The Mentality of the PPP Government – “is Guyana we deh”

Jul 08, 2014 Letters

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DEAR EDITOR,
The colloquial phrase “is Guyana we deh” is used to communicate that all manner of foolishness, ignorance, corruption and ill-treatment occurs in Guyana.  It is usually the response by some after another has given an account of some first or second hand experience.  This alone says a lot of what happens in Guyana and the people’s perception of life in Guyana.
As I watched the recent outburst by Minister Manickchand, an outburst sanctioned by none other than the Cabinet – meaning the President, Ministers, technical advisors and executive board members that sit on the Cabinet – I could not help but listen to the voice in my head which said “is Guyana we deh.”
First let me say to your readers that if they are not yet convinced of the PPP Government’s alleged involvement in the orchestration of many social ills in Guyana including the wanton violence, especially violence involving young people, the mis-education of our people, links to the illicit drug-trafficking trade in and out of Guyana, terminating the service contract of Freddie Kissoon at the University of Guyana, attempts to oust the Georgetown Municipality, etc., Minister Manickchand’s speech at former U.S. Ambassador Brent Hardt’s residence on the occasion of the 238th Independence celebration of the United States, should be a wakeup call to all.
The beauty about language is that it is an expression of power, it reveals assumptions, agendas, fears, etc.  An analysis of the Minister’s speech will reveal many things but I would like to highlight just two:
(1)  The PPP Government is not interested in listening to the people of Guyana. It cannot or does not want to hear that the vast majority of the country is “fed-up” or dissatisfied with its performance.
The Government is only interested in self-preservation (read power and control through dependency and divide and rule), implementing ill-conceived projects of its own creation primarily to benefit friends and family at the peril of our country and ruling rather than working for Guyanese.
Just think about it for a second.  We’ve asked for local government elections for several years; same thing for improved quality of education, same for investing in the youth sector. We have asked for an increase of salaries for teachers, police, army and general public sector workers, we have asked for greater financial transparency of the national budget, and fairness in the award of public tender contracts, etc.
Yet we are met with all sorts of excuses like “the Guyanese people are not ready or we are the “ruling party” and we call the shots.  For example, what excuse can there possibly be for not having a coherent youth policy and investment in young people, but yet the Government is wasting billions on building a Marriott, Amaila Falls, the dormant Skeldon Sugar factory, etc? When and where did the Government consult with the Guyanese people on these projects? These projects are creations of the Government and while we pursue infrastructural development, we neglect the most important component of development – the people.
So let’s look at some people statistics:
·    Guyana has one of the highest incidences of suicide in the western hemisphere, the World Health Organisation ranks Guyana as the ninth most suicidal nation in the world – people are depressed and feel hopeless, these conditions are the root of suicide but what it also reveals is that our country does not inspire nor is their hope within persons they can realize their full potential in Guyana.
·     Guyanese migrate in the thousands every day, among these are the best and brightest. We have an emigration rate of approximately 34% with more than 80% of persons with a tertiary level education emigrating annually.  We have the highest rate of brain drain in the Western Hemisphere. Yet the Government tells us that Guyana is so developed, such an inspiring place to be, has great opportunities, a lot of potential, etc. Well I have never gone to the shop with potential or opportunity. They have never paid a bill for me.
·    Guyana is arguably the most corrupt country in the Caribbean.  Why does it persist and why is the Government dragging its feet when it comes to setting up the Public Procurement Commission, etc.  The main issue is that people do not earn enough to meet daily survival needs; therefore the pros of corruption outweigh the cons, which make it easier for people to rationalize and justify corrupt activities.
·    Drug-trafficking has become the norm in Guyana.  Our youth are being pulled into this world because many of them are frustrated, need finance to survive, and our job market is very limited.  We are now known internationally as a major player in the international transshipment of illicit narcotics.   This is a people issue that is allowed to spread because of several factors, including high employment levels.
·    We are a rich nation with so much potential is a phrase that successive generations of Guyanese had heard.  Yet we continue to live in poverty, as we say “life pon de dam.”  It is no secret that Guyana is a very poor country.  What may be less know is that there are two main underlying reasons why we remain poor – collective education level of our people and mismanagement of the country’s economy and natural resources by Government.  What needs to improve is clear as day in front of our eyes, it is not rocket science.  Be this as it is, the PPP Government still chooses to focus the country’s investment energies elsewhere for its own narrow agenda of self-preservation and control.
Freddie Kissoon likes to compare Guyana’s post-Independence development to that of Malaysia.  A closer analysis will reveal a major difference, perhaps even the key reason why a similar number of years as an independent nation (Malaysia – 1957 and Guyana – 1966), Malaysia is leaps and bounds ahead of Guyana – investment in education and youth.
As we say in Guyana, “dis time nah lang time” and “fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.”  The Government of Guyana is not the ruler of Guyana; it works for the people of Guyana.  We do not and must not act subservient to any Minister, President, etc.  This is Guyana, a country for the people, by the people, and governed by the people.    The concept of centralized democracy that the PPP Government is attempting to push down the throats of the Guyanese people will cause exactly what we see happening in our country today, as it will always rest unsettled in the bowels of the population.
(2) Secondly, Minister Manickchand did an interview on NCN channel 11 on July 4, 2014 in which she said and I paraphrase here, that she was surprised to observe a couple “friends” of hers and the PPP Government booing and expressing displeasure at her remarks and behavior during the occasion.
The Minister shouldn’t be surprised, the country is fed-up, and many of the Government’s so-called “friends” are only friends because of the profits of this friendship.  For some, it means business opportunities, scholarships, protection, and social status and for others it means daily survival – bread and butter issues.  Secondly, being a friend of someone doesn’t mean I agree with all he/she does or says and it certainly does not mean I am a blind supporter of my friend. If my friend robs a bank because his/her family is starving, and in the process of the robbery kills a mother of five among others, should I be afraid to voice by disagreement and dissatisfaction because this person is my friend?  I don’t think so!
Any nation that seeks to improve the lives of its citizenry in the face of Government oppression and repression must stand up and be counted.  The PPP Government has lost its way and more than likely all sorts of “unfortunate circumstances” will be facilitated and/or manufactured by the ruling party to exercise dominance and create conditions favourable to its continued existence in power.
I pray that just as the patrons of the event at the former Ambassador’s residence expressed their displeasure, Guyanese across the length and breadth of this rich yet poverty-stricken country are courageous enough to express their displeasure and vision for a brighter and more prosperous future.
Mike Archer

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