Stop complaining; do something!
The Story Within the Story …
By Leonard Gildarie
Kaieteur News – Well, well, well! Did we really do it through 2020? It was a year where elections, COVID-19, the position of migrants, racism (yes, you read it right), education (or lack thereof), and Ponzi schemes dominated the news.
Fortunately, there is a silver lining. We will not focus too much on what happened. All is known, all written about and experienced by our people. A brand new year has dawned.
It should not be noted that the year 2020 is that bad. As a country, we did much better than many around the world. We can chalk up some of the good news to oil and gas.
I would acknowledge that the gamble by the Irfaan Ali government to reopen the airports and relax travel restrictions, both locally and internationally, as well as allowing businesses to reopen in a slightly reduced way, has been rewarding.
As the year comes to a close, there are some positive signs for this country for the new one.
Tomorrow, all National Insurance Scheme (NIS) offices will be opened to the public. This will spell good news for tens of thousands of Guyanese who have been struggling to partially close NIS offices across the country. For many, it spelled delays and frustrations. The delays in claims have been particularly hard on the fragile of a society that struggles to get a living on a daily basis and relies on fast processing for the coming pittance.
I listened to President Irfaan Ali’s New Year message. He managed to strike a number of good chords.
The president acknowledged that Guyana cannot hope to move forward in peace and improve their economic status as long as this country remains divided.
I’ve said it before and I’ll repeat. We lose valuable time by trying to score cheap political points. Former president David Granger made a terrible mistake by turning down the invitation to meet former presidents and President Ali, in a forum that targeted solutions to the country’s big issues. Issues like security, economy, COVID-19 and of course, in my opinion, a number of legislative reforms, should have been discussed there.
As it was, the former president said he wanted more details about the meeting agenda.
These things are easy to find. Someone can pick up the phone and find out. Ask for a letter from the President’s Office, etc. A golden opportunity was lost for Granger to confirm his legacy as a statesman.
The international arena is watching Guyana closely. We are divided. There are few things we can find to agree on. Fortunately, the Venezuela border debate was something that was generally agreed upon and varied.
The new government has reserved a smart and strategic move for former Foreign Minister Carl Greenidge. He is knowledgeable and articulate and well informed on the border issue.
The recent victory at the International Court of Justice, the judicial arm of the United Nations, ended in 2020 on a high note for Guyana that despite Venezuela’s demise, it will not recognize the final decision, in a few years’ time.
President Ali’s message stated that he focused on governance for all and that all Guyana must shine.
I suspect it’s all political rhetoric.
The ruling party knows full well that we have an unpredictable young voting population. Empty promises are not easy to shake. Jobs, housing, tax breaks, and education opportunities are all big-ticket items that must be included in Ali’s presidency.
President Ali will know that he has a maximum of two terms to fulfill. He must first be re-elected in five years.
He’s young. His legacy will matter. He has bolted out of the gates and his ministers must deliver. I like that they engage and work as if the election is just around the corner.
According to Ali in his New Year’s message, his administration is working on bringing the COVID-19 vaccine to our people.
There will have to be an education process. People will be suspicious of any vaccine.
The New Year will still see COVID-19 staring us in the face. It will take on-going resources and efforts and a commitment to the new norm of living with masks, sanitizers and social distance.
Some other good news.
Phase One of the $ 25,000 cash grant for COVID-19 that is in Region Four will be wrapping up soon.
Thousands of people, who were renting, at home and living in multiple-family homes were not being targeted in Phase Two that will start soon, the President said.
It will be welcomed as there is some disquiet with a large block of citizens being left out in the distribution process.
This Christmas saw businesses report their best performance in five years, Ali said.
His message will come from a united Guyana as unhappiness over the ExxonMobil deal in the Stabroek block continues to grow.
This year will be crucial for a number of reasons.
Several large-scale infrastructure works are expected to begin. These should include the new Demerara River bridge; the East Bank alternative route that will connect with Ogle, and several internationally branded hotels. Several of the hotels are planned around the Timehri airport area.
As we speak, ExxonMobil is drilling a number of wells in the blocks adjacent to Stabroek.
If these wells are successful, there will be opportunities for the administration to strike better deals with other concession holders.
But there are some worries, for me.
On New Year’s Eve, I was at my brother’s Diamond home and watching with fireworks. Although banned, these were sold openly in Stabroek and around the country.
Something as simple as this … the enforcement side of things … speaks volumes of our will to be law-abiding citizens. It goes beyond the pain of animals and animal rights activists.
We have to decide to be better suited to our laws, that is, if we are serious about moving on to a first world country.
This year, the government will have to trial several critical legislation including for oil and gas, the Hire Purchase Bill to protect consumers and ensure it controls the COVID-19.
The administration will have to address the growing issues with the situation of our immigrants. It’s a balloon quietly into a social nightmare for Guyana’s limited resources.
As humans, we must begin to understand that this country belongs to us. We have to take care of it like our homes … junk, our neighbors, and the like.
We need to start being more vocal, demanding more accountability from our village leaders and politicians.
Use social media, use the newspaper pages.
Don’t sit still.
This year promises a lot. But do we continue to sit on our hands?
Stop complaining; do something.
A prosperous and life changing New Year for everyone!
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of this newspaper.)