Dear Editor,
Dr Jan Mangal, reminds of General Douglas MacArthur. Speaking to soldiers, MacAthur said:
“Duty, Honor, Country —those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, what you will be. They are your rallying points to build courage when courage seems to fail, to regain faith when there seems to be little cause for faith, to create hope when hope becomes forlorn”.
Dr. Mangal’s life exemplifies those three hallowed words.
There are few Guyanese with a more impressive educational background and a compassion for the poor than Dr Jan Mangal. He reminds me a lot of President Granger. Dr Mangal could easily have been a supporter of the oil and gas giant Exxon and received many incentives. But instead, Dr Mangal chose to support the underdog: the Government of Guyana because he has never forgotten where he came from. Despite having gone to the best universities and having worked for the biggest companies in the world, he chose to return to Guyana to serve and give back.
He didn’t do it for the money. If he had done it for the money, he would have chosen to be a “yes man.” He would not have encouraged government transparency in the oil and natural gas industry. He would not have rocked the boat by opposing the government ministers. He would have “shut-up” and collected his pay. But he didn’t shut-up; he could not shut-up. How could he shut-up? Why should he shut-up?
Dr Mangal is a man of principle so he could not allow himself to gain the world and lose his soul. His character is more important than money. It’s so unfortunate that the government does not recognise what a great asset to the country Dr. Mangal is.
Listen to his advice to the citizenry of Guyana:
“If we (Guyanese) sit back, then the only ones to benefit will be the businesses (both foreign and local), corrupt government officials, and the property owners in Guyana.”
“The poor people of Guyana, i.e. the majority, will not benefit, and will likely become poorer due to inflation”, Dr Mangal wrote.
Editor, What keeps Dr Mangal up at night? Here is what he wrote:
“But I worry he (President Granger) is the only one who has grasped the magnitude of the opportunity before Guyana, and grasped the challenges/risks.”
“I worry about his recent illness because the O&G situation would quickly deteriorate if President Granger is no longer at the helm. Some of those around him are frankly dangerous to Guyana, as were elements in the previous government.”
The government should have been honoured to have someone who is eminently qualified, honest, unbribable, incorruptible and transparent assisting them. But like their predecessors they push good people away.
In a word the government erred in letting go of Dr Mangal. Dr Mangal’s advice to the government was to increase the chance of a bright future for the poor people. Therefore, I am asking the president to rehire him.
Yours faithfully,
Anthony Pantlitz
