Blame the government…Success does not come easy

Sep 03, 2008 Features / Columnists

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Carifesta is over and it is back to normal life. Schools have reopened and children are in some spanking new buildings because the government has found it necessary to build new schools. The student population is growing and there is a drive to take advanced education to every corner of the country.
At the same time the government is quietly revamping the education system, adjusting many schools so that even more children could access a secondary education. Some of these schools have not been completed but they will be. It is not the fault of the administration because the contracts were awarded long enough to allow the contractors to complete the job.
In the past, the government might have understood the cost overrun and the delayed finish, but not this time. This change has come about because many people see the government as a milch cow and believe that whatever they do would be alright.
This is not the case this time because money, people’s money, is not something that should be wasted on inefficiency. The government has therefore set about penalizing those contractors who fail to deliver, especially since all should recognize that each day out of school is a day lost to a child seeking education.
This trend of taking things for granted has been a major problem because people have for one reason or the other failed to give of their best and to demand the best from their workers.
All too often people, especially contracted workers, believe that they can undertake government jobs at their pace, regardless of the consequences. Those days are over, and these contracted workers have only themselves to blame for any punishment meted out to them.
In the midst of all this, though, it would seem that there is no end to government spending on structures, even those that were constructed a few short years ago, and this has nothing to do with minor repairs.
In Waramadong, a dormitory went up in flames and sadly enough, three students died, young people who were preparing to make their contribution to the country. The cause of that fire has been blamed on a lighted candle.
The building had no electricity because electricity has not yet reached that part of the country. However, over the years, the administration has been taking great pains to warn people about leaving lighted objects unattended. The regret cannot be expressed by words because every young life is of great concern to the nation.
The government will counsel the parents and the surviving students because undoubtedly, the disaster has been traumatic. It is not often that one hears about students dying in a blaze away from home. Everything possible will be done to bring comfort to the grieving parents and to the survivors. This is a setback of epic proportions.
It is almost unthinkable that this disaster has come even as the country is basking in the glow of hosting a successful Carifesta. The critics blamed the government for offering to host the event and for the $500 million outlay. Today, people from all walks of life are saying that it was money well spent and money that helped boost the national economy because those who came spent a lot.
Politics had to rear its ugly head and criticisms must be directed to the People’s National Congress Reform who pledged unlimited support when the announcement came that Guyana was going to host Carifesta, thirty-six years after this country hosted the first one.  However, that party was conspicuous by its absence from what must be deemed the most significant national event in recent memory.
Money went into constructing facilities, beautifying the environment and boosting certain infrastructure. It is not that this would not have been done, but since money is never in sufficient quantities, Carifesta helped the government redirect certain expenditures.
The praises from the participants have been fulsome, to the extent that all have said that Guyana has raised the bar for hosting Carifesta. President Bharrat Jagdeo could not have known this but he certainly knew that anything that the government had to do for hosting the event had to be well done. And the efforts were well done.
When one takes into consideration that these preparations began a mere one year ago, the results are more than laudable. They are astonishing to say the least, and extraordinary at best.
It is not known when Guyana will have another chance to host Carifesta, and many who were around to enjoy this spectacle may not be around when the next Carifesta comes. These are the people who are thanking President Jagdeo for giving them a once-in-a-lifetime experience and leaving them with memories that will not be erased with the passage of time.
There were glitches but every country that hosts a mega event knows that there will be glitches. Jobs were created, money was earned by all the entrepreneurs and the economy got a boost. Who can blame the government?

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