed.
Ali has said the farm carries a major loan, was built through legitimate means, and has been declared to the Integrity Commission both in and out of government.
The President has also denied receiving any special treatment, state investment, or government benefit connected to the farm.
He further said the same conditions that apply to other leased lands along the highway apply to his property, and accused Mohamed of exaggerating both the size and value of the farm.
Ali has insisted that there is “absolutely nothing to hide” and said he is proud to be called a farmer.
