Politics does not create wealth for people

Nov 30, 2021 Letters

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Dear Editor,

Kaieteur News – It gives me no pleasure to respond to one of the most inefficient government ministers, Charles Ramson Jr, who by mere affiliation and privilege sits where he is, but I’m compelled to so do.
This little boy minister, was on 94.1 Boom FM radio, of which I’m told is owned by two dynamic young African Guyanese entrepreneurs. The minister’s very condescending and berating views of the African Guyanese community and its leadership were not even recognised sadly, by one of those said young men, hosting the programme/ free talk.
His attempt to lecture the black community with his ill-informed and very disrespectful rhetoric, has certainly come from a place that is foreign to his very sheltered and privileged life.
A life bestowed to him from the politics of the PPP that is still in practice even more glaring today, speaks volume. Anyone listening to his empty rants without having background knowledge of the PPP’S 23 years of discriminatory and intentional economic marginalisation of the black community; would probably try to make sense of his views.
The Minister posited several points of view that are not only confusing, but what many of his colleagues and supporters of the PPP would strongly disagree with. Firstly “politics don’t create wealth for people.” Secondly, being a leader in the political sphere you “encourage people to create wealth for themselves”, and thirdly, “there is a difference between land that is land and land that is an asset”

Clearly, this guy is not only confused but is far from reality and does not know what he is talking about.
This guy is the son of one of Guyana’s former minister and Attorney General who was exempted from paying taxes on his salary, over two million dollars a month, unlike the many underprivileged hard working Guyanese public servants who work twice as hard to make ends meet while paying their taxes.

Many of us are still trying to grapple with his government’s imposed 7% after not receiving anything in the last two budgets and have to deal with this ridiculously high cost of living. This little boy’s failure to realise that many of the political doings and wealth garnered, were on the backs of many tax payers.

Some of those actions done by the PPP for wealth creation were not garnered from encouraging words young Ramson, it was from politics and the political decisions, be it good and bad, legal or otherwise and policies/ attitudes of the ruling cabal that created such an environment.

An environment of the haves and the have nots, the poor and the super rich, the get rich or die trying attitude, tax evasion, drugs trafficking, money laundering, guns , crime, etc. This was and now is Guyana’s reality under the PPP. It was that kind of politics that allowed him to have his privileged gold spoon life and the position he now has because of political relationships and his kinship to the PPP cabal.

Encouraging people to get wealth by mere rhetoric has never worked and it never will. One has to create the positive environment for that to happen and make the playing field of opportunities level for all the people as a government, not only a section of the population.

The justified criticisms I have made and will continue to make of the PPP will not stop until there is fairness and benefits for all Guyanese. The PPP’s blatant tokenism of offering a handful of selective black contractors will not deter me from the much needed criticisms, premised on a matter of principle for the respect of law, the rules of good governance and the need for transparency and accountability of tax payers monies. That will continually be done irrespective of race or ethnicity.

The calling out of contractor Courtney Benn reaffirms my point that this little boy speaks from a place of ignorance. He needs to ask the PPP, what really happened to that said contractor. He was their poster boy, the only one who was their talking point for black empowerment. Tokenism! That will not work, silence one and a thousand more will speak until you do what is right. We in the black community have many honest and prominent black role models that we have and will continue to look up to, people with unblemished character, people with integrity, good morals and respect for self, people who are brave and have contributed to this nation and the world. That is part of our wealth and legacy as a people, teachers, nurses, doctors, lawyers, policemen and women, single mothers who struggle to send their children to schools, colleges and universities, hardworking, honest public servants, too numerous to mention that keep the engine of government running.
Those are our role models who we look up to and who we are proud of.
Regards
Jermaine Figueira MP

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