Latest update April 25th, 2024 12:59 AM
Sep 05, 2021 Features / Columnists, The GHK Lall Column
By GHK Lall
Kaieteur News – What came last week did not just disturb, but horrified. What followed after the murder of that pandit in Berbice confirms the darkness and dirtiness hanging over this society. It took 11 to batter one isolated man to death. That was bad enough, but the Guyana Police Force (GPF) was not there; not timely, when needed most urgently. But, as part of this not-so-new practice, there was a company of impressively dressed commanders visiting the family, with hat in hand, to mumble belated insincerities about sorrow. The GPF started out a good practice, which in certain circumstances does the opposite of the good intentions in mind: I see them as professional mourners weeping loudly after the fact, but absent when the blows are descending, when help is needed immediately. There was not a lowly constable available (or vehicle), but there were those in brass epaulets and their brass faces. Too late, gents. And, then more of the insulting followed, with only six being charged. Who is aiding and covering up a horrendous crime with another? More must be charged; if not 11. I remember a murder long past, where two brothers killed a man, and the younger brother alone took the rap. The other murderer ended up in parliament. There are injustices already at work with this man’s death, let there not be one more.
The disturbing continues with the disappointing, what is the usual, in this instance. It is a year later, and President Ali is still to share the audit reports on Exxon’s spending in Guyana. This is the equivalent of a Chairman of a Board of Directors deciding that independent reviews and examinations of the crucial areas of a business must be kept a secret, because of what is feared is housed in the reports. A company cannot flourish like that; neither can a country. Exxon’s interests or that of covering-up PPP leaders and a deceptive government cannot, and should never trump, the interests of the citizens of this country.
Whatever it is that is so damaging in those two closely guarded audit reports must be released in its entireties into the public domain. The more President Ali, not one with even a passable reputation for transparency, struggles to lockdown the audit reports and lockout Guyanese from knowing, the more he (and his government) come across as having a lot to hide. Audit reports on billions in Guyana dollars of supposed Exxon spending in this country cannot be treated like a national security secret. There is greater danger to the present welfare and possible later prosperity of citizens in withholding those reports. These billions accumulate, the payment obligations, or gouging from oil revenues, intensify. Citizens need to know, and should have months ago. The president has failed us, failed his oath of office, failed to be about what is honourable and the essences of openness. I have said it before and I must say it again: President Ali says one thing (transparency), but he lives with another (secrecy). If a neighbour or a peer did so to one of us, we would quickly brand him or her as the worst sort of deceiver and not to be trusted. I have been frank with putting this before fellow citizens, now they must compare and decide for themselves. My position should be transparent: I do not trust the president; he is not looking out for Guyanese, and no amount of charity can obscure that, divert attention from his obvious weakness before the power of Exxon.
Last, I am encouraged by the example of Alfred Bhulai, a member of Transparency Institute Guyana Inc. (TIGI). He asks questions about the composition of oil and gas produced, only for Guyanese to discover that that, too, is secret. As I hail him, where is TIGI itself? Now, it is only one year into the Ali Administration (a patented farce) and there is the norm: secrecy first, stonewalling next, serving up distortions to camouflage last. This is with oil and gas, and most areas of governance.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)
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