Minister Rohee’s comments are very revealing

Jul 03, 2012 Letters

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Dear Editor,
I refer to Minister Rohee’s letter captioned; ‘If ever there are tensions in our society it is because of political opposition fuelled by sections of the media and rarely the government” (SN 06/29/2012).
In his letter the Minister has made some very worrying statements tantamount to threats, and so I wish to seek clarification from the Minister on his comments. In the very first paragraph, in making reference to my ability to travel outside of Guyana he states; “Our constitution does not prevent anyone from leaving Guyana unless you are blacklisted, thus preventing you from doing so by the competent legal authorities here in Guyana. So Mr. Hinds and Ms Nestor are in possession of their ‘get out of jail cards’ on these two counts.”
After reading this quote, I am compelled to ask the Minister what exactly he means by using the phrase ‘get out of jail’. Is this comment intended as a threat which you hope to carry out, but for me having some ‘get out of jail card’ or has the Home Affairs Minister relegated Guyana to a mere jail and thinks that I am fortunate to be able to escape this unthinkable jail because I have the ‘get out of jail’ card to which he referred?
It would be helpful if the Minister would explain to the Guyanese people what exactly he means. This is another example of suspicious language being used by those in authority, and which I pointed out has the potential to cause unnecessary fear and panic in the nation.
In my June 25th letter, I particularly called out Minister Rohee for making the same kinds of suspicious statements, when he alluded to some ‘delicate period of national security’ in which he claimed Guyana currently rests. Mr. Rohee went on in his usual ramblings to claim that my writings are politically extremism; this is where I have the greatest concern, because it is clear that the man in-charge of the nation’s security cannot distinguish between two very distinct rationales.
If to highlight and illustrate the ills of bad-governance in Guyana and to call on government officials to refuse to make statements capable of heightening fear and tension in Guyana are deemed extremist, I can understand why the charge of treason has become so popular in the land.
I wish to ask the Commissioner of Police (ag.) Mr. Leroy Brumell to keep this letter on file, I will also like to ask both the parliamentary opposition parties to do the same. I invite the leader of the PNCR and the Opposition Leader to take Mr. Rohee’s comments seriously, as it appears to be a bold and barefaced threat against me, I am not sure in which other country, which claims to be democratic, can a government Minister freely make such bold and highly suspicious comments.
It is clear that the Minister, in his letter, tried to divert from the real issue and thus attempt to seek refuge in that old PPP trick which is; when you can’t deal with the issue make a false emotional appeal and resort to character assassination. So the Minister, after lamenting how I do not live in Guyana, went on to say that I pay no taxes and made no contribution to society, and thus concludes that I have no right to speak on matters pertinent to the people of Guyana.
He stated; “There must be something morally wrong about this.” After reading this bile, I recognize that Rohee thinks that a person, whom he believes is not resident in Guyana, has no right to express a view on things in Guyana, particularly if you write to expose the shortcomings of the government.
I wonder if it is also immoral for Harry Gill and all the other PPP/C letter writers, who reside out of Guyana to comment on things related to Guyana? Many persons might want to claim that this might be one of the ‘goat nah bite meh’ moments of Clement Rohee.
Why call on Guyanese abroad to come home and invest when there appears to be grave intolerance for the views of these very people? What is wrong with the PPP/C government?
Can Guyanese in the Diaspora take these people seriously?
My information is that during the PNC government the PPP organized their supporters who reside outside of Guyana to write and lobby widely to garner support for their political assault against the PNC government. It appeared that it was the morally correct thing to do then, but now it is outlawed. Maybe the saying that dictators don’t tolerate dissenters is apt here.
With regard to the contributions I’ve made, and am continuing to make, I would only ask the good Minister to do some research, but would go on to ask him what has he done as Minister of Home Affairs to ensure that Guyanese have a safer society? Do we now have a comprehensive crime-fighting strategy, Mr. Rohee?
I would think that the continued absence of such a strategy will constitute the kind of ‘delicate period of national security’ you speak of, a responsible Minister and government that understand the plight of the people and own up to their responsibility.
Mr. Rohee, in providing an answer as to what constitutes his ‘delicate period of national security’, claimed that comments made by a number of persons, whom he identified, represent that national security crisis he speaks of. What a joke!
The Minister also stated; “If ever there are tensions in our society it is because of the political opposition fuelled by sections of the media, and rarely the government”. In this line, Rohee, while blaming the media and the opposition for all the tensions in society, did admit that there are instances where his government does the same.
I appreciate this confession, not sure if it was knowingly offered or if it was as a result of that irrepressible ‘goat nah bite me’ syndrome.
I must point out that, just like Rohee labels comments of others threats to security, his own ‘delicate national security period’ comment might be an example of one of those ‘rare moments’ when the PPP/C government fuels that tension.
Mr. Rohee stated that my writing is obstructing Guyanese from carrying on with their daily lives and lamented, “Left to themselves the working people of Guyana would carry on with their daily lives…” This clarifies the point I often make, that is that the government seems to have no regard for the plight of the working class, and the intelligence of the masses.
The Minister of Home Affairs is telling the world that Guyanese couldn’t care less about the fact that teenagers are killing each other senselessly; that domestic violence and murder happen with an alarming frequency; that corruption thrives in government agencies; that a depressed community like Linden is forced to pay a hike in the cost of electricity; that the government appoints the Minister of Finance’s wife to account for the finances of the public entities that her husband manages; that VAT is still 16%; that the police force is not adequately equipped; that NICIL money is still not deposited in the Consolidated Fund; that pure water supply is yet to be realized, etc.
How can the Minister think that Guyanese are not interested in these things? I recall that in the height of massacres and brutal killings, and heightened criminal activities in Guyana, Minister Rohee made the same kinds of dismissive outburst when he made comments to the effect that Guyanese couldn’t care less about what is happening around them as they are looking forward to their barrels and remittances coming, from yes, overseas.
On that occasion I had reason to call out Rohee for, again, his unfortunate and insensitive comments. Now, years later, he’s still making these scathing and I dare say disrespectful comments that might very well amount to obstructionist behaviour. I am forced to conclude that this attitude pervades the thinking of the government, and this is sad!
Lurlene Nestor

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