Dear Editor,
Three generations ago, there was a popular column written by Robert Burchell Oclave Hart entitled ‘Things that bother me.’
For this weekend, share with me only a few of the things that bother me.
First, why are our leaders in Government unwilling to have meaningful discussions with the official Opposition, credible professionals, experienced experts, religious leaders and our young people? This of course excludes handpicked Party sycophants and organizations manufactured by the PPP top brass.
Such consultations would allow us to develop a common approach in dealing with those harvesting our non-renewable natural resources, gold, diamonds, oil and gas, so that this and succeeding generations would be the beneficiaries of these precious resources given to us by the Creator.
This requires that those in charge of our government must be statesmen. Details are unnecessary, just read the columns of our independent media.
Second, after an unexplained hiatus, a commission to inquire into the tragedy at the Mahdia dorm is now in place, but of interest only after our caring and I don’t mean cunning government has obtained signatures from the relatives of the children who died saying in ordinary words, take five million dollars each. End of story.
Here I offer this bet that notwithstanding the credibility and very high regard we all have for the Chairman, that whatever recommendations the Commission may make, no functionary, no blue eyed boy or girl of the PPP would be held accountable much less punished.
Third, every day in and out of Guyana, the Presidential Posse Proclaim that we are the fastest growing economy in the world. That the proceeds for oil, gas, gold, etc. make Guyanese per capita the richest community in this world, yet our exchange rate which was 4-1 in the 80’s and 10-1 in the early 90’s is now 200 odd to 1 in 2023. To a simple man, this makes no sense, but the financial czars could perhaps explain this dichotomy.
Fourth, we have an Ethnic Relations Commission, useful or a waste of taxpayers’ money? This Thursday, I gave an interview to two persons, one an Indo Guyanese and the other, someone whose foreparents were in Guyanese politics but is basically caucasian and who lives in parts of Europe, including Ukraine.
I was asked the question, in this Emancipation month, if it is true that the Descendants of Manumitted Africans were in fact being marginalized by the present administration? I invited them to attend a forum to be held at Critchlow Labour College this Sunday August 13, 2023 from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm to get the answer.
Dear Editor, the above represents a few things that bother me, even as we are proceeding like a bull in a china shop, with the gas to shore project and we now hear that our much traveled President signed a MOU with his counterparts in the Dominican Republic among other things to build a refinery.
I plead with my Government, I plead with our Government that the President require his Advisors to read a recent publication titled ‘The Dark Future,’ written by Glenn Beck and Justin Trask Haskins (Editor) before they embark on their next globetrotting exercise.. The book points to a new emerging World Order controlled by a new set of people perhaps wiping out traditional capitalism.
One must have the intellectual vigour to know where little Guyana with big resources stands.
One former public figure, Lorri Alexander would say ‘Ting nah regula.’
Guyana, my dear Guyana Quo Vadis? In other words, my dear Editor, my dear fellow Guyanese, my dear young people, where are we going?
I wish I could give a plausible answer.
Guyana Quo Vadis?
Yours faithfully,
Hamilton Green
