Dear Editor,
I must tip my hat to the Minister of Home Affairs for his exuberant celebration over the new 24-hour road surveillance bill. Nothing quite shouts “brilliant hypocrisy” like the relentless tracking of speed demons and seatbelt scofflaws. The sheer brilliance of sending photographic evidence and fine notifications directly to offenders’ mobile phones, followed by good old snail mail, is a masterclass in modern governance.
However, in the spirit of this newfound surveillance fervor, may I suggest an extension of this initiative? How about a similar bill for 24-hour surveillance to catch Permanent Secretaries and other government officials who breach conflict of interest rules and other regulations? Picture the efficiency of real-time footage of our esteemed public servants occasionally wading into the murky waters of conflict of interest, with the footage delivered straight to the President of Guyana, and of course, with copies to the US Embassy.
Visualize the deterrent effect on those secretive lunch meetings, the mysteriously vanishing documents, and the conveniently timed overseas trips. A bill like this could usher us into a new era of transparency and accountability, where no official deed, however minor, escapes the all-seeing eye of the state and OFAC.
To ensure comprehensive oversight, we could even extend this surveillance to cover the issuance of contracts, the allocation of state resources, and the internal workings of policymaking. The mere thought of such sweeping oversight sends shivers down the spine of every citizen who dares to dream of a perfectly monitored society. So, let us rally behind this grand vision. For in a world where the roads are safe and the bureaucrats are watched, we can all sleep soundly, knowing that no infraction goes unnoticed, and no pocket is left unlined.
Sincerely,
Keith Bernard