Latest update October 6th, 2024 12:59 AM
Dec 01, 2016 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon
I have heard several persons close to the administration say that President Granger does not want to intervene in particular situations because in each of those areas, there is a subject minister. I have been repeatedly told that the President does not want to be seen interfering in the work of his ministers and special appointees. In management science, there is justification for that. Management experts say that micromanaging has deleterious effects on the company’s performance.
There are certain weaknesses when you lift a concept from one area of knowledge and apply it to another. Definite modifications have to be made. I think micromanaging has its setbacks, but when you are dealing with an entire country in which the well-being of a nation is at stake, then, some business concepts may not apply. A Prime Minister or a President must at times intervene in sensitive or overbearing or unacceptable situations in his/her country for several reasons.
First, he/she has to demonstrate to the nation that in all matters where the life of the country is concerned, he /she was elected to oversee the nation’s affairs and that is an obligation that must be carried out; the nation wants that obligation to be carried out.
Secondly, the Head of the Government must at all times appear to the citizenry to be a caring person, who listens and acts. Thirdly, The Head of Government must bear in mind, at all times that subordinates may not be as sensitive and as understanding as is expected. That is where the ruler of the country comes in.
I will cite a number of cruel episodes for which President Granger must show a no-nonsense and understanding attitude. There is a letter in this newspaper in its Monday edition in which a teacher is appealing to the Region Four authorities to let her have her November and December salaries. The teacher’s explanation was that the Region advised staff that it must correct any deficiency the employee has with the NIS. She wrote that she was not aware of that advice. Her salary for November was not offered to her because of that fault.
She was also told that the system is so structured that December salaries are already made out and she missed that deadline and will have to wait until January. So for the Christmas season, this mother will have no money. How can any country be so cruel? What kind of humans do we have in this country? But there is another point. Is it legal to withhold the salary of an employee if their NIS transfers are not correct? I may be wrong, but it doesn’t seem so.
I am asking President Granger to intervene and let this woman have her salaries. Once he says pay the lady, they will quickly adjust the system to write the cheque. If Mr. Granger chooses not to assist, then I would ask this teacher to contact me so we can seek an order from the court, and so she can have a happy holiday season. I will ask her to make contact with me. I live at 47 Area Q, Turkeyen, right next to the Caricom Secretariat. My phones are 222-1615, 222-1616, 614-5927. My email is [email protected]. I normally return missed calls on my cell phone.
Next is the mistreatment of our aging folks who went to collect their pensions in Suddie. What kind of sadistic humans do we have in Guyana? A letter in this newspaper described the terrible conditions our old folks go through to collect their pension. Why would a government with so many aging leaders not be sensitive to how it treats its pensioners? A majority of them had to stand. There was no shelter from the rain or sun. And many of them were physically weak.
If pensioners have to go to a particular office each month to collect their pension then this government which just built a billion-dollar structure at D’Urban Park, must provide pleasant conditions for them while they wait to be served.
Finally, in Monday’s edition of KN there was a story of four puppies almost put to death by the vet at Correia Airport. I denounced this barbaric attempt in my Wednesday column. I am now asking both President and Prime Minister to name which time when they left Region Four and visited Region Ten, they had to open their bags to show Customs in Region Ten. Where is the Customs Office in Region 10? So why when you leave your home in Mazaruni with a plane to come to Region Four, must you check in with Customs at Ogle?
October 1st turn off your lights to bring about a change!
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