Petitioning Excellencies Ali, Phillips, Jagdeo and Cabinet

Jun 11, 2026 Features / Columnists, The GHK Lall Column

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Hard Truths by GHK Lall

(Kaieteur News) – This is a public appeal to every leader and minister in the Government of Guyana.  Excellencies Ali, Phillips, and Jagdeo and the entire cabinet is included.  In fact, this courtesy is extended to the ruling party’s Central Executive, all voting and nonvoting members.

I regret to inform that trust for the national government is low.  Quite frankly, and most respectably, Excellencies and honorable Guyanese, the trust of the Guyanese people for their national government could not be lower.  Please refer to the University of Guyana Green Institute (UGGI) Independence 60 Survey, and the Preliminary Report captioned: “Trust, Oil, and the Society being Built.”  Though the sample is small (134), the area narrow (Region Four), and the age and education spread could be much wider, the finding on trust for the national government is remarkable.  On a scale of 1 to10, with the latter representing great, almost total, trust, national government received a meager 3.72 score.  Not good at all.  It is my belief that an expanded survey would yield close to the same trust score, if not worse.  Shabby and trashy for a country that is frequently in the news globally.

This means, dear leaders and ministers that the visions, mentality, policies, procedures, approaches, standards, and practices of the national government are all in need of a massive overhaul.  It means, honorable gentlemen and ladies, that the Guyanese people are not buying One Guyana nor all Guyana.  Nor that national government is doing the right things.  It means that the ethics of the national government leaves much to be desired.  It means, it must be said, that from the president to the vice presidents to the ministers are viewed mostly distrustfully, found wanting.  Undoubtedly, hardcore national government insiders would have an opposite view.  Namely, that the national government in place today is the most trusted ever.  Those who have benefited immensely and unfairly can be expected, reflexively to scorn what the UGGI Independence 60 Survey found, because their bread has been richly buttered.  I think it would be wise, practical, self-enhancing for the Survey to be absorbed, taken with utmost seriousness, by national government.  With honest intention to do something about what the people think, how they see where national government is.

For the information of Excellencies Ali, Phillips, Jagdeo and all ministers: playing to selected and captive crowds, preaching to the faithful flock has its benefits.  But the utility is limited, and misleading.  For there is more to Guyana, that other side of Guyana.  It is not of those against current national government, or wanting others to be the national government.  It is of Guyanese who are seeking substance behind the words, quality leadership from those who hold those positions, and to experience the effects of living in this glorious Oil Republic.

Try this reality.  My own experience with traditional, diehard, supporters of this national government has been almost overwhelmingly negative.  The negativity begins and ends with distrust.  The lament is that piracies are too much, that accepting responsibility is alien to the culture of national government, that taking genuine action to right the ship of state is yet another trick played on citizens, and that being answerable to the people has distilled to either mocking or ignoring them altogether.  Note: this is not from the UGGI Survey, but from my own encounters with those who trusted enough to vote into national office.

Trust means that someone is seen as dependable, because he or she has delivered, proven true to their promises.  A track record, that’s its own best recommendation.  Trust in national government, especially in this time of an unprecedented, unmatched, bonanza, means that its principals are seen as honest, honoring oaths, fighting for the Guyanese people, and not first for what benefits themselves, circle.  No spins; just doing honest things.

In closing, I wish I could trust the names mentioned and their companions. Most unfortunately, I cannot.  When they prove themselves worthy of all Guyanese, rich and poor, I trust.  Guyana would be a better society.  I am better.  National government is held in high esteem.

At bottom, citizens make countries, decide on and evaluate national government. Their assessment carries the most weight.  There’s the survey, its findings.  The national government should resolve.  Separately, oil investors can expound freely, smartly, about Guyana’s democracy, and its sweet business environment.  But they themselves are held in the lowest repute by Guyanese.  Next: trust and foreign oil companies, with Excellencies Woods and Routledge featuring prominently.

(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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• Ali, GHK Lall, Jagdeo, Phillips, University of Guyana Green Institute

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