The administration has reduced Linden to shambles

Sep 22, 2010 Letters

Dear Editor,
I have just returned from my beloved Guyana. During my stay I visited Linden twice. The town that was once proud and confident has been reduced to shambles after enduring 18 years of PPP/C misrule. In those parts of the country which are considered PPP strongholds, there is conspicuous evidence of added or well-maintained infrastructure. Linden, on the other hand, has paid a heavy price for being Burnham’s show piece.
Linden has always been the bed rock of PNC support. As a result, it has suffered some of the worse treatment handed down by this administration. One may note that this is in spite of the fact that the Prime Minister is considered a Lindener.
Everyone expected that the Prime Minister would use his office to bring growth and development to this town. All such expectation has been wasted. Linden suffers some of the worse discrimination but Sam is silent.
The roads in Linden are potholed and after a light shower of rain the roads are reduced to a series of pools. The gutters are clogged with overgrown weeds and are of no use to the long-suffering residents.
Some may argue that this is not the Government’s fault but rather the Town Council’s. Like Georgetown the government practice is to starve the Council of funds thus ensuring that they can barely limp along.
Thousands are without jobs, and not because better could not be done, but because several projects were blocked or derailed. In fact, I interviewed several Lindeners living in New York and asked them about investing in Linden with a view to creating employment. Several of them told me some very sad stories.
They told of the numerous unnecessary barriers put up by Government officials. The sole purpose of the obstacles was to discourage them. Many of them simply became discouraged and walked away. Five of them told me that when they attempted to get their projects going Government officials kept asking for more and more information. When they complied by giving details, they were denied access.
Later they realized that their information was handed over to some Government supporter and the same project denied in Linden was
up and running in another part of the country.
Of course if we had proper patenting regulations this could have been avoided. If there was some agency that would investigate and prosecute corrupt officials these treacherous practices would probably cease or at least be minimized.
However, this PPP regime would rather deny that this practice is in existence and the denial becomes the solution.
Of all the pain inflicted on Linden the physiological trauma caused by nonstop government propaganda must be severe. Linden has one TV station and it is controlled by the government. Every effort to bring in other stations has been thwarted by more government obstacles.
Guyana is a multicultural society and people should be free to choose which religion or faith they want to follow. However the programs in Hindi being beamed to Linden are an affront.
I would speak out in the same manner if the PNC had attempted to force any African religion on the people of Crabwood Creek. I consider this treatment of Linden as totally unacceptable and must be rejected.
Lastly, Lindeners were promised free computers. By now the Guyanese people are hard pressed to believe the stream of lies by this PPP regime. After being mistreated for 18 years only fools should believe these promises.
As I was told this, I said to some folks that I would have told the Government to give me a job or stop blocking the various initiatives for Development.
I would find a job and buy my own computer. I also said that I was surprised to see the public turn out when Mr. Jagdeo visited the area. Their response was “Big man, da was rent a crowd.”
Aubrey Retemyer

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The administration has reduced Linden to shambles

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