Dear Editor,
Take public servants and pensioners, by my count approx. 100,000 eligible Guyanese. Since they are already in the system, a captive subset of the qualifying population, why do they still have to register? About 76,000 pensioners are readying for the ordeal of collecting their 2025 pension books, now they must submit to another grueling process that drains stamina and soul. Consider the wait and woes at registration sites. Perhaps, the government will have an army of registration agents, and numerous sites. Note is made of the week allocated.
It is helpful, but is that enough, considering the number of cash grant eligible citizens? Will the PPP Government, as a special courtesy to senior citizens segregate them from the crush of 300,000 Guyanese in a mad rush to get in the line and sign on the dotted line? If they are lumped in with other qualifying Guyanese, simply imagine their distress.
Opposition Leader, Mr. Aubrey Norton, said that the government is in a mad scramble. The PPP Government is mad.
End of story. Excellency Ali, who loves the quick dash, big splash, delivered one involving a bucket of cash. Where is it, Mr. President? It hasn’t been “immediately”, as promised, Excellency. Dr. Ashni Singh, the money man, waxed smartly about a simple and easy registration process. How so, Dr. Singh, with about 300,000 eligible people crowding, clamoring, confusing the sites and then having to return to uplift their check (American spelling).
Perhaps, Dr. Singh helicopters from home to work. I suggest that he studies how Guyanese use their multibillion-dollar roads.
If there is that level of mayhem to get through stoplights, then pure chaos should be expected when a hundred large is involved. Discipline, courtesy, and order are all under the severest stresses, when money isn’t involved. Throw in a hundred big bills and mobs emerge.
I recall the Romans. Recall how those sharpies mesmerized jaded, angry citizens? First a circus, then free bread to stuff their mouths and clog their minds. To crown the festivities, sick Roman emperors, who made themselves into Gods, offered gladiators killing one another, and a bundle of Christians to feed the lions and bonfires. For the Romans that was fun and relief. The PPP Government’s equivalent is we care, we share. Thanks for the circus, Drs. Ali, Jagdeo, Singh.
Earlier, Dr. Jagdeo was the first to inform Guyanese about an App. What happened to that? Did Maduro wreak havoc with that Ministry of Finance gimmick? It was that all along, wasn’t it, especially now that the owner of that app, Dr. AK Singh, is busy pontificating in public about a paper process. Who is the real doctor in that trio of heroes and superstars? Dr. Singh got a shade on the testy side when peppered with questions about the $100k. I would be too, if my own vice president ran out and told the Guyanese people about some app that is now undeliverable. Was it ever feasible? Does it really exist? It was the same Big Boss Bhar-rat who jumped in front and hollered that overseas Guyanese could collect the cash. His PPP Government cannot even deal with Guyanese who are here, who are hoping, who are hurting, and he races forward to stuff overseas Guyanese into the picture.
Resident Guyanese are living on the borders of starvation, but Jagdeo’s only vision, only ambition, is about elections. Guyanese losing their grip on a decent living, and Jagdeo lusting after power. It is how the cash is tainted. It is how one cash grant sleight of hand after another has visited expectant Guyanese.
I remind all Guyanese of those other Guyanese who used to storm airline offices for some mixed-up plane ticket. With money in the mix all bets are off. Many times, money drives sober men mad. Look at what it has done to PPP politicians. Going forward, I am calling this the cash grant slant. Or the PPP Government’s cash grant trash talk.
Finally, there was some picture of General Mark Phillips registering for the cash grant. Why is he lining up to collect, though eligible, is due? The PPP Government has taken care of its prime ministers (Jagdeo is three in one), ministers, and others in the money and allowances departments. Must every cent be grabbed by PPP? I assure Phillips that this is not personal, no offense intended. It is simply financial, sociological, environmental, and general (no pun), which Guyanese are free to interpret anyhow. Good news for Guyanese turning sour, with much political rancidness.
Sincerely,
GHK Lall
