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PAY THE MAN HIS MONEY!

Nov 19, 2008 Peeping Tom

Kaieteur News ran one of its usual excellent editorials last Sunday. This one made the point that we should not wait until a man dies before we sing his praises.
I could not agree more. Why is it that most men are unable when they are alive to benefit from the praises which they deserve, praises which are only made when they die?
When a man or a woman is alive he of she should hear just how much they have meant to others so that during their living years they can have that please of being appreciated.
We should not wait until a person dies before we say just how wonderful that person is. Similarly, we should pay to a person what that person is entitled to so that they can enjoy the fruits of their labour while they are alive, rather than having someone else enjoy that benefit.
Adam Harris has been fighting for sixteen years for his benefits.  This is rather unfortunate and shows the mentalities of the persons we are dealing with. If the government felt that this man was not entitled to anything, they should have said so and closed his case.
But the very fact that this matter has been dragged out for sixteen years shows that Adam does have a case and what is needed is for his case to be addressed not just because he is Adam Harris but because he is a citizen of this country who has worked donkey years for the State and deserves now that he – by his own admission – is in his twilight years.
I am hoping that Adam Harris lives to receive his benefits because he deserves to enjoy that money. He deserves to be able to spend some of that money. He should have enjoyed that money sixteen years ago and I hope that in the spirit of fairness that when his benefits are fully computed that consideration is given to the real value of the benefits today.
You cannot, sixteen years after, pay a man what he sowed a long time—more than sixteen years ago—and presume that the man is going to be satisfied. You need to pay the man the present day value of his past benefits so that he could today enjoy the same level of comfort with those benefits had he been paid sixteen years ago.
Let us not beat around the bush. Adam Harris was someone that the government did not wish to work with. They still are not comfortable with him, even though he is today not working with the government. He knew that he was not wanted and was told this.
He therefore took the decision to depart with the understanding that he would be paid his benefits. He should have been paid the following week.  His case should have been resolved.
For the government to admit that this matter has been in limbo for sixteen years is an admission of failure.
Paying workers their benefits should take precedence over the pettiness.
And there is a great deal of pettiness taking place in Guyana. Is this what all the Guyanese people struggled for? Is this the democracy that we are supposed to have ushered in?
Better was expected from the PPP. They themselves suffered similar treatment under the PNC and they promised that there would be fair play under their administration.
Instead what we have is an almost daily litany of protests by persons seeking to have justice in this country.
I would like to see this matter of Adam Harris settled once and for all. I do not expect many in government to have a great good to say about Adam while he is alive, but at least let the Guyanese people at least say that for a government which did not wish to have Adam around when they came to power, at least they dealt with him fairly and justly.
Adam Harris is an excellent journalist. I consider him to be the most productive reporter I have ever seen. He is also a very good writer, coming from the old school and specializing in short sentences.
He is not getting any younger or more handsome. He needs to enjoy his retirement which is long overdue. He is entitled to his benefits .He should be paid so that he can enjoy his money and savour the praises while he is alive.

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