Pres. Ali – forever targeting the wrong enemy

Mar 26, 2026 Features / Columnists, The GHK Lall Column

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Hard Truths by GHK Lall

(Kaieteur News) – President Ali has this marvelous gift.  He reliably charges after some secondary enemy.  His latest is that school gangs had better get going because his government is coming after them.  Necessary; but there’s a bigger priority.  A helping hand is extended to Guyana’s beloved national leader, forever avoiding dealing with the real gangs, enemies of Guyanese, that are within his fold.

With respect, Prezzie, cleaning up the areas around schools is a fine endeavour.  A finer one, sir, is to cleanup what’s within the walls of the PPP Govt, prowling its corridors.  Who are the ones openly cussin out, viciously attacking, Guyanese they find objectionable?  They’re PPP, Venerable Excellency.  Those freed from restraints, those who raise their voices and hands angrily against other Guyanese.  From stale, ole, parliament to Facebook’s parliament.  What kind of example is that, what standards for impressionable Guyanese youth?

A child in her early teens is allegedly raped by her father, and the nation isn’t informed?  Why, Excellency?  Why ministers?  I count three.  Which law enforcement leader decided to manage that matter, and why? Under whose directions?  An underage mother is stabbed 25 times, and she falls between the cracks.  Nine children are preyed upon by a teacher in a Brickdam public School, and only now there is awareness, action.  One or two may pass undetected, but how to explain nine exploited children in need of help and the system failed them?  Which minister should have been informed, but wasn’t?  Maybe I have this upside down?  Perhaps the govt’s protected class was busy vilifying Guyanese women on Facebook.  There’s that internally admired PPP comrade, Excellency Ali, who is the worst example of how to treat Guyanese women?  This is where housecleaning begins, Excellency.  For when the reprehensible becomes the norm, then those youngsters in gangs look, listen, and learn.  If they can, then how is it that I can’t?

Once Pres Ali is serious about doing better of all Guyana, he gathers his ministers and sets the rules.  My people, my government, my guardians will fight fair, deal straight.  My soldiers will not go around ambushing Guyanese.  When governance systems fail from children to adults, you have no choice, Mr. Leader, besides overhauling the system, fixing what is wrong.  Fix the system and the people spearheading it, so that the awful results of both are eventually extinguished.  It is now beyond discussion that some PPP Govt coddled should be in one State institution only.  A penal colony for them best serves Guyanese.

For the probably busy, likely distracted Pres Ali’s benefit, I keep trying.  When badmen with long reputations are deeply embedded in the PPP hierarchy, decent PPP Govt women lose their zeal to speak up, recommend corrective action.  Take charge, Dr. Ali.  Discharge duty in a manner that informs Guyana that there are no untouchables, no holies.  Why are those with rap sheets within the president’s sphere of influence allowed to wield their own considerable influence to the detriment of Guyanese girls and boys, local men and women?  When dirty, tricky matters are slickly fixed, then the outcomes of those are the foul odors that escape, taint everyone.  Presidential immunity is of little utility in these situations.

Leadership comes from you, Mr. President.  Rise, fight and vanquish the forces of darkness close to the bosom.  Government can’t do everything, but one thing it should do better than all other Guyanese combined.  Set a standard that inspires.  Be that standard.  Noise nuisance, public lewdness, political artifices all must go.  From the BBC to the parliamentary to social media.  Women and children must feel safe, and be safe.  The biggest thugs, and baddest goons, shouldn’t enjoy the benefit of protective custody within Fortress PPP.  Mr. President: this is what Guyanese see all too frequently in the PPP.  Civilians, be they supporters or local political nonbelievers, get the idea that anything goes, that imitation has no penalty, and that crime pays.  Misdemeanour or major felony, it doesn’t matter, the deed is done.  One teenager dead, another absorbing 25 stab wounds, nine children abused.  Somebody must take charge.

What is working as it should in this country, Mr. President?  Who is honest enough to see that it does?  Who can be counted on for a principled approach, work for the people?  Going after gangs sells well.  You should search yourself Dr. Ali, start over.  Begin inside the PPP Govt.

(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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• enemy, GHK Lall, PPP, President Ali

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