…in Finance
Your Eyewitness is still reeling from the disdainful statement of Minister of Finance Winston Jordan to Auditor General, Deodat Sharma: “I don’t owe him any explanation!!” And just what did the holder of this constitutional office do to deserve such a contemptuous dismissal? Just doing his job!! He asked why the government spending almost a BILLION dollars from the “Contingencies Fund” – meant for emergency spending!!
To be exact, under the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act (FMA), “The Minister, when satisfied that an urgent, unavoidable and unforeseen need for expenditure has arisen – (a) for which no moneys have been appropriated or for which the sum appropriated is insufficient; (b) for which moneys cannot be reallocated as provided for under this Act; or (c) which cannot be deferred without injury to the public interest, may approve a Contingencies Fund advance as an expenditure out of the Consolidated Fund.”
The AG conceded a government might underestimate a million here or a million there in a budget, but $900 MILLION?!! Something’s really fishy. How could he NOT ask Jordan to explain? He should’ve been fired if he didn’t! But there is something else at work her – and it’s called “HUBRIS”.
This state of mind was recognised as far back as the ancient Greeks who gave it its name. It means basically someone’s too full of himself – but with the critical addendum that the arrogance will bring that person down – as sure as the sun’s gonna rise in the morning. The ancient Jews mentions it in one of their Proverbs – “pride goeth before destruction; a haughty spirit before a fall”. The point is the arrogance of one filled with hubris is because these folks really DON’T have the qualities they flaunt when putting down others to humiliate them. Somewhere in the back of their minds they know they’re bluffing and are afraid their bluff’s gonna be called. As with Jordan right now, they’ll be exposed as hollow men.
On another hubristic utterance – Jordan’s claim that the AG should’ve sent his Report to be “edited” by him – is Jordan aware of how he’s exposed his “shallowness”? According to the AG portions of the Report were sent to his different Department Heads. Is the Big and Bad Jordan confessing that even his HoDs didn’t share their info with him? But this is par for the course in underlings dealing with hubristic bosses. They just can’t wait see to how hard and fast will be the fall – and act to hasten it!
This Eyewitness just can’t believe that Prezzie has authorised this kind of arrogance from one of his Ministers.
He has to use his rod of correction! And soon.
…of the plantocracy
And how can one discuss “hubris” in Guyana and not mention Tony Vieira?? This fella’s the quintessential hubristic hollow man. In today’s papers he exposed his arrogance for all the world to see in a letter boasting about how the Chairman of the GNBA on which he sits, is just like any other director – meaning him! Can you believe this?
It’s like an MP telling a Minister that there’s no difference between them, because they both were candidates from their party! Craig might’ve been a director on the GNBA along with Vieira…but the moment he was elected as Chairman, he was invested with all the powers of that office – which go beyond those of a regular director.
Which part of this Vieira doesn’t get? But that’s not the point, is it? As Vieira told someone, he’s superior to Craig because he’s a “member of the plantocracy”!!
Yes, imagine that! From a fella who had access to all the money – and the best he could do was work in the fields!
…and rebuilding
It was just announced that the Arthur Chung Convention Centre will be closed for two years to be “fixed”.
Since we all know the biggest defect is it was built “back to front”, will this be reversed?
