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Who cares about this Third World nation? I do!!

Dec 23, 2008 Letters

Dear Editor,
I had written many times before about the constant man-made disaster constantly facing our nation.
Citizens could have probably considered suing the Government for negligence, had it not been for the fact that citizens themselves are responsible for the garbage all over the country; dumping of garbage being a major contributor to the problem of flooding; the other issues being improper drainage infrastructure.
It is good to finally see some infomercials to address the issue of garbage by local and central government.

It is appalling that, after so much destruction over recent years, the Government and the appointed public technical representatives cannot get their act together and have systems in place to address this critical issue. Why is it that they simply react to this issue on a case-by-case basis (whenever there is heavy rainfall) rather than proactively address the problem in a systematic manner?

Ravi Narine replaced by Lionel Wordsworth didn’t make any difference. Perhaps replace the Minister of Agriculture? This seems a necessary choice.

This minister seems more interested in promoting himself rather than the interest of his constituents. But we have seen that one with prominent relatives can get any job. This is possible anywhere in the world.

We saw this happen in the US, and then the beacon of democracy became a corporatist democracy because of the leadership; and today, look at the crisis those corporations have plunged the world into.

The same nepotism is responsible for some of the problems we are saddled with in Guyana. Millions of dollars are spent, or supposedly spent, on pumps — not one, but two — to deal with the issue of flooding plaguing the residents of the East Coast villages. The plague still continues.

I spoke with several persons who live in villages like Enterprise and Victoria. The despair they expressed was disheartening, especially in the run-up to the Christmas season.

They still have nightmares about “The Great Flood of 2005”. Perhaps some of the money earmarked for pumps may have been spent on purchasing other assets — public assets?

A large plot of land, equivalent to four house lots, was recently purchased in Alma Avenue in Prashad Nagar by a busy minister of the Government. The land was owned by the Catholic Church.

How does a supposedly busy minister of the Government get the time to be wheeling and dealing in real estate? Here is a real and tangible issue for the President to look into.

It is quite possible that this is all above board. It is possible that the minister became a successful businessman after becoming a minister.

But really, is it fair to citizens? Whose interest is he serving? One can clearly see it is not the citizens of this country.

I was at the GCC recently (December 12). The Prime Minister was there. I was tempted to point out the man-made lakeview from the pavilion. It seemed permanent, since it was there for several days, but these guys take offence at any act of annoyance displayed by citizens expressing their discomfort.

The Prime Minister usually attends this cocktail event at Christmas. He was there last year as well. He arrived under similar conditions, and the lakeview was provided on that occasion as well.

I am surprised that the Prime Minister of our country traversed some wooden shipping crates, which provided a walkway from the road through the flooded grounds, to ascend the stairs of the pavilion. I suppose there is no longer the need for a Prime Minister of a country to carry himself with dignity.

After all, we do have some characters, or close family members who are characters, currently in ministerial positions and in the opposition. Quite extraordinary!! But then, shucks, this is just a Third World nation. Who cares? I care!!
Ganesh Singh

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