…of Public Sector discrimination
There’s a story in the press about the Bertrand Collins Public Service College, wherein the Director— (Retd) Col Lawrence Paul — says they “face a diversity problem” in their student body!!
To be fair to Col Paul, he did say it wasn’t easy figuring out the ethnicity of some recruits. The Director, however, also mentioned that they make a special effort to ensure “hinterland” students are aware of the opportunity. This, of course, is very commendable, because he’s obviously trying to recruit more Amerindians into the Public Service, where they’ve been severely underrepresented from “time immemorial”.
But how come Col Paul didn’t also try to directly address the atrocious underrepresentation of other ethnic groups in the Public Service overall, and especially in the cadets being recruited for fast tracking? After all, following a long, convoluted story about the skewed numbers, he acknowledged that, back in 2004, the Disciplined Forces Commission had found the same situation in the institution of which he was part. And had recommended specific steps to rectify the imbalance – namely affirmative action. Did he try then? He certainly hasn’t tried now!!
When the Public Service College was launched, your Eyewitness had hoped that in addition to attempting to inject some higher level of professionalism into the Public Service, it would also address the imbalance. After all, in any country – but especially in our institutionally underdeveloped Third World nation – the government services delivered by its bureaucracy is crucial to improving the lives of the masses of the people, and a balanced Civil Service goes a long way towards ensuring that equitable distribution.
But, sadly, this PNC-led Government has reverted to the policies of the Burnhamite regime of the 1970s, when the Bureaucracy and the Disciplined Forces were massively expanded – and staffed from the PNC’s base constituency. The People’s Militia and the Cadet Corps, for instance, have been resuscitated and staffed as of yore.
It’s all part and parcel of maintaining the PNC’s authoritarian rule over the country.
To cut off the option from the PPP of challenging the PNC’s destruction of the Constitution and democracy.
…of suicide
Suicide rates in Guyana are once again in the news. Back in 2012, a rate of 44.2 was reported, making us the number 1 country in the world for suicide. Once again we became infamous, as the opportunity was seized by the international media to regurgitate the Jim Jones tragedy. Well, the Clinical Psychologist attached to the Public Health Ministry, Balogun Osunbiyi, has reiterated the Health Ministry’s claim that suicides have decreased — with 2016 figures standing at 29 per cent; and, in 2017, 24.67 per cent. While the data for 2018 isn’t completed, he claimed at least 50 persons less had committed suicide.
Now, if these statistics reflected reality, it would’ve been fantastic; but sadly, it isn’t. And the representative of the Caribbean Voice was brave enough to point out (again) that Osunbiyi wasn’t wearing any clothes.
Actually, persons ingesting gramoxone and monocrotophos (always fatal, but take several days to die) are discharged.
When they do die, the cause of death is then recorded as “heart failure or something”! Sick!
…of constitutional flouting
The rate of this PNC-led Government’s traducing of the Constitution has (unsurprisingly) skyrocketed. Once ignoring that the Court can’t stay the clear command of Art 106 (6) for the President and Cabinet to resign, every dictat is illegal!!
Fruit of the poisoned tree!!