Speed up the process and give Berbice, the opportunity to have the use of broadband

Aug 07, 2010 Letters

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Dear Editor,
I have to first admit that I do not watch TV and the only reason is that my experience has taught me that there is very little that may interest me on our TV stations and that includes the regular newscasts.
There is so much lacking when it comes to our local TV programmes that I feel it will be a complete waste of time to watch and there is no indication that anything is being done, or will be done to change that and so it is with that background that I feel it necessary to make mention of this particular day when I turned my TV on and heard/saw an interview on NCN with Yog Mahadeo, the man who will be, or is slated to be, at the helm of GT&T.
I have never met the man. S spoke to him on the phone on two occasions in relation to a problem I had with my phone line, but I have never been as impressed with a person in Guyana as I have been with Yog Mahadeo when I listened to the interview with him.
He spoke with a conviction and competence that is so lacking in our leaders and managers. He not only has a business plan for GT&T that seems sound and very promising, he also knows how to implement it and was able to very confidently describe the game plan.
I must add that on the occasion when I had cause to speak to him, in late may, 2010, his first question to me, before he even heard what problem I had was, “how come you are not using a GT&T line to call me”. He was not rude in his question. He was simply promoting his business and that was done in the most professional manner and so I promised him that I would use a GT&T line to call him in future. Let me say that he did address my problem and I did use a GT&T line to call him back.
It may not mean much to some of “the square pegs in round holes” CEO’s and leaders in this country but they should take a pattern from a page in Yog Mahadeo’s book on professionalism, knowledge and confidence when carrying out their functions. One of the major setbacks we have in this beautiful, yet unfortunate country is that we have managers who do not have an iota of managerial know how. I feel that Yog Mahadeo will make a positive impact on the future and success of GT&T and I would like to commend him on the way he “takes charge”.
Hmmmm, I wonder why the decision was taken by the Government of Guyana to sell its minority shares in this very promising company? Could it be that the top brass needs to have a golden adios handshake? Not bad for a poor country like Guyana.
As a final note I would like to ask Yog Mahadeo that he does his best to speed up the process of giving us, in Berbice, the opportunity to have the use of broadband, fibre-optics – and that any future promotion be sampled by Berbicians first.
Charrandass Persaud
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Stringent regulations necessary to manage pesticide use and trade

Dear Editor,
I was particularly pleased at the response of the Pesticides Board to Mr. L. H. Semple’s letter alleging that the Board is not equipped to tackle backtrack chemicals.
As a farmer I am pleased at the response of the Pesticide Board, as I have benefitted from training on two occasions resulting in the safe use and application of pesticides.
Mr. Semple needs to come out in the fields and interact with farmers to get an accurate understanding of the constant interaction the Pesticide Board and the Ministry of Agriculture has with farmers.
I would like to report on one occasion information was passed on to enforcement officers of the Pesticide Board during a training exercise resulting in the seizure of a quantity of chemicals that were illegal. This is the kind of relationship farmers have with the Board and the Ministry of Agriculture.
While I must admit that more needs to be done, we all have a moral responsibility to ensure the safety of farmers and consumers of agricultural produce to report all suspected importation and sale of illegal pesticides.
It is evident in Mr. Semple’s letter that he is not aware of the consequences and domino effect when he stated that the requirements of the regulations are “unnecessary”.
I strongly believe it is so by design to ensure the safety of those applying pesticides and also the consumers of those foods. I do believe that Mr. Semple should have an interaction with the Pesticide Board to clear his misconceptions and doubts of the management and use of pesticides in Guyana.
Finally, I would once again like to commend the Pesticides Board and its collaborating agencies from the Ministry of Agriculture for their extension training exercises, which have greatly improved my knowledge and that of numerous other farmers on safe use of pesticides and other general agricultural practices.
Farmers are listening as simple techniques and improved methods can save farmers valuable dollars.
Rajpat Singh
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Be kind to suffering street dogs

Dear Editor,
Kind hearted people who write letters on the dilemma of street dogs is a blessing to draw awareness to a sad situation in Guyana. I refer to SN 07/23/10 title “dogs are suffering so much in Guyana” by Leon Jameson Suseran who profoundly expressed a nightmare epidemic of multitudes of street dogs living on the streets in a suffering manner.
Some may argue that people share similar fate in sectors of society, this I beg to differ. People can take care of each other but animals are at our mercy for kindness. Many people are bodily violent against each other but each has a resistance for self defence. Animals are voiceless and defenceless and their innocence, loyalty and bond with humans are betrayed by some humans.
People are still emigrating hugely leaving packs of dogs behind eventually they all end up on the streets to a life of misery, hunger, thirst and despair. Due to straying and outcast of dogs they fall victims to diseases, broken bones and bleeding souls walking the streets to the scorn of people who view them as garbage and harm them. How much more can they bear.
Adding to street population is producing litters and one litter of pups is many. These little creatures were better off not being born to a cycle of a wretched life on the streets. Their abandonment is a story of extreme survival, always in harm’s way and a life of abuse and suffering until their demise.
The human capacity to feel hunger, thirst and pain is no different for animals that experience our vital senses. Our natural human spirit has a sounding bell to warn us of what is the humane thing to do but some of us knowingly ignore it. Animals continue to suffer.
In the animal kingdom, dogs have the closest bond with humans and are sensitive to kindness and unkindness but not insensitive to provide trust, loyalty, obedience and protection if treated properly. These faithful servants will be forever thankful.
Countless dogs are locked up all day or tied in the blazing sun without a drop of water by owners who are neglectful failing to provide the basic essential of life’s blood – water. By virtue of conscience don’t some humans know animals will be thirsty too and a little consideration is necessary to help the voiceless who cannot ask for drinking water.
This outbreak of street dogs, no fault of the dogs, is all over the country and if a system is not put in place by various authorities to avoid a national calamity, the suffering of these selfless creatures will immensely grow to the detriment of being the forsaken ones.
Please be caring to stop and notice the tragic wrongs on the freedom of animals and answer the mercy call from your heart. You will have proven your full human potential. If you feed a dog he will love you more than he loves himself (Mark Twain).
Zenobia Williams

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