Dear Editor,
I wish to comment on a few salient points which I read the president make in his speech, at the commissioning of the ‘Buddy’s International hotel.’ The president extolled Mr. Shivraj, the proprietor, for his fortitude and forbearance in sticking to and ensuring the completion of the hotel.
And, indeed it would be a discredit if he is not lauded for his undeniably spectacular hotel which resulted from his indefatigable efforts and the altruism of the government. Hence, it is my considered opinion that, like the ‘City Mall,’ this gargantuan hotel brings a new complexion to a country that is rife with paradoxes, shifting colours and contradictory events.
Nonetheless, the president promulgated that the facility arose from the tremendous vision of the proprietor, but in a later paragraph he alluded to the fact that he asked Mr. Shivraj to open four floors. Well, if Mr. Shivraj’s vision was that tremendous, how come the president provided consultancy services? And, in the subsequent paragraph, he even asked the hotel’s management to refrain from accommodating guests until a particular time. Is the president saying that Mr. Shivraj is incapable of making his own decisions? But, I guess that Mr. Shivraj is now at the mercy of the government because their generosity shouldered him when he was in dire need of financial resources.
Conversely, the president stressed that he is not prepared to lead a country that does not have an optimistic view of the future. I have never heard anything as preposterous as this from a leader. Why did he not make such a statement earlier in his tenure? Anyway, what does he intend to do about the situation, because whether his comment was perfunctory or not, the economic, social and political conditions in Guyana portend a ghastly future.
Some say we are heading down the road of Haiti. I hope this does not happen. However, I guess that in his quiet moments, he probably melted into laughter at this ludicrous comment, because the reality is that the curtain of his tenure is cascading gradually, so he can utter anything.
Penultimately, he said that some countries of the region have more crime than we have, incontrovertible for sure. Even the United States have more heinous crimes than Guyana. But, the fact is that some countries of the region also has less corruption within the police force and better mechanisms established to deal with their crime situations.
Yours faithfully,
(name and address supplied)
