Blackouts in 2017 are worse than in the Forbes Burnham era

Sep 15, 2017 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

I was in Sandy Babb Street, Kitty, travelling west heading for the National Park. This was morning rush hour. The traffic wasn’t moving.
At the junction with Alexander Street, a car turned east into Sandy Babb Street and the driver came face to face with me.
With a tiny smile and a friendly tone, he exclaimed, “Freddie, write something nice nuh.”
There was no time to respond as he drove on.
You must have seen me write about such encounters countless times.
If I could have responded, I would have said; “Tell me what is nice to write about Guyana?” In the next few lines, what I will pen I believe for me is factual even though people might say, “‘Freddie, how can you say that?”
Here is what I think is happening; this is my feeling. Blackouts in 2017 where I live are worse than when I lived in Guyana under President Burnham.
It was bad in those days but it has gone crazy where I live in Turkeyen.
I never got blackouts so often in Wortmanville, South Georgetown, where I spent the majority of my life under the presidencies of Forbes Burnham, Desmond Hoyte, Cheddi Jagan, Janet Jagan, Bharrat Jagdeo and Donald Ramotar than what I am experiencing now where I live.
You cannot tell me that because times were dreadful under Burnham and that because Jagdeo was a mini-dictator that I should not make such a statement.
I am experiencing these daily blackouts.
I cannot speak for Berbice or Anna Regina or Enmore or Linden, or Leonora. I can speak for where I live in Turkeyen.
I believe GPL service where I live has broken down. I am not an engineer. I don’t have a clue how GPL operates technically.
But this I know- from 2016 until now, I get more blackouts at Turkeyen that when the PPP was in power. THAT IS THE HONEST TRUTH! There may be technical reasons why this has happened but it has happened.
Let’s go back to the days of Burnham. The citizens would get notice of ten-hour disruption.
Then electricity comes until the scheduled interruption the next day. This is not happening in Turkeyen. The interruption is daily and it comes three, four, five times a day. There is absolutely no work you can do.
Your itinerary is completely shattered. President Burnham had valid reasons to offer for the blackouts. The Granger/Nagamootoo government has none.
I lived under the Burnham regime when we had a devastating balance of payment dilemma.
Money was in short supply. The economy was in terrible shape. The whole truth is that President Burnham did not have the funds to resuscitate the economy. The financial situation in 2017 bears absolutely no resemblance to the hard times of the seventies and eighties.
Why then, are we getting so many disruptions so constantly, and by constantly, I mean daily?
Is there a collapse of GPL and the government is hiding that fact from us? I really don’t know so I am asking. But as a layman, my thinking is that GPL has indeed collapsed. If it hasn’t then I would still like to see a Commission of Inquiry into GPL.
There are so many such inquiries since the APNU+AFC came into power that it is now a joke in a country where the people have an evocative sense of humour stronger than most nationalities in the world.
If a problem arises anywhere, you would see a laugh then the cynical words, “They need a Commission of Inquiry fuh duh one.” In all seriousness, there should be a commission into the operations of GPL.
I really would like to hear explanations for these exasperating daily disruptions. One has and must understand there was no internet during the days of President Burnham so the torment didn’t run as deep as it is now.
Blackouts came and you simply type your essay and you handed in to your professor. You type your column and you hand it in to your editor. Who has a typewriter today? The last one went out after the Second World War.
It is really sad and tragic that in a post-modern world, we, in Guyana are still being tortured by daily blackouts.
But there is a greater depth of sadness and I am personally affected.
So many companies can turn on their generators but those who don’t have just have to live and work in the dark. I guess life has to go on.

1 thoughts on “Blackouts in 2017 are worse than in the Forbes Burnham era”

REST September 15, 2017 at 1:06 pm

That we have to discuss blackout in 2017 is unbelievable. Let the public know what is happening.

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