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Kaieteur News
Friday November 08, 2013
THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN
Two weeks ago, I told Christopher Ram that Ramon Gaskin is very superb with the analysis of statistics, financial figures, legal language and related fields, but is not a good political analyst. Ram knew that I wasn’t putting down Gaskin, but offering my opinion. I think Gaskin has a fine mind and excels in those areas I have mentioned. He has done valuable work for the Guyanese people who need to understand the complex dimensions of certain investment documents. In the vicinity of raw politics, I don’t think Gaskin brings the same cutting edge analysis. The occasion for giving my opinion to Ram was an interview Chris did recently with Gaskin, in which Gaskin stated that Cheddi
Jagan would not have employed someone like Dr. Leslie Ramsammy. This was Gaskin’s reaction after Ram uttered complete shock at the condescending advice Dr Ramsammy gave to working class farmers. He exclaimed that selling papers at the market will not make you rich. Gaskin felt that Ramsammy’s dismissal was the kind of bourgeois mentality that Jagan would not have tolerated, and that people like Ramsammy would not have found a place in Jagan’s Cabinet. I pointed out to Ram that this was a complete misunderstanding of the politics of Cheddi Jagan, and that Jagan was quite happy to empower and put in his Cabinet people with far more bourgeois mentality
and wealth than Ramsammy. I went on to point out to Chris that though I despise the politics of Ramsammy, he is one of the PPP mandarins who is less known for ostentatious wealth. After he came to power, Jagan surrounded himself with multi-billionaires investing them with State power. One of these rich men literally bought up state lands for a song through the conduit of an infamous Hindu pandit. This column is more about Gaskin and less about Jagan, so let’s move on. I took public umbrage with Gaskin (in a published letter) when he wrote a defence of acting Town Clerk, Carol Sooba, in the May 21 (2013) edition of this paper and the Stabroek News. If Gaskin had understood the political
context in which Sooba was employed as Town Clerk, I don’t think he would have waxed so lyrical about Sooba. It would appear to me that Gaskin was fed up with what he saw at City Hall, and by the use of logic (in philosophy a thing can be logical yet be intrinsically wrong), elevated Sooba. It reminded me of the famous professorial support from Oxford and Cambridge for Stalin during the reign of the Nazis. If Hitler was bad, then Stalin had to be good. So for Gaskin, if the City Council was incompetent, then Sooba was the saviour. Last Sunday Stabroek editorial on Sooba is not a positive assessment of her competence at all, but leaving aside ability, what about the missing link of Gaskin – the
GATOSP awaits meeting over Chinese fishing licences By Zena Henry With all the information surfacing about the possible issuance of fishing licences to Chinese nationals, the Guyana Association of Trawler Owners and Seafood Processors (GATOSP) says it is awaiting word from the Agriculture Minister on what is actually taking place in the industry. President of the GATOSP, Leslie Ramalho, told Kaieteur News yesterday that the information they are receiving about the aforementioned fishing licences is what has been reported in the news. He said that it would be welcomed if the Minister would call a meeting to address concerned fishing operators. Ramalho noted however that no contact had been made with the Association, by either the Minister or Ministry, since the matter came to the fore. Ramalho told Kaieteur News that he has not received a response to a more than a one-month-old letter that was dispatched to the minister. The Minister was recently quoted in another section of the media as saying that no fishing licences have been issued to the Chinese. According to that report, a final agreement with the Chinese fishing vessels will
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GATOSP President, Leslie Ramalho address the issue of overfishing and potential environmental effects, which have been the growing concern of some stakeholders. Ramsammy said that the industry must accept the reality of overfishing which is faced by every country, but resources should be used responsibly for sustainability. The Minister had told Kaieteur News that several foreigners, including France, Brazil, Trinidad and Barbados had stated an interest in deep sea fishing. He said that a two-page concept was presented to him by the interested company. Kaieteur News was also told in an earlier interview with the Minister that a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed with the Chinese seeking to conduct a study of the deep water catches. The activity was pointed towards the fact that the Chinese would be seeking fish species other than that which is
caught by local operators. The Minister was reported as saying that following the Chinese concept and species find, a detailed proposal should be presented. In the case of deep water fishing, it was explained by the GATOSP that local operators have refrained from this, as the activity is monitored by the International Convention for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) and tuna-like species. The 1966 Convention, “aims to cooperate in maintaining the populations of tuna and tuna-like fish found in the Atlantic Ocean at levels which permit the maximum sustainable catch for food and other purposes through the creation of the ICCAT.” Leslie Ramalho explained that Guyana has no quota which depends on historical data pertaining to catches and deep water species. He said this information is highly important for involvement in deep water fishing and especially for export; hence, locals have not been too hot on the activity. Further, if the government is seeking to involve the Chinese in firsttime deep water fishing, it was questioned the purpose of 40 Chinese fishing vessels conducting the study. In the meantime, the GHRA has yet again registered its dissatisfaction with the manner in which the fishing licence issue has been developing. The organization sees the Minister’s explanations on the matter as “less than convincing.” “The idea of contracting
a Chinese agency to determine whether there are species in Guyana’s waters that can be fished by Chinese trawlers suggests Minister Ramsammy is being facetious or that he has no regard for public opinion. Such a study would convince no one and appears more like a fig-leaf to cover his intention to continue on the course of licencing Chinese fishermen.” “A study of the species, shoals and fish-stocks in Guyanese waters would be very valuable, assuming this information is currently unknown. Are there any baseline data on fish stocks? What should the harvesting rates be? These are important questions, but what faith could be placed in having that information provided by institutions which have a vested interest in the outcome? If this information is a priority, the study should be tendered in a professional manner and the contract awarded on the basis of impartial and professional criteria.” The organization has noted further that given the lack of resources/equipment, the notion that the Chinese fishing activities would be monitored, is an insult to the nation. The Environment Community Health Organization (ECHO) had also expressed concern over the developments, attaching an environmental worry. Meanwhile, Minister Ramsammy at yesterday’s Parliamentary session indicated that arrangements would be made for the relevant stakeholders to meet on the issue.
political context? Sooba, it would appear, has been handed a soogee (rope used to do washing) by the PPP Government to clean City Hall. But clean City Hall of what? Surely it cannot be of incompetence when you read the Stabroek editorial on Sooba’s own incompetence. Could it be that the soogee has been handed to Sooba to undertake political hanging? Sooba is either incapable of doing what Ramon Gaskin is exceedingly good at analyzing financial documents - or she is using her City Hall position to do political assignments for the PPP. So far, Ms. Sooba is very sparse with the information she lets out on which citizen isn’t paying up their rates. The few names published so far take in some well known critics of the PPP Government. But more than the select publication of names by Ms. Sooba, the way she uses her soogee brings into question the future of this nation. What is taking place at City Hall is so demonic that it can easily slip into instability
Frederick Kissoon and our “angelic,’ “patriotic,” “concerned,” business folks don’t seem to be concerned. Every detail of Ms. Sooba’s present function at City Hall indicates that she has become not the boss, not the controller, but the virtual tsar of City Hall. It would seem that Ms Sooba has total power at City Hall. This is in an area of municipal government where the incumbents were elected, with the PPP securing only 27 percent of the vote. To add insult to injury, Sooba’s soogee was handed to her by a government which lost a majority in the last general elections and behaves as if the City Council is a domain of the Ministry of Local Government. Hello Ramon! Where are you? Can you contextualize Sooba’s soogee, please?
Dem boys seh...
No amount of spin can help dem Spin is a thing that can mek people win or mek dem lose. When dem boys was li’l dem use to spin buck top. Dem cricketer does spin ball; some does pelt and think dem ah spin. Some people head does spin when de truth face dem. Ask Bobby and Jagdeo. Dem does use a lot of Limacol. Brazzy know fuh spin words and he does use up de Whizz wha Bobby does mek. Dem three sit down and spin de words wid Ravi de Devil about dem three reporter who walk off de wuk. Dem boys seh that dem can put whatever spin or slant; dem can import people fuh do dem spinning. It can’t save dem. Dem gyal walk in de Waterfalls paper and seh is nah Glenn Lall we frighten; we frighten when we walk pun de road dem people in de street gun assault we fuh talking de dutty and nasty lies wha Bobby, Jagdeo and Brazzy want we reporters fuh talk about. People guh believe is de reporters write de story when in fact is Jagdeo, Rob Earth, Bobby and Ravi de Dev-il write dem things. All three seh that dem ain’t mind reading it, but dem want call de name of de people who write de things. Is that wha put de spin pun this whole saga that cause de walk off. Dem boys want tell Bobby, Rob Earth, Jagdeo, Brazzy and Irfaat that when de people of Guyana done wid dem, dem ain’t gun got no way to tun, no way to run, no way to hide, is straight to jail; do not pass go and don’t collect wha’ever money deh. Dem boys want tell dem that if dem know wha’ good fuh dem, leh dem mek dem own pumpkin jumpsuit to suit demself. Dem should mek it comfortable, because dem got a long time to stay in it. Dem want give dem another piece of advice. If dem want see and play wid dem grand pickney, dem must go demself and check in at de jail house at Mazaruni, because dem boys certain Aunt Dora gun give dem a jail sentence like wha she give some of Jagdeo and Bobby friends. Dem would never come out fuh even see dem grand pickney much less play wid dem. And Brazzy love children. Is a pity de Rat nah got none. Talk half and spin de rest.