…and Granger
Now that David Granger’s fighting tooth and nail (and maybe “dagger”, since that was his army nickname!) your Eyewitness needs to shed some light on his backstory. It mightn’t be too well known nowadays – excepting for those around the PNC back in the day – but Desmond Hoyte and David Granger’s “conkie” didn’t ‘gree”. This was clear from the moment the leadership of the party unexpectedly landed into the lap of the former – when Burnham transitioned on an operating table at the “Big Hospital”. At that time, Granger was Commander of the GDF – a position to which Burnham had appointed him in 1979 to staunch the inroads Rodney was making into the GDF Officer Corps. And we know what happened six months later on June 13, 1980; don’t we?
Hoyte pointedly bypassed Granger and appointed Joe Singh as the Chief of Staff of the Disciplined Forces. Granger was made “Presidential Advisor on Security” – never to be consulted! He was left to stare at the four walls of his office! So why did Hoyte in effect banish Granger? It wasn’t personal. He knew Granger was a dyed-in-the-wool Burnhamite – having observed from 1965 his slavish loyalty to Burnham over the army or the country. He was Burnham’s ideologue in the armed forces.
And Hoyte – with no wide support base in the PNC – knew his challengers would come from the Burnhamite wing. He moved to preemptively defang them. Some, like Chandisingh, were banished with ambassadorships; others, like Hamilton Green, were expelled; and some – like Burnham’s son-in-law, Van-West “Baby Jesus’ Charles – had to make way for the “young bloods” brought in as MPs. The last lot – not coincidentally – also had no base, and could pose no threat to his authority!!
Does all this sound familiar in the present? Ahhh! Abused children DO become abusive parents!! Granger is studiously following in Hoyte’s footsteps. As your Eyewitness has always insisted, the poor fella isn’t an original thinker – he doesn’t even THINK – but simply remembers! And in doing so, flattered Desmond Hoyte – who WAS able to seize control of the PNC! The question, of course, is whether Granger can repeat Hoyte’s feat.
It’s doubtful. Not only because circumstances have changed since 1986 – and tactics would have to be adjusted accordingly – but also because Hoyte had the presidency when he made his moves. He had so much more discretion – including patronage. Granger has none of these – and is seen as a Johnny-come-lately into the party – never mind his swearing that he was a member since 1965!
His only card is control of the PNC Congress’s timing, format, and selection of delegates.
These are formidable powers – but not insurmountable for his challengers.
…and diabetes
Guyana is rightfully proud of the medical staff of the GPHC performing their first kidney transplant on a foreigner – a medical doctor from Grenada, a member of Caricom. Now, kidney transplants are generally a consequence of uncontrolled diabetes – which puts a strain on the kidneys to filter out the excess glucose in the blood. So, the culprit is diabetes – which unfortunately affects an extraordinarily high number of persons in Guyana and the rest of Caricom. Our rate of death – and diabetes is the third leading cause of death in Guyana – from the disease is twice as high, for instance, than in the Scandinavian countries.
As a result, not only do we have high kidney failures, but high rates of foot amputation and dialysis – all consequences of diabetes. So, what leads to diabetes? Mainly, it’s the consumption of too many carbs, especially from starchy and processed foods that’s been stripped of fiber – combined with lack of exercise.
Ironically, all imported with the burgeoning American-style fast-food joints springing up like jumbie umbrellas!
…and sugar
Well, with Exxon ramping up its production as it projected from the beginning, looks like GuySuCo’s looking to follow suit. We’re told Rose Hall’s reopening and hiring’s on the way.
But oil prices are heading up. How are sugar’s?
