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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday January 4, 2014
Old Kai: Chronicles of Guyana
NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS? - Hammie admits he is collecting money under false pretence - TIGI admits it is not fit to speak on topics of corruption, transparency
OLD Kai saw the media headline and baulked! Could it really be possible that after all these years, our eternal Mayor of Georgetown had finally summed up the courage to admit that he has failed our City and failed miserably at that and ask for forgiveness from citizens? Was this one of his New Year’s resolution as part of trying to find peace within him and if not correct at least admit his many wrongs? It is interesting to note that at the height of his political power in this country three decades ago when his party was in Government, Guyana was at its lowest. So why should we be surprised that ever since he became eternal Mayor of Georgetown in 1993, he has presided over the gradual decline of our Capital City. Upon reading his most recent rantings in the media in what is considered to be increasingly frail attempts to stay relevant all my questions were answered. In true Hammie style, he blamed everyone for the state of Georgetown from the workers, businessmen, citizens, Town Clerk, Ministers and the Government, except of course himself. So his worship has officially abandoned any responsibility for our Capital City, yet every month like a homage he goes to the bank to ensure his hefty salary and many perks is delivered compliments of the Citizens of Georgetown who have been paying him for the past two decades to effectively manage Georgetown. Since His Highness likes to throw out challenges, Old Kai would like to throw out one of his own; since as Mayor of Georgetown you are not responsible for the Capital City; can you say why are you collecting a salary under the premise that you actually are responsible for GT? Isn’t this more like collecting money under false pretense? I hope the Guyana Police Force fraud squad is taking note as clearly
our local chapter of Transparency International and their Opposition handlers will not. Why should they, after all the President of the Transparency Institute is no other than Mr. Anand Goolsaran, who was Auditor General of Guyana when Mr. Hamilton Green was Prime Minister under the PNC Dictatorship. Mr. Goolsaran could not produce one single
Mayor Hamilton Green
Mr. Anand Goolsaran
audited report when Hammie and the PNC were in Government; so forgive me if I do not have any hope that he would do so now. TIGI CONFIRMS Still on TIGI, Old Kai observed their response in the media to the Bishop regarding the secretive compilation of their ‘perception report on corruption.’ According to the local handlers, they are not
Home Affairs convenes meeting on accidents, traffic congestion THE Ministry of Home Affairs, in response to public alarm over road accidents, fatalities and traffic congestion, as well as its own concerns, convened a meeting on January 2, 2014, involving the Guyana National Road Safety Council (GNRSC), the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the Guyana Minibus Association. The purpose was to discuss those matters and come up with recommendations on the way forward, according to a statement from the ministry yesterday. It said the meeting was informed that the main causes of fatal accidents in 2013 was speeding, inattentiveness and driving under the influence of alcohol. The majority of victims were pedestrians with the involvement of private vehicles occurring between midday and evening hours, between evening hours to midnight on Sundays and Fridays involving young drivers ranging in age from 16 to 24 years and 25 to 33 years. In this connection, it was agreed that, with this information in hand, there should be more targeted enforcement by the GPF and education programmes by the GNRSC. Special programmes are to be organised for young driv-
ers in particular and night clubs are to be closely monitored by GPF ranks making greater use of close circuit television (CCTV) footage to address delinquent drivers and other road users. The GPF is to set realistic targets with a view to reducing fatal and other road accidents in general, the statement said. It said the meeting was informed that between 2010 and 2013, the Ministry procured and delivered, to the GPF, 18 breathalyser machines with printers and 400 mouthpieces as well as 29 radar guns. Additionally, the meeting analysed several recommendations recently advanced by A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and found them agreeable and implementable in principle. Consequently, those recommendations were assigned to various stakeholders for further consideration as regards implementation, having regard to their respective capacities and competencies to do so. The statement said it was further agreed that a National Conference on Road Safety will be convened, early in the year, bringing together all stakeholders in the campaign to uphold road safety throughout Guyana.
Essequibo teen attempts suicide after ‘girlfriend’ rejected him - 17-yr-old now battling for life in hospital
SEVENTEEN-YEAR-OLD Rico Persaud, of Walton Hall, who ingested a quantity of deadly poison, is battling for his life in the Suddie Hospital. Reports said the teenager had attended a birthday party at Paradise Village, also on the Essequibo Coast and tried to commit suicide after a girl, with whom he is in love, rejected him.
It is reported that the spurned teen, who was drinking alcoholic beverages, went to a shop in Paradise which sells insecticides and pesticides and purchased a bottle which he consumed in anger. Friends and relatives rushed him to the hospital where he remains under observation. His is the first attempted suicide in the region for the new year.
involved or have no input in putting together the annual report on Guyana but rather ‘the CPI is based on experts’ opinions of public sector corruption in Guyana. So all along Old Kai was made to believe that these local people were the ‘experts’ meaning they were ‘an authority’ or have ‘the ability’ to pronounce definitively on the scope of their focus which is public sector corruption and transparency. Their admission that they have no idea what they are really doing simply confirms the contention of Government and several other stakeholders all along. This revealing information will serve to further confirm in the minds of citizens that the TIGI was a creation of Opposition elements who are using it to attack and discredit Guyana’s international image in their bitter efforts to seek revenge against the PPP/C Government. However, as the old saying goes, ‘don’t cut your nose to spite your face’ these people have ignored the fact that their actions are hurting the people of Guyana including their very own supporters. The same can be said for their cutting of the National Budget for two consecutive years, their efforts to force a 22% increase in electricity rates on consumers, their attack on national projects and of course their refusal to support Government’s Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism amendment bill which ironically would have gone a far way in fighting corruption and improving transparency. As a result of the opposition action, this country was blacklisted and this no doubt will fuel the perception of corruption as contained in the CPI report. But when the opposition refused to support the amendment, the local chapter of Transparency International was silent. What a tangled web we weave.
Heavy, consistent rainfall causes serious flooding in Cozier By Rajendra Prabhulall HEAVY, consistent rainfall over the past few days has caused serious flooding of farms in the Cozier Agriculture Scheme on the Essequibo Coast. One cash crop farmer, Carl Roberts, said his and several others are flooded with some six inches of water that have overflowed from drainage trenches. He said a plot of 10 acres that is planted with water melons, pumpkins and corn, by himself and family members, Goberdhan, Orlando, Roy and Sylvester, has perished in the flood. Roberts said the watermelon plants were growing well and about to start bearing when the flood came. He said one tin of water melon seeds cost him some $10,000 and he estimated the loss on the 10-acre plot to be more than $3M. Roberts said he and all the rest of farmers depend on the farms for their livelihoods and a report was made to the Agriculture Office at Anna Regina. Meanwhile, another Cozier farmer, Darrel Benn, said he has lost some three acres of young red peas plants and several fields with suckers and cassava plants are also flooded in the very fertile Cozier area.