Dear Editor,
In early 2021, I wrote to the President, Irfaan Ali, the General Secretary of the PPP, Bharrat Jagdeo, and Leader of the Opposition, Joseph Harmon and Leader of the AFC, Khemraj Ramjattan. I carefully crafted a letter pointing out the folly of failing to sit together in order to confront the conglomerates to obtain better deals to benefit our people. After oral sorties at several levels, no enthusiasm was shown for this initiative. After Aubrey Norton became the Leader of the Opposition, I sent an identical copy to him for his consideration. He replied positively and to date he is the only person to express a willingness for serious dialogue. This should put to rest the claim by the PPP Government that the other side is not interested in dialogue.
The former High Commissioner to India calls a respectable female Indian Professor ill names and when his uncouth behaviour is made public, issues a purported apology while justifying his banality to the point where he displays a warped understanding of sexual equality. We are yet to hear whether the High Commissioner’s recall meant that the President has severed his services, since it appeared that he represented Guyana at a function in India. I wrote about the on-the-bed promotion of a Presidential Guard when no evidence of valour or bravery exists and even before no proper investigation took place. Typical of this Government, there is a blanket of secrecy. But Editor, yesterday’s statement by the wife of this Nigerian, of not being allowed to visit him in hospital is ominous… some explanation is necessary.
We have a blanket of secrecy over events, agreements and disbursements of oil and gas. I hope that Guyanese will be given an opportunity to read those agreements so that we can come to our own conclusions. We have a Judiciary, hobbling along because the President feels that the appointment of the Chancellor and the Chief Justice can be postponed – if Charrandass’ attitude to women represents the hues of the government, we can understand. At Mocha, EBD, MPs Amanza Walton and Nima Flue-Bess were harassed for standing in solidarity with people who were being forcibly removed from where they’ve lived. When an attempt to arrest her was made, one police rank said he was merely carrying out orders. Reminiscent of when the Mayor of Georgetown, Ubraj Narine and Sherod Duncan were arrested for standing in solidarity with vendors on the eve of Christmas.
We heard that our future is not about oil but about food security and eco-tourism. But with few exceptions, once oil and its revenues flow, it tends to suffocate food production and other sectors. Oil revenues, even though we’re not getting as much as we should, is already much more than half of the revenue from all other sources. The clarion call by Burnham was, ‘produce or perish’ and some of those who now prattle about food security and criticized sometimes sabotaged efforts to produce local vegetables, grains and fruits.
The success for food security will require educating our people and helping them to recognise the value of locally produced foods. This, of course, will involve the President and the government persuading their friends who import and make a lot of money, to invest substantial sums in drainage and irrigation for the Burnham’s started urban agriculture, which some folks criticized. Simultaneously, working together, we can persuade, and I use persuade in its nicest form, the conglomerates who are smiling as they report the enormous profits being made from Guyana’s natural resources to their shareholders, that Guyana is demanding a bigger slice of the cake.
Give our young children and descendants the chance to be the major beneficiaries of this bounty given to us by the Creator.
Sincerely,
Hamilton Green
