…for Rodney, shame for WPA
They say, “Justice delayed is justice denied.” And justice for Walter Rodney had been delayed so long that some – especially from within his party the WPA – seemed to have even forgotten its denial. Or buried it as they did the great man back in June 1980 and moved on to exploit his name and reputation for their own narrow and partisan ends. As was pointed out by the widow of Rodney – who never gave up hope – as late as October 2019. From London, she demanded “strong resistance to those who would attach themselves to Rodney’s legacy in order to reap narrow political dividends in the present that have nothing to do with healing, reconciliation and social and economic transformation.”
Well, a certain measure of justice has been done by the PPP government to rectify some of the more blatant consequences of the delay of justice. Like correcting his birth certificate to show his death wasn’t a result of “misadventure” but assassination. By agents like GDF Sgt. Gregory Smith with the full knowledge of Burnham – who’d mockingly warned just six months before, of his “sharper steel”. The family can now hopefully collect – 41 years later – on his life insurance. Corrected too, would be the cynical description of Rodney as “unemployed” – when it was the PNC – through Hamilton Green on the UG Council – who’d rescinded his appointment in 1974 as professor of history at UG. A man who could’ve secured employment at any of the world’s major universities!
But your Eyewitness was thrown for a loop at the opportunism of the WPA’s remaining gerontocrac that issued a mendacious and unctuous statement at the announcement by the PPP government. Imagine these men and women had remained in their coalition with the PNC for five years when Granger refused to even accept the findings of the COI – much less make it official. It’s hoped the PPP will also rectify this soon by laying the Report in Parliament and having the findings debated. We shall see where the PNC still stands on the assassination!
But the WPA had the unmitigated gall to claim that “The WPA was in the forefront of this fight (to achieve justice for Rodney)” when they’d jumped into bed with his killers as was bitterly pointed out by Pat Rodney. Didn’t they wonder why Burnham appointed Granger as head of the GDF – at the time when the plans to use Sgt Smith as the assassin were being implemented? And that it was the GDF that spirited Smith out of the country after the assassination? Shouldn’t Granger have testified?
If they still have souls, WPA survivors should ponder, “For what profits a man if he gains the whole world but loses his own soul.”
…for our development
Your Eyewitness notes Norway’s decision to continue with its oil and gas industry – the largest in Europe since 1967. A new field was just discovered and will be duly exploited. It should be noted that from the proceeds of its oil and gas fields Norway has the largest Sovereign Wealth Fund in the world – weighing in at US$1.1trillion!! Some nest egg, eh?
But unlike the doom and gloom crowd in Guyana who wants us to leave our oil in the ground, Norway – like the PPP in Guyana – has decided to make (petroleum) hay while the (market) sun is still shining! It should be noted, that also like Guyana’s gonna be doing , Norway has utilized its hydroelectric potential to generate 99% of its power supply!
The point of the matter is Guyana with less than a million can’t be trying to save the world, when its people are mired in poverty. We can’t even deal with our floods!
Charity begins at home.
