Latest update April 24th, 2024 12:59 AM
Dec 12, 2022 Editorial
Kaieteur News – The University of Guyana’s top graduate hit all the high notes in his valedictorian speech. Economics graduate, Sean Pemberton aced the boards with a perfect 4.0 Grade Point Average, which takes a lot of doing. To Valedictorian Pemberton and the 3000 others in this year’s batch of graduates from our highest institution of learning in this country, we say well done, and thanks to all of these young, bright, inspiring Guyanese.
The valedictorian spoke of “transformational economic development” and “burgeoning opportunities” and of how he and his fellow graduates have a duty to be agents of change for the betterment of this country. Undoubtedly, they all do, and it is our wish that they have it in them to be the determinants of the many changes so desperately needed locally. Frankly, those that we have elected to office to be the agents of change that it was thought they could be, only resulted in the worst of disappointments. In turn, those that the elected have selected (senior public servants) to get the many sensitive jobs done have been another source of despair, a case of unending disgust.
Look at where Guyana is today, then look at the people that we have leading the way in government and lots of places in the public service. For the most part, they have not been agents of change of anything laudable, but agents of self-help, and what changes their bank accounts, changes their asset bases. We at this publication have been calling for agents of change for a long time, but it is always heartening to hear another voice, a younger one now, repeating that mantra. They must be different than the present crop of Guyanese who are about under the table money before duty, the dirty when responsibility is called for, and the criminality where only honesty would make a difference.
It is our hope that Guyana will be blessed by these young sons and daughters, who have made many sacrifices to reach this far in the world of learning, They must form the foundations for a new and different Guyana, the agents of change of which young Sean Pemberton articulated so powerfully. For sure, this is a time of many opportunities for well-educated and well-equipped Guyanese students to grow up wisely, and take their places in our new and dynamic world. It will only be dynamic and of the transformational when our young take the bit between their teeth and courageously call things as they are. When, they will have nothing to do with the old sicknesses that torment this country and drag the great mass of struggling Guyanese deeper into the gutter.
We are glad that Mr. Pemberton, in quoting the revered Nelson Mandela, recognised the crucial role that education occupies in building a better country, towards changing the world. We would like to remember this valedictorian’s speech in the years to come, and how he and his batch of graduates lived up to the words shared about change and transformation and betterment for the Guyanese people. Their first challenge is to overcome the obstacle of societal division, with the next being to resist the temptations that make fuel corruptions, those falling victim. Education is a solid beginning, principle and high ethical behaviour is what will help them see their way, and make for a better day for Guyana. If they fail at this, then there is the risk that instead of being agents of change, our graduates will end up being more of the same, unchanging world of Guyana.
Oil discoveries have exploited and expanded our divisions. The greedy has gotten greedier, and the dog-eat-dog world that characterizes oil-producing nations and national oil leaders have only intensified beyond compare. The predatory politicians, the grabbing public servants, the crooked and conniving contractors, now live large, while the poor and those left at the bottom have to fend for themselves. There are few exceptions in the political and bureaucratic realms relative to the uglier world that oil has introduced to Guyana, and this is what has seeped into some of the other sectors the valedictorian mentioned. Go ahead! Be the agents of change we need, which we have never had.
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