Latest update December 19th, 2024 3:22 AM
Jagdeo is not morally qualified to lecture anyone
Dear Editor,
On Monday June 19, 2018 an article was published in another section of the media, headlined “Jagdeo criticises Henry for racializing issue”, in which the opposition leader alleges the Minister of Education, Nicolette Henry is racializing overstaying Foreign Nationals.
To the best of my knowledge it was at the Meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs that Minister of Education Nicolette Henry asked why are Haitians being singled out by PPP/C Chief Whip and Chairperson of the Committee, Gail Teixeira, and why not the Bangladeshis?
There are a few issues that I wish to clarify based on the contents of the article.
Foremost, the opposition leader, who these days seem to have a proclivity for the media spotlight, is alleging that the Minister of Education Nicolette Henry was being racial because she enquired why the emphasis was being focused on a particular group of Foreign Nationals rather than looking at the issue in a holistic manner, so as to include other nationalities such as the Bangladeshis.
Editor, to assist readers in understanding the issue in its entirety, it is important for the public to understand that it was the opposition party through its committee member and current chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, Ms. Gail Teixeira who singled out the Haitians. As a matter of fact, Ms. Teixeira had the issue of the amount of Haitians overstaying their time in Guyana on her agenda as an item to be discussed.
It is important for readers to understand that based on the information provided by the Ministry of Citizenship, 7255 Cubans and 3224 Haitians overstayed their time in Guyana in 2017 compared to 11 Bangladeshis. Of the 12,585 illegal aliens recorded as domiciled in Guyana in 2017, 83 per cent of them, or 10,479, are Cubans and Haitians.
So why did the opposition party single out the Haitians? Could it be presumed that this is primarily because that party believes that there is some nefarious plan afoot by the ruling administration to utilize Haitians for voting purposes at the next general elections?
The Opposition Leader, who is looking to remain relevant to the populace, seeks every opportunity to discredit anything the current administration does. What Mr. Jagdeo fails to understand is that people do not take him and his rhetoric ranting seriously anymore, and his party will realize that he (Jagdeo) is bad for business and he is hurting the PPP rather than helping it.
How could Minister Henry be racializing the aforementioned issue just because she advised that the statistics provided be looked at in its entirety rather than cherry picking the information for their (the Opposition’s) benefit? It is clear that for the Minister of Education the issue is not one of race or nationality but one rooted in principle.
Any ‘over-stayer’ is one too many and whether it’s Haitians, Cubans or Bangladeshis the issue should and will be addressed in a non-partisan manner, disregarding all other irrelevant factors.
Jagdeo in the article said that Minister Henry showed no comprehension skills. Well as the Minister of Education, she must exhibit more than just comprehension skills to lead the largest ministry in the government, which provides the human resource for all other sectors and agencies. So, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, as Minister Henry continues to take the Education system to heights never attained under the previous administration which was led by Jagdeo.
Jagdeo’s utterances about Minister Henry remind me of this question, “Have you ever seen a little boy pelting at an empty tree? Well no, the tree must be loaded with fruits for the boy to take notice.
Jagdeo’s ranting is but vain imaginings of “what if” and “if only”, as Guyana is now on the true path of redevelopment that is 23 years overdue. This nation knows that Jagdeo is an irrelevant relic from the past, destined to fade away, even though we have to tolerate the noisy attention seeking rhetoric from time to time.
I humbly suggest that he puts a sock in it and take several seats as he witnesses Guyana’s rise from the ashes.
Regards,
Tracy Franklin
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