Dear Editor,
Some things bother me. When I arrived in New York, I immediately learnt a new concept called networking. It is how I received my permanent job there. When I returned here, I learnt about KSI (Know Somebody Inside).
Up there, my Operations Manager also insisted that I understood the concept of total managerial accountability when he upbraided my response when I told him ‘a matter was too small for my intervention when I had MOD (assistant mangers)’. His trite comment was, “Leslie, it’s your garage. You must know everything that goes on all the time.”
Almost ten years ago, I returned here to enjoy the peace and quiet and possibly engage in a small agricultural undertaking on the family’s ten-acre agricultural plot of land in Kuru Kururu. I settled in a family home in New Hope, EBD.
There are about 60 house lots, one church, a playground and about 30 occupied houses. We have one main gated entrance and exit, and four cul-de-sac streets presently. We have a mix of retirees and residents with ties to e.g. London, Canada, USA and local. We are closely knit with a Community Management Committee.
Prior to leaving for the USA, I was a licensed firearm holder, issued a Beretta for almost 10 years which I turned in before departure. Interestingly as a young lad, my father had a shotgun and I myself bought my first air rifle from Bookers (COD to me at Charity Post Office), and moved around with the rifle in my motorcycle. I developed through several (improved) models, and shot game birds and iguanas for our cookouts. No licence was required. At my UG National Service stint, I was trained and handled the SLR.
When I returned, I applied to be (re) issued a firearm licence. The investigation went well but the COP denied, without explanation, my application. I appealed the decision and the other COP informed me to appeal to the President in keeping with the law.
I did, but the then President did not respond. When the change came, I appealed again to the new President, who graciously replied saying that it was sent to the Minister in charge of Home Affairs for advice. I am still to be advised of the outcome.
In the meanwhile, my concerns. I spent several million dollars trying to develop that desolate plot of agricultural land. Pumpkins were stolen, fires were deliberately set (police went in and found evidence), wild animals feasted on the plants, and some persons took my plot to serve as their (free) personal nursery. I kept going through the paces.
My London remigrant neighbour, with past army connections here, has spent much more funds developing his farm. He even constructed a farmhouse and went through similar experiences: deliberately set fires, wild animals, attacks by other persons. He is made of sterner stuff and is even fighting in the court system. Significantly, his application for a firearm licence is going through some interesting requests for personal medical certificate phases!
A friend told me that air rifles now need licences. Another friend told me that bows and arrows need licences. Do we need a licence for slingshots too? Please tell us all the requirements and pray tell us why, and why you turn down individual applications.
Meanwhile, our community is under attack from other criminal elements. Over the years, we had a few home invasions. Recently, cars parked on the main internal roads and in the cul-de-sac were broken into. Last weekend, it went a step further where one neighbour was held up with a pistol as she exited her car right in front of her house. Where is the police patrol?
We know of surveillance camera systems. Several of us have. But we suffer from issues. The main service provider (GTT) does not offer fibre optics in this area. The analog service is always buffering. ENetworks, through that KSI person, supplied fibre optic service.
However, their free one meg is useless for the cameras. So the KSI intervened and we were allowed an increase of two more megs at a price of an additional $6,000. The recording was still not adequate so we appealed. KSI prevailed again. However, the total five megs comes with a price of over $100,000. (Yes, five megs (not gigs) cost over US$500 monthly. Try that trick anywhere in the USA or London and see!)
The last election, I was unfortunately in New York and did not vote. If I am to vote this time, I would require a declaration and a social contract from the contesting parties to address concerns.
We need a gun control policy that allows approved households at least a shotgun per head. There is enough smart technology to make sure that the shotgun is used by the owner only.
We need a control mechanism (PUC?) to allow appropriate coverage and economic pricing for universal fibre optic residential service.
We need to codify the obligations and expected outcomes that so-called remigrants are entitled to on their return. Included in the obligation is that places like MoneyGram should allow in our pension transfer payments. Stop the hassle that now exists.
Somebody please listen up and take decision-making responsibility.
Yours faithfully,
L A Camacho
