A golden opportunity for President Ramotar to demonstrate that he is truly different

Dec 15, 2012 Letters

Dear Editor,
Recent press reports indicated that the highly controversial, former president of Guyana, Bharrat Jagdeo, issued a number of radio licences, shortly before he left office. This revelation has sparked much public debate and attracted strong outrage by opposition parties and citizens, especially those who felt that President Jagdeo’s action directly discriminated against them.
Many Guyanese felt that Mr. Jagdeo’s presidency was shrouded in secret deals, corrupt practices in government, criminal activities, nepotism, cronyism, racism, and highly nefarious activities of all kinds.
There is a litany of cases which will seek to remind us of Mr. Jagdeo’s legacy, and if there was any doubt that corruption, discrimination and victimization nestled in the Office of the President, during the dark times, the recent revelation of the ‘Jagdeo radio licences’ serves to remind us that there was no illusion.
What kind of excuse can Mr. Jagdeo proffer for engaging in this highly biased selective method of granting radio licences to his friends while denying many? What is obvious is that some of those whose applications were denied had their application languishing on the desk of Mr. Jagdeo for many years, unlike his friends.
Further, some of these people were already established in the media business for years, in contrast to Jagdeo’s friends. These are blatant acts of grave abuses of power and the people must not let Mr. Jagdeo get away with yet another assault on them.
I have argued that these things only happen in societies where the leaders have no regard for the people, a people who they deem their subjects, who are incapable of recognizing right from wrong, or good from evil.
In the minds of Jagdeo and the PPP, the people are devoid of the intellectual capacity to identify and call them out on their wrongs, for them we are not to be feared, we are not to be bothered with, as we are mere mindless beings. How else can one explain the brazenness in which they perpetuate these vulgar wrongs against the people?
Jagdeo expects that none will have the courage and ability to call him out on this unfair radio licence scandal, so days before he leaves office he rewards his friends.
The ball is in President Donald Ramotar’s court, it is for him to chart a new course, his campaign theme of ‘continuity’ will not be in his interest, as all of Guyana has experienced the wrath of the Jagdeo regime, and for him to claim that he is continuing in the footsteps of his predecessor is preposterous and senseless.
One year has passed and President Ramotar seems comfortable to remain on the ‘Jagdeo Course’. He has an opportunity to demonstrate that he can chart his own course; that he understands that corruption eats away at the heart of the nation, that the people must be respected. Yes, he has the opportunity to do right by the people. He must act!
This recent Jagdeo radio licence saga has presented President Ramotar a golden opportunity to demonstrate that he is truly different. He can start by rescinding all the Jagdeo granted radio licences and reviewing the entire process used to grant those licences. All this must be done to ensure that the process is fair and that those who meet the requirements and were standing in line are satisfied that the process was fair. Failure to do this would be to leave us no alternative but to conclude that Ramotar is really running a Jagdeo administration.
Lurlene Nestor

Latest News

A golden opportunity for President Ramotar to demonstrate that he is truly different

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show|| March, 31st, 2025

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Twin tons from Anderson, Imlach steer Eagles back on course

Race for quarterfinal spots commence today at MoE...

Marsh sets up Lucknow’s comfortable win...

‘One Guyana’ 3×3 Quest tips off today

Saints and GTI dominate as YBG Georgetown...

Carty misses ton, Hamilton (80) sets up tense...

Features/Columnists

The One-Man Republic

The U.S. “Joining” the Commonwealth: an unreasonable expectation

Polls – what they say, where I stand

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]

A golden opportunity for President Ramotar to demonstrate that he is truly different

Share this:

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show|| March, 31st, 2025

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]