Tales of a gifted gold band, the screams of a dying woman and a shoot-out between the police and a bandit
DEAR EDITOR,
A few weeks ago, a Guyanese woke up to the news that a former Government minister was gifted a half-million-dollar gold band. He denied the ex-minister’s acceptance of the gift. The event made headlines. Social media didn’t skip a beat on it. The minister is now before the court.
But it looks like there is more to come such as the asphalt plant, house furniture, the 20K passports and the barbershop issues.
Undoubtedly, wrongdoing during the reign of APNU + AFC runs deep resulting in the nation being badly injured.
While the issue of the sunken gold band was attracting public attention, news broke that a young woman had tragically died as she was trapped in a room of a house that was engulfed in flames of fire that destroyed the building. Curious viewers said they heard screams coming from the house and then silence. Later, they saw firefighters remove the burned body’s remains from the window of the house.
Then there was a recent incident, which was not dissimilar to the suffering of the three-bullet survivor at Barbie Dam. A female protector almost became ‘dead or badly wounded’ because of what she described as the “zloop” of an intended cut wound. A reminder that there are more ways to be dead than being alive. It also reminds us that life is not only valuable but that we have to pay attention to that “strange feeling” that the female babysitter “didn’t pay much thought to.”
The public’s attention then turned to an incident where a bandit wanted by police for a series of armed robberies tried to escape police patrol by shooting at police. The ranks returned on fire but the bandit managed to escape. He was later taken to a hospital where he went for treatment for gunshot wounds. According to reports, he was taken there by persons who could face charges contrary to Section 151 of the Summary Jurisdiction Act Ch. 8:02 concerning refuge refuge wanted.
Unsurprisingly, these three human interest reports, one after the other, would attract public attention. It was also no surprise that the media would headline them. As for the gifted gold band, Guyanese have an incredible sense of curiosity and elephant-like memory when it comes to scandals involving government ministers.
We are reminded that it was former President Granger who, in justifying his humble pay increases to his ministers, claimed that he had been made “… to encourage corrupt practices… for a stronger cabinet that allows ministers to achieve their functions and proper management of Guyana. ”
Ironically, while Granger waxed lyrical about his ‘virtuous’ ministers, his ministers in turn did not waste any time exploiting their privileged positions for personal gain.
Fires are common occurrences in Guyana. Following investigations by ranks of the Guyana Fire Service, the cause of fires ranges from carelessness and electrical to arson.
Fires are of human interest because of their destructive nature and in many cases, the cause of death.
Shooting incidents between law men and citizens who break the law, refuse to surrender and return fire in an attempt to escape is of great public interest because such violent encounters can lead to loss of life at either rank police or offender.
Guyanese should fasten their seat belts; it looks like more turmoil is ahead.
In the circumstances, the way Amanda Gorman, the young Black American poet, made her words, seems quite relevant in a Guyanese context: “When the day comes, we ask ourselves, ‘where can we find light in this endless shadow, the loss we carry, a sea we must watch? ”
Correctly,
Clement J. Rohee