Parliament’s new configuration and the PPP/C’s loss of its accustomed majority will test all sides in and out of the House on several seminal questions. To what extent should the opposition immediately press for enquiries into clear cases of misconduct, neglect or abject failure by previous governments, the most recent one in particular – the Jagdeo administration 2006–2011? What would be the purpose of such enquiries – retributive or restorative solutions – and how in this deeply polarized and resource-stressed society would such investigations be possible? For example, two weeks ago the editorial of that day pointed to the need for a thorough examination of the Roger Khan period if anyone was to take security reforms by this new government seriously. Naturally the Lusignan, Bartica and Lindo Creek massacres would also have to feature prominently in the mix of security traumas to be finely dissected. These probes would require much time, money and resources.
There is an even more potent and persuasive demand for answers. It derives from the public; the public that has clamoured over many years for answers and investigations from the previous administration only to be met with brass-faced refusals, blustering, bluffing and unfulfilled promises. The willingness of a government to engage with members of the public on the thorniest of subjects, provide the fullest of information and admit when it is wrong are hallmarks of good governance. Those were glaringly absent under Mr Jagdeo’s tenure thus the valid and deep-seated public interest in a series of enquiries. The post-November 28 public expects that given the novel make-up of Parliament answers will now be forthcoming from the government and if not the opposition will find the means to ensure that answers are provided. There is nothing in the 19-year tenure of the PPP/C that should be off-limits as long as there are gaping chasms in information and searing unanswered conundrums.
On the economic/governance side there many issues that former President Jagdeo himself, key officials of his administrations and public servants can be carefully examined on. The following list is not exhaustive.
Perhaps one of the most important is the planning and handling of the Skeldon estate modernization programme. Its Chinese-built factory remains a source of serious contention and patently unfinished business which don’t bode well for an industry that has been the lifeblood of the country for many years. The gigantic Skeldon factory has not risen to the challenge, has encountered numerous operational difficulties and the prospects are not good. There are attendant issues surrounding the effectiveness of private cane farming and mechanization. Foremost among the unresolved issues is the liability and culpability of its Chinese builder, CNTIC. When frustration had grown over the factory’s problems in 2010, President Jagdeo had vowed to take a personal interest in its recovery. There is no evidence that he ever did and interestingly the current President, Mr Ramotar served for around 19 years as a member of the board of GuySuCo.
The collapse of CLICO (Guyana) in 2010, after soothing words from President Jagdeo and others, unleashed a barrage of questions from here to The Bahamas to Miami on what really transpired with billions of dollars from the NIS and others which was invested in the company. It appeared also that when it became clear that CLICO would not hold up, some of its clientele was able to redeem investments facilitated by the sale of a Berbice Bridge bond to the NBS while hundreds of other policyholders – those without influence or inside knowledge – were left stranded. There are stern and searching questions that have to be put to the former head of CLICO here, Mrs Geeta Singh-Knight. There are also myriad questions about the nature of the relationship between CLICO (Guyana) and its Trinidad-based parent company CL Financial. Testimony in Trinidad courts into the failure of CLICO and the Hindu Credit Union have lit up the cavalier attitude of top executives there and the plundering of money from CLICO operations region-wide.
As editorialized before, the Amaila Falls project and the assumptions that underpin it must be submitted for a thorough and all-party examination before the final sign-off is given by the government. The escalating costs and whether this project will indeed yield cheaper power soon enough for consumers must be painstakingly pored over before a final decision. The shenanigans surrounding this project have been too many and stark to permit the Office of the President to believe that it can railroad this project through the Guyanese public. Too much is at stake here. How Mr Fip Motilall managed to secure the contract for the Amaila Falls access roads and the environmental repercussions from this project must also be carefully scrutinized.
The piling up of billions of dollars in the Lotto fund from the Guyana Lottery Company’s games and the complete lack of accountability by the government for these monies warrants a rigorous investigation. A forensic analyst should be hired to trace all transactions connected with this fund. For many years it has been argued that this money should enter public finances through the Consolidated Fund and be accounted for in the same manner as all other monies. President Jagdeo and his governments stoutly resisted this and the end result has been that with the exception of a small number of people no one really knows how and where this money was spent. This is completely intolerable and shocking dereliction where financial probity is concerned. There should be an early commitment by the government to radically alter the way these funds are handled.
The deals struck between President Jagdeo’s government and the Queens Atlantic group must also be placed under the magnifying glass as they relate to massive state resources. The manner in which the group acquired the Sanata Textiles site in Ruimveldt remains a matter of serious concern. The government and its holding company, NICIL have not been able to convince the public that the deal observed all of the required procedures in advertisement and other areas. There is also the question of the no-bid drug procurement contracts that the New GPC secured to supply the Ministry of Health despite numerous complaints raised in Parliament about the justification for these. In the backdrop of all of this is former President Jagdeo’s own declared closeness to the group’s principals and the attendant difficulty of arm’s length transactions.
As has been stated by many, the murky dealings for the Marriott-branded hotel do not stand up to the transparency test and taxpayers’ money must not be employed in this project without good reason. Investors who are confident in their business plans and know Guyana’s potential must risk their own money not the taxpayers’. That is how the world of venture capitalism runs. NICIL should be summoned by the Economic Services Committee of Parliament to give a full explanation.
The appropriation of land by the state for Pradoville II and its divvying up among the friends of high functionaries remains a scandal of no mean order. Whereas, the salt of the earth who apply for state house lots have to meet a series of requirements and go from pillar to post year after year before they get anywhere, the covetousness of some in the former government saw the relocating of transmission facilities and the carving up of the land into house lots. By what law and regulation this was accomplished is unclear. By what rule and procedure the lots were assigned to those who have them is unclear. By what authority and permission the scheme has been supplied with utility services ahead of others is unclear. It needs a lot of clearing up and greater respect for the local authorities that have responsibility for that area.
There are many others that should be exposed to the sterilizing effect of sunlight. These include the mind-boggling Polar beer scam and the equally befuddling collapse of the criminal case, the state’s decision to provide financing to the Buddy’s Hotel and whether or not it recovered all of its money. There is also the recent surprise announcement that a Chinese company will be expanding the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri with financing from China. That one requires total dissecting in Georgetown before any decision is made; red light before green light.
Three significant expenditure outlays have never been properly accounted for by the Jagdeo administration and the time is now right for these: the expenditure in connection with the 2005 Great Flood, the expenditure on the 2007 Cricket World Cup and the expenditure on the 2008 Carifesta.
It is the opposition that will have to show its mettle in these matters. Is it up to it?
