SARA will be branded corrupt

Apr 26, 2018 Letters

Dear Editor,
I was somewhat amused to read in KN that SARA is on the verge of launching an anticorruption campaign under the theme “corruption is everybody’s business.” The reason given for the campaign is ”to raise awareness of corruption in Guyana”.
This is funny! This has to be the understatement of the year. Who does not know that corruption is rampant in Guyana? The acronym SARA itself is indicative of the existence of corruption in Guyana.
.As I read I wonder what or who awoke SARA from its hibernation. I thought of SARA’s first anniversary and perceived this outing to be a celebration for same. When I saw the names and portfolios of who would be speaking on Friday- I had a Eureka moment.
Whenever one sees designation such as “British High Commissioner” and “ Anti-corruption Advisor, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime”, one is likely to be reminiscent of Anil Nandlall’s phrase, ”Massa cracked his whip, the coalition could not dither” when Nagamootoo was gerrymandering with his Constitutional consultative Bill last year.
I believe that Anil’s phrase is 100 percent relevant here. If the call for this forum did not come from these two overseas entities, SARA would not have flinched a muscle from its hibernating cave. Now that the dust has settled on Friday’s proceedings “corruption is everybody’s business” will be dead and decayed, just as Nagamootoo’s “Constitutional consultative Bill”. The poor turnout is expressive of the populace lack of confidence and belief that anything good will follow to stop corruption in Guyana.
I understand and respect the United Nations adviser and the British show of solidarity for the Guyanese people by getting SARA to put up a show. I am of the belief that independence is the worst thing that could have happened for this country. Don’t call me unpatriotic! Look back from 1966. Have you seen the poor benefiting from independence? I think not. Look at the politicians!
After 50 years of independence we still lack what we had lacked then. Have you ever seen anyone digging to find oil with a shovel? From the 1990s the politicians start begging the foreigners to come back for the said resources that the politicians had told us they were taking away and they are sharing the spoils with these companies.
Look at the giveaway in the PSA the present coalition signed with Exxon Mobil as a classic example! It is reported that Robert P made hay with BaiShanLin. The Maharajahs of Pradoville One and Pradoville Two did their evil things too.
All the poor people of this country ever wanted were jobs; a chance to work, earn and have a decent life in peace and security. Successive political administrations since independence failed to deliver anything close to that.
Would the Venezuelans have ever thought of laying claim to our territory had we remained a British protectorate? I think not. No one is born a patriot. Patriots are bred by a country showing its citizens care and respect. Squandering a Country’s resources and showing no concern to matters that will affect the people as stipulated in Article 13 of the constitution, are not conducive to a breeding ground for patriots.
Independence has been nothing less than a millstone around the necks of the poor, but a prized jewel to the politicians.
The Coalition has amassed its fair share of atrocities under the banner of corruption in three years-there
was D’Urban Park, drug bond, constitutional violations- all of which pale in comparison to the giveaway to Exxon embedded in the PSA.
On Friday Dr. Thomas said “There is no single case that we have ever pursued that has not been referred to us either by another criminal agency … or a government department.” On the following Tuesday Thomas said that SARA is looking at over 50 cases – more than half of which involve land and buildings and all of which were reported to the agency.
“Remember, we can only pursue a case after it has been reported to us.”
He emphasised that while the agency relies on citizens to report cases, it is careful not to just follow wild or baseless accusations. Friday it was “ another CRIMINAL agency or a Govt. department” that did the reporting. By Tuesday it was emphasised that the agency relies on CITIZENS to report cases.
Clive Thomas shifted SARA’s goal post in five days and identified SARA as “ another CRIMINAL agency” that does not institute criminal proceedings. Funny! SARA will never be able to recover its cost and will be branded the word it was intended to curb. Corruption.
Rudolph

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