I don’t know of anyone who rode the gravy train

Dec 20, 2021 Letters

---

Dear Editor,
People take offense to the statements accusing former GuySuCo staff of corruption. I do not know Adbool Majeed and cannot comment on his allegations against or support for several individuals (formerly or now) affiliated with GuySuCo.
I do know Asquith Rose (though not his co-writer Rajkumar) and am shocked that Rose would append his name to an unsubstantiated attack on several individuals of repute and character in their management of GuySuCo (KN Dec 17). I take umbrage on this unjustified assault on current and former stalwarts of the sugar industry, people of repute and for whom the industry is dear to them. GuySuCo is also dear to my heart as I grew up on a plantation that sustained me (as a child) and my family’s life. For that reason, I spent considerable amount of my personal funds travelling to India and Trinidad (and I am no rich man) in an effort to recruit investors to take over the four estates closed by APNU led government; the regime was not seriously interested in saving the estates or GuySuCo.
Every effort must be made to rehabilitate GuySuCo to retain staff and expand operations to rehire the 7,500 terminated by APNU. Instead of attacking former staff like Paul Bhim, Vishnu Panday, Khemraj Tulsi, Yussuf Abdul, and others whose interest is in turning around GuySuCo, we should find ways to bring everyone on board on how best to rescue the industry. The issue of CEO was long settled by the President over a year ago.
There can only be one CEO. Sase Singh was chosen and staff must respect his authority even if they don’t like him. Those who feel they can’t work with him or that he is not qualified for the job have moved on. Why the need to attack them, maligning their character!
Rose and others contend Majeed is a pseudonym. Given that workers are victimised if they critique or criticise any government or management at all industries in Guyana, it won’t surprise me Majeed is a pseudonym.
However, speaking with several staff at GuySuCo, including former stalwarts, they all say that Majeed is spot on in his assessment of the industry and his allegations. His views represent theirs. They won’t speak publicly.
What troubles them and individuals I speak with in Guyana and in the diaspora is the baseless attacks on former individuals affiliated with the industry describing them as corrupt. Dr. Nanda Gopaul is not fearful of his name being quoted. He is very peeved that names are being sullied, including his, when reference was made about management of the industry some two decades back suggesting that board members and management staff were corrupt. There is hardly anyone in Guyana who is more concerned about GuySuCo and more compassionate for labourers than Dr. Gopaul and who has stood up for the working class.
In criticising the management two decades back, several towering personalities like Ronald Ally, Nanda Gopaul, Donald Ramotar, Geeta Knights, Keith Burrowes, Mrs. Sobers (head of procurement and who worked with different boards), and JB Raghurai are implicated. GuySuCo had its best management team around that time and continuing for several years. There was a new procurement act and a new manual on procurement (prepared by Burrowes and others) at GuySuCo.
The company ran profitably and negotiated wage increases for workers. It was self-sufficient. There were incentives for productivity. Under that board, there were the highest productive days in the industry.
It had no subvention like the billions being granted to GuySuCo over the last year. To say that the board turned a blind eye on corruption is to implicate the Board and management staff.
To say that Paul Bhim, Vishnu Panday, Yussuf Abdul, and others were riding the gravy train is to implicate them in corruption.  It was this board that recognised that Booker Tate (BT) took the industry for a ride.
When some were flying from London to Timehri first class and then flew special charter to Skeldon, the Board put an end to it to save resources.
If it was not for Bhim, Abdul, Panday, and others, mismanagement at GuySuCo under BT would not have been exposed. Without BT padded expenses, the industry would have been more progressive and would have been very profitable.
Vishnu Panday highlighted deficiencies of Booker Tate and his testimonial formed part of the affidavit to take BT to court. He exposed BT failures all around in every facet of operations. BT was milking GuySuCo and denying the workers a fair share. Regrettably, the coalition withdrew the appeal case against Bookers Tate.
As Gopaul says, there is no person currently who better understands the sugar industry than Panday. Gopaul said he would like to go on the record as saying no one would make a better CEO of GuySuCo than Vishnu Panday; everyone I conversed with says he is the most knowledgeable in the industry. There is no better operations person than Yussuf Abdul who has done wonders in rehabilitating the plants at cheap costs. There is no one more astute a financial advisor than Bhim who crunched the numbers to understand the company’s reality; he was versed in marketing, financing and field and factory operations. Why attack them?
PPP got into power to revive the sugar industry. If the industry fails, the PPP runs into a serious problem. We must always be cognisant of this issue. It is imperative that GuySuCo receives the support of Guyanese both locally and in the diaspora. Good management and respect for workers are critical for success and public approval.
The workers, including management staff, levelled allegations. These must not be dismissed as disgruntled and wanting the CEO position; workers and staff views should be considered very carefully.
The company management and government should inquire into their complaints. And for the politics, there must always be compassionate support for workers or face a repeat of 2011 and 2015.
I don’t know of anyone who rode gravy train.  If there is evidence, present it. Writers must cease and desist from levelling baseless allegations of corruption against former staff damaging characters. If you don’t have evidence, charges must not be made. Since the sugar industry is under public microscope, the management must function professionally to secure the trust of other colleagues, workers, and the public. I appeal to Rose, Rajkumar and others to stop the attacks.
Yours Truly,
Vishnu Bisram 

 

---

---