President Ali’s dawn patrol

Mar 27, 2025 Features / Columnists, The GHK Lall Column

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Hard Truths… 

By GHK Lall 

Kaieteur News- Older Guyanese would call Excellency Ali a ‘night owl’. I agree; for the record, though, I have never encountered a day owl.  Night owl fits the President neatly, now that he is making these predawn appearances part of his wakeup Guyana call.

On Wall Street, there was Morning Call during my time.  In Guyana, it is Wake Up to the Dawn with Irfaan.  It has a rather sweet ring, doesn’t it?  The more boisterous around here may prefer Dawn Brukk-up and Battery by Ali.  I, however, am grateful for the President’s company, since everybody else is sound asleep.  Except, the busy people at Exxon, of course; they are busy making money round-the-clock off Guyana.

President Ali had summoned some wayward contractors late last year, and brought out the cat o’ nine tails before the crack of dawn.  Now, that’s a President after my own heart.  Respectfully, sir, on the next occasion that such a meeting is necessary, I recommend putting that apparatus to good use.  Let the rubber hit the road, and show contractors that the government is not to be taken for a ride, that it means business.  Early to bed, early to rise.  It makes for a progressive society.  Cooler heads, too.  The honorable Vice President should consider keeping such hours, and keeping his balance.  Before leaving this 2024 predawn verbal lash, bash, and splash, compliments of Dr. Irfaan Ali, I ask that same question again.

Did the lazy, underperforming, incompetent, tardy, and humiliated contractors ever deliver by the deadline that the President gave them?  This is important to know.  If they did, good job.  If they didn’t, then I ask, quite reasonably, what was that fore day mawnin’ beatdown all about?  One of those familiar performances by the President where he puts on a show for the public and there was nothing of substance behind?  In other words, a big joke?

President Ali was at it again in the early hours, this time at the Demerara River Bridge.  Contractors again.  Delays again.  The President on the warpath again.  This is getting to be a broken record.  What else is new in this part of the world?  This country must be living in the Ice Age, when the head-of-state has to berate the boss contractors, and introduce them to the hustles, efficiencies, and outcomes that flow from working round-the-clock.  Which contractor on which planet and with what for a brain in his (or her) head is so impaired that it requires a presidential visit to get that (a 24-hour work schedule) across?  Even my ancestors used to put in more hours, and they were not working for anyone.  The New Bridge has been delayed, so it is surprising that the access roads are not ahead of schedule.

It could be that these guys are getting paid by the hour, trying to pull a fast one by scheming how to get their road contract extended to August, the same as the new scheduled completion for the bridge.  Or, it could be that the people building the access roads are family contractors who couldn’t build a doghouse, or walk and chew gum at the same time. Meaning, they are from Freedom House, Office of the President, and offices of those other people who don’t count; like Vice Presidents and Prime Ministers. Though I confess to being awed, I am wondering how long the President is go to keep up these Red Dawn excitements.  If my head is still working according to plan, President Ali has two Ministers of Works.  Two, not one; one is a churchman, the other is a top ranked businessman.  Both side jobs say all that has to be said, no more subtitles needed.  But I am not yet ready to let the two Honourable Ministers off the hook.  Of what use are the two of them?  How so, when the President (‘Daddy prezzie’ to the young family) has to take off at these ungodly hours to deal with, ah, lackluster contractors who don’t know a wheelbarrow from a spare wheel?

Still, I must tip my top hat to President Ali.  He may be allergic to sun and light, so he favors the darkness of the dawn.  It figures, given the state of his government.  A little while ago, His Excellency went to the Meadow Bank fish depot during the dawn hours- when else?  The President was a sight!  For there he was clad in a raincoat that was a winter coat, and an umbrella bigger than an oil rig, while the poor suckers around him were getting properly soaked.  The highlight from that visit was a pile of prawns that were fresher and brighter than when they were in the ocean.  Talk about putting on a show.  If I didn’t know better, I would have fallen for that propaganda picture involving prawns.  Of all things, prawns?  If there is one thing that can be said about Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, it is that he is a showman, knows how to draw attention to himself.  Dawn hours shake the pesky media from his trail, keep Guyanese at a healthy distance.

(President Ali’s dawn patrol)

(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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• contractors, Dawn with Irfaan., familiar performances, Irfaan Ali

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