Dear Editor,
Each Thursday evening, television viewers in Guyana are subjected to a most insipid programme aired locally on one of the channels called ‘Georgetown on the Move’ – a production that is apparently supposed to highlight the ‘good’ works of the Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown.
This programme – beginning with its sardonic name – could have been considered a weekly satirical production had it not been for the very serious and sore issues it is so woefully attempting to address. A better name for this production is ‘Georgetown on the verge of collapse’.
‘Georgetown on the move’ – where is Georgetown on the move to? More decay, more corruption, more neglect and more frustration for the citizens? On the move with increased general rates, the pending return of the burdensome parking meters, the Container Tax, etc?
A look at the cemetery and the only movement one can see is increasing bushes and overgrowth, blocked passageways and cracked tombs; at the Municipal Abattoir, the cows stop breathing by being clubbed to death by some inhuman slaughterers. Just look at the pavement outside of the Georgetown Public Hospital where the water has not receded, making it unusable by pedestrians for months and worse, making it a breeding ground for mosquitoes that help to transmit malaria, filarial, dengue, zika etc.
Really, the only movement for Georgetown is the Mayor and Town Clerk flying around the world in luxury and when in the city driving around aimlessly in some expensive sport utility vehicles with a retinue of bodyguards like they are heads of state or celebrities.
In fact, the movement to which they speak must be of the money they demand from poor property owners that they lavishly spend on contracts without adherence to tender procedures and allowances that are given to a bloated staff structure, on toilet rentals that continue to be provided to the residences of the Mayor and Town Clerk in spite of the public outcry and street sweeping of potholed roads, on retreats at luxury resorts etc.
But in dealing with the programme itself, one would have expected the Council to have at least engaged the services of a professional broadcaster to function as the host of the programme. Someone who has a good knowledge base: An understanding of issues, names, Georgetown’s geography, history and the ability to put all of these in perspective for viewers. Command of the English language: Dead-on grammar, syntax, pronunciation, tone and storytelling. Interviewing finesse: An instinct for what people need and want to know, and the ability to draw information by skilful, informed questioning and by listening. The current host is severely lacking in all of these areas.
Georgetown is currently on the move towards becoming one big garbage pile.
Sincerely,
Modi Sankar
