…for his pension
One thing you gotta say about Moses Nagamootoo: he’s sure certainly keeping alive the family tradition of producing spinners!! Stripped of even the mundane powers of the Prime Ministership – much less the promised powerful ones – he was given responsibility for spinning the PNC-led coalition’s dismal record in the Chronic. In a Freudian slip, he dubbed his column “My Turn”, which, of course, evokes what it really was: “MY Spin”!!
So, what did he spin this week? NO surprise there – the manifesto which wasn’t a manifesto!! But this time he outdid himself – cause the spin had to be really outrageous to even attempt to deflect the sordid reality that he and his partners-in-crime can do nothing but make empty promises!! Nagamootoo chose to discuss the 21 promises APNU/AFC had made in their 2015 Manifesto, which were going to be delivered in 100 DAYS!!
He conceded failure but emphasised that failure when he offered the excuse that the budget took months to present and pass, and they couldn’t meet their timeline on account of no funds!! Who does this Bozo think he’s fooling?? First of all, after boasting ad nauseum about his “50 years in politics”, didn’t he know ahead of time about Budgets? But even there, he’s lying in his teeth! Which one of the 21 promises needed budgetary support that exceeded the 50% raise in salaries that he, Granger and the Cabinet awarded themselves – right after they assumed office??!!
Let’s look at one promise he didn’t even try to spin – to liberalise the telecommunications sector. How much money would it have taken to call in GTT for negotiations?? Today, 18,000 days later, the Telecommunications Sector – on which the country’s success in this new millennium depends – still haven’t been liberalised!! Maybe under the PNC new maths, 18,000 days is less than 100 days?? Or maybe they are using Einstein’s theory of relativity which posits that under some conditions time slows down??
To illustrate Nagamootoo’s priorities and pettiness, he boasted that “we pruned the excessive benefits under the former presidents’ law by placing a cap on the number of vehicles, guards, guns, overseas trips, duty-free concessions and other benefits that Mr Jagdeo had given to himself (monetised at some G$3 million monthly), and to his two colleagues who had also served as president.” But what about the pension they created for Hamilton Green under a special “Hamilton Green Pension Bill”??
Why didn’t he contest the GHRA’s contention that under the “obnoxious” Bill? “Green would receive an annual pension of G$20,580,000, other benefits to the value of G$3.1 million annually, two vehicles provided and maintained by the State and two first-class annual airfares provided by the State.”
Even in politics “chucking” is illegal!!
…green energy
In terms of substantive policies, nowhere is the PNC’s confusion more evident than in the energy area. In its 2020 manifesto-that-is-not-a-manifesto, they once again committed to “the goal of 100% renewable energy by 2030”. But when one looks at the details, they emphasise the gas from the Lisa 1 field and solar energy. Do they realise that gas-fired power plants don’t count as “renewable” energy?? And since we will be getting gas from the fields for the next three decades, do they envisage us flaring this gas to reach their goal??
Now there’s nothing wrong with solar power – save that as, they found out at Mabarama, it’s not without its challenges. But most stunning was their blanking of Hydro Power: just mentioning supplying Lethem and Mahdia with the two micro-plants in the pipeline that’ll barely supply 3MW!! At least in 2015, they gave lip service to pursuing AFHEP, while arguing that larger projects in the Mazaruni basin were preferable!!
What’s with the PNC? They suffer from hydrophobia??
…Deep water harbours
The 2020 Manifesto-that-is-not-a-manifesto promises to “Upgrade the Linden–Kwakwani road and construct a new highway from Linden to Lethem with access to deep-water harbours”!!
Deep-water Harbours at Lethem and Linden?? On the interior lake where El Dorado lies??