Champion of the Earth or Guyanese Dictator of the 21st Century?

Dec 31, 2010 Letters

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We should all know that Pradoville, the local habitat of the PPP-elite, is only a small part of Guyana, and Guyana is just a small part of the entire Earth.
The recent forestry controversy between Barama was led by a Mr. Trevor Atkinson against a few Guyanese Nationals spearheaded by Dr. Janette Bulkan. In the letters in the press, Mr. Atkinson had also claimed that Barama had brought modern technology to Guyana and that we should all be grateful and happy.
Guyanese would like to know how come this modern boiler technology takes one year to fix. In the past, the sugar factories have used boilers for centuries and managed well. Guyanese technicians and engineers usually serviced the equipment during the off-season, a couple of months. The Port Mourant Technical Institute used to provide personnel to meet these needs.
We were not aware that Barama was using nuclear technology or something more sophisticated so that local expertise could not handle this need or that it is not available in the Caribbean or a nearby country, such as the USA. Maybe it is time Mr. Trevor Atkinson, Barama’s defender, explain to us the real reasons for this undue delay.
During this long and public discourse on forestry and related issues, what was striking was the loud and deafening silence of the President Bharrat Jagdeo PPP-led Government. We could not understand why a Government whose responsibility is to defend Guyana’s interest was quiet. It led to the suspicion that the Government had probably made some private deals on the side with Barama or something unusual was going on.
Barama was very confident that it had the Government’s backing. The Company’s defenders even went so far as to deliver personal attacks in the press on the civic-minded and technically-competent citizens to distract from the issues, a well known PPP-strategy.
Recently, we saw that President Jagdeo was annoyed that Barama laid off Guyanese workers and announced that a necessary boiler would take one year to fix. President Jagdeo was surprised that Barama was so contemptuous of him after all the special deals and concessions he had given to Barama.
This was very revealing. Guyanese would like to know: what deals and concessions were given to Barama, and why they were not in the public domain? Were these President Jagdeo private deals compatible with public claims for LCDS compensation?
Only leaders with a gangster type of philosophy or mindset make private deals on the turfs to be exploited and payments to be shared while the general public is kept out of the picture.
These President Jagdeo’s deals when broken cannot be litigated against since they were likely not written, or were not legal in the first place. Barama certainly showed President Jagdeo that he is just a small time player.
It is arrogance of the highest degree for anyone to think that he owns Guyana and her resources. Despite how some Guyanese men may think and act, this country is not like their woman to be exploited, abused, sold or rented. How can any Government allocate our natural resources in private arrangements?
It is time Mr. Trevor Atkinson does his patriotic duty and informs us about the deals with Barama and President Jagdeo. (Assuming Atkinson is Guyanese.)
We wonder what deals also were made with, for example, the Russians, Iranians, and Chinese.
Deals and concessions of Guyana’s natural resources should be in the public domain and made available to the people’s representatives in Parliament. In this way we can have the input of others. The collective wisdom of our people is greater than that of the Govt. We have Guyanese with expertise in nearly every field of human endeavour that we can access.
We await the “Freedom of Information Act” in January, 2011, which we have long been calling for and Mr. Raphael Trotman of the AFC has toiled on. Maybe then we will know what promises and concessions were made to Barama and other companies.
The PNC-faithful declared Mr. L.F.S. Burnham, “The Caribbean Man of the Century.” In truth he was the “Guyanese Dictator of the 20th Century.” The PPP-faithful are now declaring President Bharat Jagdeo, the “Champion of the Earth.” Like other dictators, such as President Robert Mugabe, President Jagdeo craves international recognition.
So far President Jagdeo has done nothing to stake claims as an environmentalist. But President Jagdeo has committed several acts which rightfully earns him the title: “Guyanese Dictator of the 21st Century.”
The PPP-Jagdeo faithful should realise how ridiculous the President looks. The President by force and intimidation is King in Guyana in his Pradoville domain among his faithful. But Pradoville is not representative of all Guyana. Most people are not affluent nor do they live in mansions. Guyana is a relatively unknown place and is just a small part of the earth.
In contradiction to his internationally proclaimed “LCDS” policy, President Jagdeo has publicly stated that he gave concessions to Barama. For these works and actions, President Jagdeo is declared “Champion of the Earth” by his faithful or himself.
Dr. Janette Bulkan who fought so valiantly to bring the forestry issues and environmental concerns into the public domain was vilified as a traitor. Dr. Bulkan was punished by the said “Champion of the Earth.”
Which do you think more correctly describes President Bharrat Jagdeo “Champion of the Earth” or “Guyanese Dictator of the 21st Century?”
Seelochan Beharry

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