The President needs to get his act together

May 04, 2022 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

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The fable about the Emperor’s new clothes was well-known to children of my generation. I could not help but recall it after having the misfortune of listening to the President’s address for World Press Freedom Day.
It was a horrible presentation and one that was superfluous. Sad to say, but the President embarrassed himself and the country in front of the foreign diplomatic corps that were present.
The top western diplomats of the EU, US and UK and Canada considered the day worthy enough to have issued a joint statement. In that statement, they emphasised the importance of accountability. They said, “Press attention to accountability has never been more important in Guyana with a historically large revenue stream entering government’s coffers and a regularly stated intent to use those resources for a development agenda that cuts across all regions and races.”
The President had the opportunity to top that statement with his own. Instead, he flattered to deceive. His speech was one of the most disappointing presentations ever made by a sitting President. He should immediately fire whoever either wrote or advised him on that presentation. This is my considered opinion.
At least two Ministers were seen bowing their heads and focusing on their cellular phones. It must have been to hide their embarrassment.
It is hoped that like the Emperor who was conned into believing that he had on special clothes which only fools could not see, the President will not delude himself into believing that he sounded impressive.
This I believe is far from so whatever those around him tell him. The President must not be misled by sycophants. They are never scarce and like to surround persons with power and influence. Their trusted and tried method is to massage the egos of leaders and tell them what they, the leaders, want to hear.
Instead of deceiving the President, like many of those who did to the Emperor, they should level with him and advise him that he needs to take some of the advice which he dished out to the media. He told them that they should prepare thoroughly when they are reporting on an issue, so that they can have a proper understanding of the issue.
“Understanding” was one of the tenets which he spoke about. According to him, communication is not communication unless there is understanding. The President is rewriting the communication’s textbooks.
Communication does not have to lead to understanding. The average high school child will tell you that communication is the imparting or exchanging of information by speaking, writing, or using some other medium.
In fact, there were some schoolchildren present at the event. And the President began by asking: what is the “press” and what is “freedom”? He then paused a long time as if expecting someone to answer the questions.
Then, instead of answering them, the President drooled on about the concepts. He never recovered from this mishap. The more he spoke, the more absurd he sounded. If that sounds cruel and harsh, it is not so intended but rather constitutes frank assessment of the speech.
The President is a still young man. He has just turned 42 years and while he has been a Minister for a considerable period, his ascension to the Presidency appears as if he has stepped out of his weight class.
There is vast difference between being a Minister and being a President. Therefore, the President must step forward and be willing to make that leap, intellectually and otherwise.
He can do it. He holds a doctorate from the University of the West Indies.
The learning curve however will be short and steep. Time is not on his side since two years of his first term as President will soon expire.
The President is Guyana’s foremost statesman. He cannot afford to stumble as he has been doing. Other leaders will easily recognise his limitations and pounce on his weaknesses and lack of experience.
Already he has led Guyana down a cul-de-sac. He has been convinced to have Guyana join the Regional Security System (RSS). Guyana is going to be used. The reason why Guyana is being courted to join the RSS is to help finance that organisation with our oil wealth.
On a recent visit to the United Kingdom, one Guyanese expatriate who was involved, at one time, in the media, wrote that the President lacked variety in his early speeches on that tour. But that error was corrected later when he met with the Diaspora.
While in the UK, he spoke about the need for a “meaningful” apology for slavery. “Meaningful” is an ambiguous word. The Caribbean Reparations Commission is calling for an unconditional – not a meaningful – apology. The two are different and have different implications. The President therefore has to be careful with his phraseology.
But more important, he has to get his act together and not continue to make substandard presentations. He is more than capable of doing so.
(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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