Dear Editor,
I have a simple and clear message for the people of Guyana, and it is this: We are responsible for what is going on in Guyana right now, (i) because we failed to vote in Guyana based on pressing realities, and (ii) because we are still not making sure that our incumbent government is accountable to us for all actions and decisions taken.
I have grown sick and tired of hearing the numerous complaints made by ordinary Guyanese about the state of affairs under the present administration, and the public relations campaigns of our ministers and government appointees to show us what we are seeing and experiencing are merely figments of our imagination which are not to be taken seriously.
Complaints feature on: the failure on the part of the President of Guyana to address Varshnie’s statements about their failed marriage even though he holds a public office and is accountable for every aspect of life to the electors; the mismanagement of the Guyana Sugar Corporation and other important critical economic sectors; the unreliable service provided by the Guyana Power and Light Company; the ineffective performance of the Mayor and City Council, the Ministry of Local Government and other local government bodies; the inability of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority to address the issue of flooding in the low coastal plain and the much needed conservancy dam works in a strategic, as opposed to reactive manner whenever we experience heavy rainfall; the Ministry of Health and its inability to address simple problems in the health care facilities it has the mandate to manage; Guyana Water Inc and its inability to still not provide a proper service for paying residents inside and outside Georgetown; the Environmental Protection Agency and its inability to address environmental problems; the Ministry of Public Works and Communications and its inability to address road infrastructural works; the Central Housing and Planning Authority − part of the Ministry of Housing and Water − and its inability to provide land or house lots for families in a timely and efficient manner; the inability of the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission to provide agricultural land to enterprising individuals desirous of increasing agricultural production for the national and private good; the intransigence of the University of Guyana with regard to curricula and programmes and its inability to keep pace with the times to make students more marketable; the inability of the Ministry of Home Affairs to address major issues of security; the VAT imposition that was supposed to make food and other items cheaper for the consumer, but instead has had the reverse effect; the failure of the judicial system to address the concerns of the victimized.
All of these problems have made the lives of Guyanese unbearably difficult, even though the President, ministers and cronies of this government try to paint a non-existent reality. The people of Guyana of all races can see through the charade.
Many people around the world are still in a state of amazement at what happened in the US elections just a few weeks ago. I think this has opened our eyes to the possibility that change can come to Guyana if the people do the right thing. We are definitely on a ship that is sinking each day. It’s now up to the people of Guyana to change the captain and his team. We must come to the place where all of us see ourselves as citizens of Guyana with a vested interest in our beloved land.
We need these dark clouds to be blown from over our land, and the only way this can be done is by making the choice to elect competent leadership and ensuring that we support those groups which hold government officials accountable. If people are satisfied with their way of life, then good for them. If not, they have a choice to make in the next election. I implore them to look for competent leadership, and not vote according to racial preference. If we continue this way Guyana will sink further than it already has.
Yours faithfully,
(Name and address provided)
