Stop complaining; do something!

Jan 03, 2021 Features / Columnists, News, The Story within the Story

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The Story Within The Story…

By Leonard Gildarie

Kaieteur News – Well, well, well! Did we really make it through 2020? It was a year where elections, COVID-19, migrants situation, racism (yes, you read it right), schooling (or lack of), and the Ponzi schemes dominated the news.
Fortunately, there is a silver lining. We will not dwell too much on what transpired. It is all known, all written about and experienced by our people. A brand new year has dawned.
The year 2020 should not be chalked down as that bad. As a country, we did far better than many across the globe. We can chalk up some of the good news to oil and gas.
I would acknowledge that the gamble by the Irfaan Ali government to reopen the airports and relax travel restrictions, locally and internationally, as well as allowing businesses to reopen in a somewhat reduced manner, have been paying dividends.
As the year ended, there are some positive signs for this country for the new one.
Tomorrow, all offices of the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) will be opened to the public. This will spell good news for tens of thousands of Guyanese who have been struggling with the partial closures of the NIS offices across the country. For many, it spelled delays and frustrations. The delays in claims have especially been hard on the vulnerable of society who struggle to eke out a living daily and depend on quick processing for the pittance that comes.
I listened to the New Year message of President Irfaan Ali. He managed to strike a number of good chords.
The president acknowledged that Guyana cannot hope to progress in peace and improve their economic status as long as this country remains divided.
I have said it before and will repeat. We are losing valuable time by attempting to score cheap political points. Former president, David Granger, made a dreadful mistake by declining the invitation to meet with former presidents and President Ali, in a forum that targeted solutions to the country’s major issues. Issues like security, economy, COVID-19 and of course, in my view, a number of legislative reforms, should have been discussed there.
As it was, the former president said he wanted more details of the agenda of the meeting.
These things are easy to find out. Someone can pick up the phone and find out. Ask for a letter from the Office of the President, etc. A golden opportunity was lost for Granger to cement his legacy as a statesman.
The international arena is watching Guyana closely. Divided we are. We can find very few things to agree on. Fortunately, the Venezuela border controversy was something that all and sundry agreed will be tackled collectively.
The new government has retained former Foreign Affairs Minister, Carl Greenidge, a smart and strategic move. He is knowledgeable and articulate and versed on the border matter.
The recent victory at the International Court of Justice, the judicial arm of the United Nations, ended 2020 on a high note for Guyana despite Venezuela grumbling it will not recognize the final decision, due in a few years’ time.
President Ali’s message noted that he is focused on governing for all and that all Guyana must shine.
I doubt that it is all political rhetoric.
The ruling party knows full well we have an unpredictable young voting population. They are not easily swayed by empty promises. Jobs, housing, tax cuts, and education opportunities are all big ticket items that have to feature in an Ali presidency.
President Ali will know he has a maximum of two terms to deliver. He has to be re-elected first in five years’ time.
He is young. His legacy will be important. He has bolted out of the gates and his ministers have to deliver. I like it that they are engaging and working as if the election is around the corner.
According to Ali in his New Year message, his administration is working on bringing the COVID-19 vaccine to our people.
There will have to be an education process. People will be suspicious of any vaccine.
The New Year will still see COVID-19 staring us in the face. It will take resources and sustained efforts and commitment to the new norm of living with masks, sanitizers and social distancing.
There is some other good news.
Phase One of the $25,000 cash grant for COVID-19 which is in Region Four will wrap up shortly.
Thousands of persons, who were renting, were not at home and living in homes with multiple families will be targeted in Phase Two which will start shortly, the President says.
It will be welcomed as there was some unease with a large bloc of citizens being left out in the distribution process.
This Christmas saw businesses reporting their best performance in five years, Ali said.
His message of a united Guyana will come as unhappiness over the ExxonMobil deal in the Stabroek block continues to grow.
This year will be critical for a number of reasons.
Several large scale infrastructural works are expected to begin. These should include a new Demerara River bridge; the alternative East Bank roadway that will link with Ogle, and a number of internationally branded hotels. A number of the hotels are planned for around the Timehri airport area.
As we speak, ExxonMobil is drilling a number of wells in the adjoining blocks to Stabroek.
If these wells prove successful, there will be opportunities for the administration to strike better deals with the other concessions holders.
But there are some worrying things, for me.
On Old Year’s Eve, I was at the Diamond home of my brother and watched with pain the fireworks. Though banned, these were sold openly at Stabroek and across the country.
Something as simple as this…the enforcement side of things…speaks volumes of our will to be law-abiding citizens. It goes beyond the pain of animals and animal rights activists.
We have to resolve to be more accommodating to our laws, that is, if we are serious about progressing to a first world country.
This year, the government will have to pilot several critical legislations including for the oil and gas, the Hire Purchase Bill to protect consumers and ensure that it manages the COVID-19.
The growing issues with our migrants’ situation will have to be tackled and addressed by the administration. It is quietly ballooning into a social nightmare for Guyana’s limited resources.
As a people, we have to start understanding that this country belongs to us. We have to care it like our homes … garbage, our neighbours, etc.
We have to start being more vocal, demanding more accountability from our village leaders and politicians.
Use social media, use the newspapers’ pages.
Don’t sit still.
This year promises much. But do we continue to sit on our hands?
Stop complaining; do something.
A prosperous and life changing New Year to all!

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

 

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