…on development
The good book advises: “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” While we may quibble, or even disagree vehemently, about the content of the “vision”, without the overarching plan embedded in a vision, one would just be bumbling through life. And this is even truer when we’re talking about the development of a nation.
Unfortunately, with each passing day, it’s clear that this PNC-led Government hasn’t a clue, much less a vision, for Guyana. We all know about the oil contract, wherein Trotman practically gave away our oil patrimony for a song – the song probably being “The Waltz of Texas”!! Anyone with a vision for Guyana would’ve appreciated that “Production Sharing Agreements” were specifically introduced in the oil industry by Indonesia – and then the rest of the world — for them to TAKE CONTROL of their mineral assets. The vision demanded that the oil company become simply a CONTRACTOR, acting at the behest of the country; and not the other way round! How could anyone with a vision actively cultivate a new colonial relationship”? That is not a vision, but a nightmare! Another sign of the vision-deprived nature of the PNC was revealed in the riposte of the Minister of Public Infrastructure to the Chinese Ambassador’s candid appraisal of the design of the New Demerara Harbour Bridge being “backward”. Imagine the wanker could say they’re going along with the backward design because a more appropriate Bridge for the 21st century “would shackle us in debt”!! Can you imagine a more ludicrous answer than this?
The Minister couldn’t deny the truth of the Ambassador’s claim – how could he? Who in the world, then, would spend US$170 million to “fix” the major problem with the present Bridge — its retraction causes massive backups and delays – by having the new structure just being able to have vehicles parked on it??!! Isn’t this the height of asininity?? If you can spend that much for a scenic parking (overlooking the Demerara River!) why can’t you spend even double that if the modern structure would facilitate continuous traffic flow?
The question of “vision,” or, more pertinently, its lack, arises. What exactly are the plans of this Government for that portion of the oil revenues that’s coming our way? Just parades and jump-ups? Hasn’t the World Bank, and the IDB, and every other financial institution explained that the difference between us and, say, the Eastern Tigers was infrastructure?
Is it so difficult to appreciate that the productivity gains alone from having folks from the west get to work faster will be worth the extra outlay? What about decentralizing manufacturing away from G/t to WCD?
But it’s the blind leading the lame!!
…like Ghana
There was a welcome news item on celebrations of “Ghana Day”. Unlike what’s happened to our “Republic Day”, we hope this seminal event doesn’t end up in the vulgarity that Mash has become. From 1957, “Ghana Day” followed “Swaraj Day,” or “India Independence Day” in 1947, in being commemorated in Guyana.
At that time, our own Independence movement, led by the PPP in 1953, had been split into two by Forbes Burnham and others. Ghana Day was unfortunately part of the ethnic polarization that was to follow in the ensuing five years. We shouldn’t forget also that Kwame Nkrumah – Like Cheddi Jagan here — was overthrown as part of the Cold War that defined which leaders were “suitable” for running their “independent” countries.
But all of that is water under the bridge. If we really want to honour Ghana’s example, we don’t only have to stick to clothes and drumming. Right now, they’ve negotiated oil contracts that put ours to shame; yet their Jubilee Field is the geological mirror image of ours!!
…and deafness
A well-meaning NGO is assisting Guyanese to deal with the problem of deafness. Your Eyewitness pleads with them to work on members of this PNC Government.
Maybe they’re visionless, because they can’t hear advice?