Dear Editor,
Any transformational programmes and activities are disrupted and even terminated when a new administration takes the reins. The skills and experience of heads of agencies and other workers have been rejected merely because they were recruited by a former administration. Perpetuation of a policy of partisanship and racial division have taken the nation nowhere. These factors along with the upsurge in Covid-19 cases and our Presidents’ inflated egos preventing them from listening to people they should listen to, makes it seem like we are living in President Donald Trump’s America. Despite advice and warnings from respected and established organizations, the Diaspora, scholars, experts in various fields and the citizenry, successive administrations have chosen to ignore them. So similar to President Trump who says that he knows more than the experts. What he does is being replicated here and we know the danger of that. This is evident in the rapid escalation of our Covid cases and deaths, curfews being eased despite this escalation, crowds being encouraged to assemble, businesses and workers allowed to resume activities, stringent protective methods not being employed and better wages for frontline workers relegated to the back burner. How can a government be so callous to talk about firing nurses because they are protesting for higher wages due to them having to deal with the life threatening pandemic, Covid-19? It makes me wonder if the nurses don’t have representation by a union in lieu of which they could seek out some international bodies to lobby our administration. The government should be able to use the revenues from oil to offset financial losses due to cuts in working hours and effects on other areas of income. Also, in spite of warnings about not repeating the abysmal mistakes with Exxon and advice about seizing the opportunity to make a sound deal with the Payara project, this administration has kowtowed to the oil giant. This is somewhat like President Trump promoting harmonious relationships with Russia which probably serves his interest only and ultimately his associates in power and big business entities. Each of our administrations has criticized the other’s mishandling of the oil contracts yet it is pellucid that they have both done Guyana and its citizenry a gross injustice.
Nothing has worked to move Guyana forward. We had a golden and long awaited opportunity to propel Guyana into tremendous prosperity with the discovery of oil on our soil. Social commentary, activism of various forms, outcries from the Diaspora and our citizenry are having little impact in creating positive change. Our only alternative is peaceful protests. We need to take these to our elected officials’ offices and homes until we see greater development and honesty. However, this should be done by maintaining the recommended separation from each other of a minimum of six feet and keeping masks on. It may not be the best recommendation to encourage citizens to assemble during this pandemic but the alternative of dying due to prolonged social stress and discontent may be the worse of the two occurrences. Peaceful protests have brought significant changes and progress to societies and laws. The Arab Spring, the peaceful activism of Martin Luther King Junior, Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela are prime examples. Our elected leaders must be held accountable to us and for the sake of our descendants.
I was flabbergasted to see a photo of Minister Ramson standing within six feet of a U.S. based artiste and both without masks. If he had decided to throw caution to the wind, one of his advisors or a member of the cabinet should have advised him against such reckless behaviour and to not have it recorded for Guyanese and the world to see. I tend to think that some of our folks submit to Americans and foreigners from advanced countries. Why do we give them so much latitude when they enter our dear country? Was the artiste also allowed to enter Guyana without wearing a mask? We need to have standards and rules by which all should abide. Those countries have their rules with which we have to comply. It is doubtful that the artiste could have gone near to Ambassador Sarah-Ann Lynch without wearing a mask. I may excuse his mode of dress as that is part of the American culture and Guyana is a hot country plus his attire does not endanger anyone but not wearing a mask in public is disrespectful, dangerous, inconsiderate and foolish. Hopefully, we will start to see the introduction of meaningful systems and selected and elected integrity within our leadership that will improve the lives of all Guyanese.
Yours faithfully,
Conrad Barrow