Dear Editor,
A few weeks ago Guyanese woke to the news that a former minister of Govern-ment was gifted a half million dollar gold band. The former minister’s denial, then acceptance, of the gift landed him in pickle. The incident made headlines. Social media did not skip a beat on it and it is now a court matter. But it looks like there is more to come like the asphalt plant, house furnishings, the 20K passports and the barber chairs issues. No doubt about it, wrong-doings during the reign of the APNU+AFC run deep resulting in the nation being badly wounded.
While the juicy gold band matter was attracting the attention of the public, news broke that a young lady had died tragically because she was trapped in a house that was engulfed in fire.
Curious onlookers said they heard screams coming from the house, then silence. Later, they witnessed firefighters removing the burnt remains of the girl’s body from a window of the House. Then there was a recent incident, not dissimilar from the ordeal of the three-bullets survivor at Barbie Dam. A female guard nearly ended up ‘dead or badly wounded’ because of what she described as the “zloop” from an intended cutlass wound. A stark reminder that there are more ways to be dead than to be alive. It also reminds us that life is not only precious but that we must pay attention to that “strange feeling” to which the female guard “did not pay it much mind.”
The attention of the public was then turned to an incident where a bandit who was wanted by the police, attempted to escape by shooting at a police patrol. The ranks returned fire but the bandit managed to escape, he was later arrested at a hospital where he went to receive treatment for gunshot wounds. According to reports, he was taken there by persons who could face charges contrary to Section 151 of the Summary Jurisdiction Offences Act Ch. 8:02 concerning the harbouring of a wanted fugitive. We are reminded that it was former President Granger who, in justifying the humongous increase in salaries to his ministers claimed it was done “…to discourage corrupt practices … for a stronger cabinet allowing ministers to fulfill their functions and to manage Guyana properly.”
Ironically, while Granger was waxing lyrical about his ‘virtuous’ ministers, his ministers in turn, wasted no time exploiting their positions of privilege for personal gain. Guyanese should fasten their safety belts, it looks like there is more turbulence ahead. In the circumstances, the way in which Amanda Gorman, the young Black American poet put it, her words seem quite relevant in a Guyanese context: “When day comes we ask ourselves, ‘where can we find light in this never ending shade, the loss we carry, a sea we must wade-?”
Yours faithfully,
Clement J. Rohee
