…on public corruption
Transparency International (TI) just came out with its scores on how countries are perceived as being corrupt in their Public Sector. And to the surprise of no Guyanese – apart from any who might’ve been on a manned mission to Mars – Guyana’s still ranked as one of the most corrupt in the world. Out of 176 countries measured, we scored a piddling 34 to place us at #108.
In this hemisphere, on this metric – like in so many others that the international community use to evaluate performance – we barely squeezed out Haiti! Nothing to be proud about – and everything to make this PNC-led Government ashamed. First of all, they can’t cavil about the criteria used by TI to make their evaluation – since they’d used TI’s index to regularly beat up on PPP’s “corruption”.
And we return to the theme we’ve been slogging away at ever since the Government squeezed into office. Namely that since APNU/AFC had made corruption their major plank to get elected, they owe it to the Guyanese people to exit the bevvy of incorrigibly venal South Saharan countries in which we’ve plunged – and at least join our cohorts in Caricom. Even Suriname outpointed us by a wide margin – and let’s not even talk about The Bahamas.
We don’t have to count the ways in which this Government has dragged us into the muck of public corruption, do we? We thought not. The question is what are we, as citizens of Guyana, going to do about it. Imagine India, long seen as a hotbed of corruption with its Licence Raj, outpointing us! If they can turn their massive ship of state out of the murky corruption waters, why can’t we?
We can do worse than start with leadership at the very top. Like Modi, Prezzie’s widely acknowledged as not being corrupt. But unlike Modi, he absolutely refuses to oust party faithful who’re blatantly corrupt. The PPP, back in 1992 inherited a system in which corruption had become the grease almost every government transaction – but they didn’t move to remove it root and branch. They didn’t want to be blamed! And no one should be surprised when several of their personnel became tainted after Jagan, their moral exemplar, passed away. Even their top leaders concede this.
But Prezzie’s not even making an attempt to deal with the canker of corruption that’s undermining his regime. He must begin to clean the Augean Stables that’s fast filling up with newly dropped horse-dung.
He just has to look out of his windows to Jubilee Park, which was evidently his vision.
Where did the $1.3 billion go?
…on local corruption
Can you imagine what score the City of Georgetown would get if it were to be graded on the corruption score?? While no country can garner a perfect 100 (Finland came in 1st with a 90), there’s no question Georgetown would get us attention with a ZERO! Quick now – can you cite one example – that’s right just ONE! ANY one! – where the Gang of Four at City Hall did something for the City and not for the augmentation of their pockets?
Thought so!! Didn’t do so on the clean-up of the City from Central Government funds. Didn’t do so on Merriman Mall. Ditto on the vendors. And of course, the elephant in the City – the parking meters! This is a sweetheart deal to beat all sweetheart deals! We can only guess how much passed under the table – when all Georgetown gets 20 per cent and the vendor rakes in 80 per cent of the profits for the next 20 years!!
And imagine the City has to eliminate competition by breaking down other parking lots!
…on leadership
Doesn’t say much for the AFC when you have the “Big Four” – all with “senior Ministries” – squaring off for the Top Spot.
Have all the new blood they boasted of attracting, been strangled?
