Dear Editor,
It is GPL season. The stalkers and hunters come out almost now to pile on and expose the long soft underbelly of this blinded national deity. Some may say that the critical scrutiny is overdue and well deserved, and will help point in an acceptable direction. We shall see.
First, it is encouraging to observe others stepping forward at this time. Currently I have a small matter before the GPL and I wait to see how it will unfold. But today, I wish to write about the embattled CEO (ag) Mr Colin Welch.
All I can say of this leader is that he has what it takes, or carries some secret management and survival sauce around. Whatever it is that Mr Welch possesses, I must give it to the man, he has an uncanny ability to reduce very powerful people to the heartrending state immortalized in those lyrics of Smokey Robinson: “You really got a hold on me.” Indeed!
First, it was that probing and comprehensive presence on the national stage, former PM Samuel A A Hinds, OE. When the name of Mr Welch came up during some company ballistics, the erudite former PM was reduced to groping for words and pawing the air. Apparently, the continued presence of Mr Welch does that to senior political figures.
Because, here again, this time under a new government, Minister David Patterson finds himself in the middle of smoke, smog and the surreal, as embodied in the controversies swirling around the CEO (ag). It is as if political people find this corporate officer electrifying, which he may be, and are jolted by his presence. Undoubtedly, he is also a magnet for attention and the untoward. I shall settle for that.
I think Mr Welch bears a charmed executive work life. But as I said in a prior letter he is too much baggage for a new administration to fetch so early. Whatever it is (or he may be) this is shaping up to be one engrossing political and company soap opera, the likes of which has not been seen before. Observers and interested citizens (which should be everyone, given it is the GPL) are urged to stay tuned for the next episode in this Guyanese version of ‘Days of Our Lives.’ Hopefully, GPL will provide the power so that this can be viewed live or written up in the papers.
Yours faithfully,
GHK Lall
