There are grounds for prosecution and time to bask in the glory

Jun 12, 2016 Features / Columnists, My Column

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There are some things that never seem to change. People always seem attracted to public funds and would do some of the most ridiculous things to enrich themselves. Of course there are always loopholes in the financial system, because the checks are not as stringent as they should be.
On Friday it came to light that the people at the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority opted to sell fuel as though they were an importing agency. Some enterprising staff decided to requisition hundreds of gallons of petrol for vehicles, many of which were inoperable.
The internal auditor should have picked up this bit of irregularity. On checking the various invoices he should have seen the volume of fuel being used. He had the opportunity to see previous requisitions. Then he would have had knowledge of the vehicles that were in the workshop. But these things missed him.
They also missed everyone until the audits that the Granger administration conducted revealed them. Of course these audits had discovered a lot of irregularities, all of which demand prosecution. It is here that the wider society seems to very angry with the government. The evidence is being unearthed, but there is no corresponding action.
I spoke to some of the people who are in control of the audit findings and their answers surprise me. For example, one of them said that most of the findings have been handed over to the police. It is here that the problem arises.
In one case the advice is that the statute of limitation for prosecution has passed. I was directed to the legislation, but not being legal minded I am tempted to think otherwise. I simply can’t imagine a man stealing and hiding the loot for a specified period that surfaces to spend it.
The legislation talks about two years. I am tempted to believe that the countdown begins from the discovery and the discovery was made after the new government came into office.
Take the case of the fuel irregularity discovered at the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority. The signatures of the authorizing bodies would be on the vouchers. They are the ones answerable. My worry is whether the files have been passed to the police.
I saw the reports on the Guyana Water Inc. There was Shaik Baksh taking decisions and incurring expenses that would not stand up to scrutiny. Again that file should be with the police. But whatever the case, the public expect action. So far none is forthcoming.
I suspect that these are early days and that the expectation of the public would be satisfied. Yet it is the audit on the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited that yields the most irregularities. There are many big names surfacing. The public would go bonkers if these are prosecuted. The courtroom would not have enough space to hold spectators.
The audits apart, I must say that the glow from the jubilee celebrations is still with the people of this dear land. They came in by the thousands from their adopted home. Some had not been home for thirty years but they were caught up in the spirit so they came.
The figures suggest that at least fifteen thousand came. I know that there were more, because not all expatriate Guyanese live in North America and Europe. They live in Suriname and in the Caribbean islands.
There were those who claimed that the expenditure to host the event was astronomical. Compared to what tiny Barbados is putting out later this year, our expenditure was chicken feed. However, the returns were over the moon.
The hotels all made money and from what I have been hearing they have a clientele that they would be seeing more often than not. The taxi services enjoyed doing business with the foreigners. They hiked their rates and there were no complaints. The souvenir stores did brisk business and many Guyanese enjoyed a lot of pocket money.
I saw the exuberance; I saw the nationalism; I saw the spirit that earned Guyanese the title of being the most hospitable people in this part of the world.
But there were some complaints. There were a few people who were upset with the physical arrangements. There were positive comments, though. One read; “I missed the Flag Raising and the parade but I attended the gala. I had pone and Chinese cake. I noticed that they served a variety of food. The President signed my program and I’m taking it back to show my kids. I am impressed with the changes in Guyana.” – Selwyne Felix, Guyanese citizen
People complained about the cutlery and the ware. I suppose tradition would demand china and silver. However, to my mind, it would have been extremely costly to buy china for 1,500 people. But then again, there was talk about renting.
This is Guyana and I simply don’t know of any place that could have furnished 4,000 pieces of china for such an event. Investigations now tell me that most countries go for fancy but disposable ware. The focus is on cost and on the environment.
I saw some of the plates used for the occasion and while they were not china I noticed that they looked fancy. The people who came, though, wanted to be there and could not care much about the niceties of the old days.
I may have made some enemies but such is life. I now reproduce some of the comments that were made about the jubilee.
“I attended both the National Flag Raising and the Golden Jubilee Float Parade event. I am very pleased with both events. They were both a positive experience for me as both events displayed excellent coordination” – Lynette Soderburg, returning Guyanese from the United Kingdom

“I would deem the National Float Parade and the Flag Raising Ceremony both ‘fulfilling events.’ I am very happy to say I attended both events. I look forward to seeing events which display a sense of National Pride in the future, something children will remember in the next 50-70 years. I must say that I observe that the East Indian turnout was not much; the crowd consisted of mainly Afro-Guyanese, although the National Flag Raising Ceremony and the Golden Jubilee Parade were both National events” – Aubrey Ramington, returning Guyanese from the United States of America.
“The Flag Raising ceremony was satisfactory. The programme was respectable. There was however technical problems, some stands at D’Urban Park were not receiving clear sound, those seated in particular stands were only able to hear what was said through echoing feedback from the sound systems provided. Also persons were not able to see over the person in front of them due to how the stands were built. Also, the quality image on the screens provided was not satisfactory. We need to improve on technical issues for other major events of this nature.
The programme for the Float Parade was great. I commend the coordinators for organizing a ‘Great display of Guyana’, and I admire the fact that the costumes for this year’s display were decent” – Mary Adams, Guyanese citizen
“The Golden Jubilee Float Parade was well done, unique. I admired the youths especially, and participants were very enthusiastic to perform. The seating arrangement at D’Urban Park was satisfactory, no cause to remove.
The National Flag Raising ceremony was well arranged. ‘Hats off’ to the Minister of Education, Hon. Rupert Roopnarine and the Minister within the ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Hon. Nicolette Henry. She did a commendable job in organizing the event” – Dolly Purlette, Guyanese citizen.
“Wonderful preparation for both events. They were both commendable. Both events were a ‘call for Guyanese from near and far.’ I am disappointed that the President didn’t say much at these events, although other returning Guyanese and I were eager to hear the president’s remarks at such historical occasions” – Corlis Harewood, Returning Guyanese residing in Barbados

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