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PREOCCUPATION
In Guyana, there is a preoccupation with Commission of Inquiries (COI) and Tribunals on many issues. Since taking office, there have been more than a dozen COIs and in most cases, the reports have not been made known to the public as was the case with GUYSUCO COI report.
In some instances, they have served less purpose than the paper they are written on. Often, the COI reports provide receptacles for dust and termites, only to be referred to when an issue of similar nature presents itself and evokes a national debate. It is a government’s way of doing nothing or delaying the process because of its fear to act.
There is also a preoccupation with public speeches. Often many senior public officials speak to the citizens and give assurances of what will be done to solve the myriad problems that affect the country. Solutions and plans for the future are verbalized with great oratory and eloquence. Then all of a sudden, they retreat to their offices or private quarters, oblivious to the reality that their words are like the wind that blows. There have been very few follow-up actions which suggest that they believe that they can fool the people, but in reality, they are fooling themselves. Words will not save the day or the country.
Over the years, the last administration had shown very little or no concern about the direction some of the young people were headed. Emphasis was not placed on the most important issues affecting youths such as education, juvenile delinquency, youth gangs, school drop-outs, teenage pregnancy and the sexual abuse of children, among others.
These are critical issues but they did not get the attention they deserve and there was no urgency to place them on the front burner of national policy.The impression the people got was that the government was not very interested in the issues affecting youths.
Furthermore, those responsible for the youth programmes at the time have not done a spectacularly great job. Information has surfaced that they were irresponsible and were not dedicated and hard-working individuals. Frequently they did not show any keen interest in carrying out their mandates.
In that period, most of the youths were not accommodated. This has led to a spike in youth crimes and gangs across the country. It seems that the last government was oblivious to the fact that youths are the future of the country and that they are the nation’s gold mine.
However, there is good news on the horizon. This government has resurrected the concept of a National Service which the late Forbes Burnham had the vision to implement in the 1970s. It was like providing second parenting because each youth was given individual mentoring which focused on their strengths and not their weaknesses as well as the ability to cope with difficult issues.
Not only did the National Service point youths in the right direction, but it also provided a lifeline for many especially these who were vulnerable and would have likely fallen by the wayside.
Many who had joined the National Service would agree that it gave them a second chance by affording them the opportunity to become qualified and to obtain work experience. In doing so, it helped them to realize their full potential and become productive citizens. Many who were shy were able to articulate their concerns.
And there are perhaps thousands of other successful stories. The National Service was an incredible organization that had offered hope to many youths in the country. It is beyond dispute that it educated many youths andimproved their self-esteem.
The disbanding of the National Service by the PPP administration without an alternative was reckless. It has caused many youths to leave school without certification or skills; some fell through the cracks and many whose domestic and social circumstances provided fertile ground for deviancy ended up behind bars.
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