Dear Editor,
The government’s Department of Public Information informs us that students from Baracara are to be accommodated at the newly-renovated Amerindian Hostel in New Amsterdam as “a commitment made by President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali during a visit last year.” Indeed, a large number of government statements on community works (big or small) carry the words: “This intervention came about as a result of President Dr Irfaan Ali’s visit to the community.” Whether we are talking about roads in Kitty or Plantation Farm, or whether it involves excavators for Leguan and Wakenaam, residents evidently had to await a visit and a promise from the President.
At several levels, much is wrong and unacceptable with this approach. It is extremely ad hoc, politicised, and puts lie to VP Jagdeo’s frequent brag that the PPP has a development plan. How could there be a development plan of any worth if demands for certain projects are ignored or missed and are only included when Mr. Ali visits? Should he not visit or should he not listen or should he not be convinced, then the particular needs of residents would not be fulfilled. Yet, the PPP calls that “planning.”
The regional and local government system is supposed to be the forum where all such community needs are identified, discussed, and processed all the way to implementation. But, of course, for the PPP, that lacks the PR fanfare and breaks the chain of dependency between itself and citizens. As such, its preferred style of administration is for the President or a Minister to waltz into the community and be informed of one of the needs of the community. Residents, one imagines, are then supposed to be eternally grateful for this single act of government kindness and responsiveness.
It is all crude and ridiculous. But also harmful. If residents of Baracara had to wait on a visit by President Ali before a plan could be hatched for their children to be accommodated in a hostel in New Amsterdam, then that cannot be a good way to advance the wellbeing of people, wherever they are. I would advise my fellow Guyanese to reject such an approach to development, and the government that applies it as a norm.
Sincerely,
Sherwood Lowe