Dear Editor,
“TIGI says many people here not speaking out about corruption because of intimidation” (SN July 3). I agree with TIGI, but intimidation is only a major segment of Guyana’s corruption story, with many more untold and unheard ones left out. To flesh this corruption issue out – this now pervasive national culture and religion – I put a human face on it, so that the few remaining honest Guyanese can determine for themselves. They can conclude in one of several ways (maybe all of them). Is this me regarding corruption, intimidation, and fearful silence? Is this the environment in which I operate and what I have observed? And is this a part of what I personally am, in some small or large manner? Now for the human face mentioned.
I had a conversation with a young man, an already well-qualified Guyanese still studying to enhance himself further. He shared these words. ‘I admire what you are doing, would like to, but if I speak of what I see, then I am doomed. I have a family. I am now building my career. I have a mortgage and loans. Because of all these considerations, I have no choice, but silence and pretend ignorance or to be an unseeing and unhearing dummy.’ He said that there are many like him. He then went further. ‘If he were to speak out, then his days are numbered, and he has only two choices remaining’. First, pursue employment in the private sector; or second, migrate. The latter is not an option because that could take years, and there is the small matter of being approved for permanent residence status in, say, the United States or Canada, the two prime destination choices for obvious reasons. Living on the run, working illegally, and doing likely menial jobs are most unappealing.
Then, he dropped this sledge on my head relative to the first option -private sector employment. His words: ‘opportunities are there, but too many companies either owe the Government, or desire favours from its leaders, or are just fearful themselves of offering employment to a highly qualified Guyanese worker because they could be called upon to move against the erring (outspoken/whistleblowing) former public servant, and then he and people like him would be on their own, with no near equivalent prospects (this eerily reminds of the late Walter Willis, a long ago friend). Frankly, I have never thought of this, but it made sense because we have this kind of regime in place, and these kinds of vindictive leaders in the drivers’ seats. It is part of their locking down the corruptions occurring, and the stark, sinister, ominous reality of Guyana. I point to what leaders in this PPP Government have done in the past and today; their memories are long, and their corresponding vicious actions have damaged Guyanese, who dared to cross their paths.
Editor, permit a digression, please. I thought I knew about corruption, but my Guyana Gold Board stint was reeducation on the deep-seated, interconnected nature of corruption here. In sum, corruption embraces PNC, PPP, little people, big names, workers, state agencies, ministries, people seeking to engage, people seeking info, people on payrolls, people covering up, people fearful and ad infinitum and ad nauseam. It was about money, about documents, with one senior leader of the-then Opposition PPP engaging staff to do dirty deeds. Many times, I asked myself ‘what the hell is going on, and what the hell I am doing here.’ I am glad I went if only for truly learning about corruption and its circle of politicians (both sides), directors, launderers, sellers and buyers, protectors, police, courts, witnesses, and so forth.
I extrapolate this into other agencies of the state to place before the public that this is the norm, the settled standard. Corruption is about personal involvement. Corruption is about intimidation, fear, retaliation. Corruption is about the imprisonment of unemployment. Corruption is about being cast out into the street. Corruption is about political and environmental reality. It is about Guyana’s criminal underbelly.
Sincerely,
GHK Lall
