Dear Editor,
Social commentary seems to have become an exercise in futility, especially when targeting those considered to be leaders and role models, who fail in these roles. However, we march on, knowing that the pen is mightier than the sword and also to inform the young generation. The phrases bandied about such as, “ Guyana is not a real place “ or “ Is Guyana bai,” are never pleasing to me but are obviously playing out at the Guyana Lands and Surveys (L& S) office.
A visit there in the first week of July 2023, left me astonished and hopeless. Three female guards assigned to the institution were absent from the guards’ area and were seated nearby. They were intermittently sitting and standing, speaking and laughing loudly and occasionally, one or two of them would prance around, enthused by their utterances or the appearance of someone or persons they knew. It was bacchanal. There was a benab about 75 feet from them, where I sat with my host in an attempt to conduct an investigation into a matter that would have required input from the L&S office. However, we were forced to pause on many occasions due to the distracting noise from the guards. I haven’t visited any Ministries or governmental institutions for years and am left to assume that similar behaviour prevails there. If this is untrue, what is the reason that it is happening at the L&S office? Let us put forth one: Management feels that the L&S office lies off the beaten path and is not a place that foreigners would visit. Such a reason does not justify disorderly behaviour by anyone, especially guards. Remigrants and prospective remigrants do go there and these are the people we want to attract. Locals also should not experience exposure to that behaviour. Management at L& S is in a dismal state and is neglectful in their duties.
Guyana is frequently being featured in prominent magazines like Time, Newsweek and the Economist; newspapers like The New York Times and The Sun and news outlets like the BBC, CNN and Reuters, to name a few. The world suddenly knows of Guyana, is watching and keenly expecting a rags to riches story, which is often gripping and exhilarating. On the flip side, there is the portrait of doom. Which of these paths will we take? The media aforementioned would cringe and find it repulsive should they visit Guyana and witness such conduct (God forbid) as displayed at the L&S office. One can only hope that they are never able to issue a report on that. This is “The new Guyana bai,” let’s get our act together.
Sincerely,
Conrad Barrow
