They want to kill the messenger

Mar 25, 2012 Features / Columnists, My Column

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The power of the press can never be underestimated. This past week I got an up close and personal look at the effect Kaieteur News has on the people who insist that there will always be corruption and the newspaper is blowing bubbles in the wind.
Indeed, a few months ago, having been informed of some of the fraudulent things that were happening in the society, and being faced with the pleadings of the people low down in the financial ladder, Kaieteur News decided to take a look at some of the things that people were complaining about. The first look was taken of the many projects being undertaken in the rural communities.
Most of these were small roads that resulted from the petitions by people who had to struggle through mud and slush during the rainy seasons and suffer the refusal of motorists who would not proceed down these roads.
Kaieteur News found that the roads were shabbily done and lasted no more than three months. On enquiring they learnt that some of the contractors would tell the residents that they could complain to whom they wished; that no one would listen.
The newspaper also found out that whenever a tender was awarded, the contractor had to pay a graft to the person who awarded the contract, so that immediately the money available for the project was drastically reduced. The contractor then had to make his profit with the result that he curtailed on the volume of material needed for the project.
Kaieteur News made these things public and the society was grateful. Sadly, officialdom said nothing. Kaieteur News continued its investigations, and many of these led to people in the position of power. There was, for example, the case of a prominent engineer whose salary could in no way afford his wife to buy a house for $60 million.
This was exposed and the man opted to sue on the grounds that he was not involved, but that the property and the doings were his wife’s and this was done without his knowledge. Meanwhile, approaches were made to the Commissioner General of the Guyana Revenue Authority seeking an investigation. I also spoke to President Bharrat Jagdeo about this and he promised an investigation.
About two years have passed and I have heard nothing more about this incident. Instead, I was confronted by some people who wanted to know why I seemed to be going after some people.
The newspaper checked on other unusual happenings and in each case we incurred the wrath of friends of the people involved. As far as these people were concerned we were attacking the government and that we wanted to embarrass the government.
For the love of me, I could not see the link between going after corrupt people and an attack on the government, unless it was that these were people who were close to the government, and just as an attack against a child was tantamount to an attack against a parent.
Indeed, the newspaper looked at some projects that were said to be in the interest of the country. At issue were the costs for these projects. In most cases the projects were good, but the newspaper had a problem with what was being cited as the final cost. The newspaper also contended that there should be value for money.
I talk about these things because recently I was pushed into a corner to defend what some people contended were moves to destroy people’s character and reputation. I said that the newspaper would simply look at the projects. More often than not it declined to name the contractors.
There was the case of the Supenaam stelling that collapsed as soon as it was put into operation.  This stelling came to attention because a contractor was incensed that the newspaper was looking at some of the projects he had undertaken. He directed attention to what he said was a white elephant.
As soon as attention turned to the stelling it was put to use and collapsed. There were promises of punitive damage. An investigation was mounted and it turned out that the engineer’s design was flawed. The investigation also contended that the contractor did shoddy work.
The newspaper, when news came that the contract for the Amaila Falls hydro project road was awarded to Makeshwar ‘Fip’ Motilall, kept telling the nation that  the contractor was incapable of undertaking the job.
Attacks came from every quarter and some spin doctors contended that Kaieteur News was condemning the hydroelectric project to failure. Winston Brassington of the Privatisation Unit defended the award of the contract and accused the newspaper of targeting Motilall’s character. Two years later the newspaper was vindicated. There was not a word about the observations made and the money that could have been saved.
It is worrying that there are people who feel comfortable with corruption and inefficiency. I worked during the People’s National Congress administration. I know about the criticisms of the projects that the PNC identified.
The Demerara Harbour Bridge completed in 1978 was severely criticized. It was to have lasted for twenty years. Today, the critics are keeping that Bridge afloat to the extent that they have scrapped the ferry service thus leaving the Bridge as the only lifeline between the city and the West Coast and Essequibo.
The Bank of Guyana was criticized as being too extravagant at a time when the country could have used the money to feed the people. That building still stands and it made enough money to pay for its construction.
I still remember the strident criticisms of the National Insurance Scheme. Today, the critics lean so heavily on it that one must wonder if the early criticisms were due to the fact that it was undertaken by the administration that some loved to hate.
I can say that when the PNC administration came up with the cost of a project, none could challenge it on the grounds that it was over-inflated. Today, simple questions are attracting hostility and accusations of being anti-government. Indeed, no government loves to be criticized, but the criticisms do not make the critic anti-government.
One thing I can say is that since the examination by Kaieteur News, the contracts are more realistic and the quality of work has improved dramatically. And in time, the ordinary people would get more from the government, because less money would disappear into the pockets of the corrupt ones.

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