Dear Editor,
It has been almost six months since Kaieteur News Columnist and a critic of the PPP regime Freddie Kissoon’s contract has been breached and his services as a senior lecturer at the University of Guyana (UG) terminated. We hope that by now those PPP political hacks on UG Council would have had some time to reflect on their arrogance and dictatorial behaviour. But as more information is revealed about how they conducted themselves, it is clear that they have ignored the laws of UG and issued a proclamation to terminate Mr. Kissoon. They believe that their political association has entitled them to dictate to the UG Council and by extension the Chancellor, Registrar, Deans and the entire administrative staff on how higher education should be administered at UG.
These political cronies believed in slash and burn politics rather than dialogue. Their irrational and adolescent behaviour has not only shown contempt for the institution but smacks of bullyism which has no place in a modern, civilized society.
It is clear that these PPPites had an axe to grind but their intention to dictate to the Council to fire Mr. Kissoon without proper reasons cannot and should not be tolerated. The students at UG must not be made to suffer under such callousness.
The Guyanese public is aware that there are some lecturers at the university who have misbehaved in front of students but were not terminated. Our research has shown that from time to time, the University has accorded those in breach of its rules and laws or engaged in any type of vile behaviour the opportunity to defend themselves. Our question, therefore, is why Mr. Kissoon was not given the same opportunity? Why the PPPites have taken this nasty approach to terminate him?
But even as we pose those questions we cannot overlook the fact that President Ramotar and his minority PPP government have remained silent on the issue. And their silence as most of us know is consent which could have a negative impact on the University and on the students. Where are the democratic principles that the big fishes in the PPP claim exist in Guyana?
It should be pointed out that over the years, the government subventions that UG receives have been drastically reduced, and the tight fiscal space in which UG has to operate puts the institution in the difficult position to cut important programmes, which makes it a third or fourth rate University.
Is this what Guyanese want for their tertiary level of education? It has been known that UG is not a high priority for the regime because most of the children of the PPP “big fishes” have migrated to study abroad. It is time for the PPP regime to invest in the nation’s education and allocate at least the funds needed to move the institution from its semi-functional state to a full functional position.
The late President Forbes Burnham tried free education at the tertiary level. As critical as that was for the economic and intellectual development of Guyana, times have changed drastically since the 1970s. We know, and it is true that nothing in life is really free. And certainly not a university education.
Yours faithfully,
Dr. Asquith Rose
Sasenarine Singh
