Dear Editor,
I would like to refer to a kind of speculative journalism by SN regarding the likely reshuffling of cabinet ministers.
This country has not witnessed much cabinet reshuffling since attaining independence. The failure to monitor a minister’s performance and educate him/her is lacking, and this has a tendency to encourage complacency in ministers. However, I must concede that the speculation was well directed. The President should show some sort of concern for the concerns of the electorate, in particular his party’s supporters, who are conscious of the performance, attitudes and conduct of the ministers.
The decision of the President to relieve Messrs O’Lall and R. Alli of their respective positions are the kind of positive actions the populace welcomes.
The performance ratings of the President has been soaring high since the court ruling on the Suriname/Guyana border issue; they continued to soar because of his speeches and his responses to national and international issues. Governments must be responsive and responsible; it is this kind of responsiveness that the nation lauds and anticipates.
Ministers like Kellawan Lall, M Nadir, H Nawbatt, M Prashad, B Ramsarran and R Benn are all passengers and should disembark or be left at the first port or landing. We are not short of human resources in Guyana, and besides man is a dispensable being. There is absolutely no justification for retaining an opposition leader as a minister in this government; no reason for a trigger-happy, gun-toting minister; or for ministers who have failed and had brushes with the law to be in office.
It is time to look for new blood. Ministers Manickchand, Anthony and Singh have demonstrated competence and efficiency, and are proactive in their respective roles, and they are the new blood.
Minister Priya Manickchand can handle the Labour portfolio as well. In just over a year in her present ministry she has achieved a lot and has made the difference in a lot of people’s lives.
It would appear that the technical persons in the bureaucracy were not functioning efficiently.
Now even the aged are happy; they have already secured their 2008 pension books in a more efficient manner than in 2006. Again, the Minister was very visible in the various regions to ensure that the delivery was in order.
So, the President is now left to respond to the concerns expressed by so many citizens.
Yours faithfully,
Deen
