…and its absence in PNC
President Granger finally confessed he is one of the 716 Public Officers of his administration who haven’t reported their assets to the Integrity Commission. Now, that’s a crying shame, and it betrays an astonishing level of hypocrisy that’s belied by the “prim and proper” façade he assiduously cultivates. Here it is that he, his party and its AFC sidekick have been beating up on the PPP for years, not only about the PPP’s “lack of integrity”, but about their actually “siphoning off” billions and billions from the public purse; and now they themselves don’t have the common decency to even file their lists of assets – which has been the law of the land since 1997.
But those in politics — except the clinging acolytes, who’re now choking on their craw — always knew it was a bluff. The tip-off was the PNC refusing to submit their asset returns because they rejected the chairmanship of Bishop Randolph George, head of the Anglican Church of Guyana. He, after all, dared to speak his own mind on the goings-on under the PNC.
When Granger was made leader of the PNC, Aubrey Norton said the vote was rigged!! Where was the integrity? It was expected he’d at least insist that PNC MPs -including himself – comply with the law of the land. Bishop George, after all, has passed on.
But it NEVER happened; their “don’t tell, even if asked” rule remained firmly in place while they continued pelting mud at the PPP.
Fast forward to May 2015, when they slid into office with the opportunity to form their own Integrity Commission, since the law said the Prime Minister shall recommend names to the President to be Chair and four regular Commissioners. 2016 came and went, but no Commission was formed, while the billion-dollar scam at Jubilee Stadium was run with a SENIOR Minister in the centre!!
2016 came and ditto, even as the pharma bottom house/ware house scam was perpetrated. 2017 came and went, and ditto squared while they ran the $600 million pharma purchase scam. Finally — gasp! – the Commission was launched in Jan 2018. Now filings? No! No!! Most officials still didn’t file, even though the Chairman said he didn’t have any “investigative capacity” to check out the veracity of the submissions. It was a toothless poodle.
So 2019 rolls around, and what’s the story?? The Chair now says, in Feb, that he and the other Commissioners aren’t full-timers; they need to hire staff and investigators, but don’t have money!! And who didn’t provide money?? Well, duh!!! Granger and the PNC Government of course!!
And finally, three days ago, ads appear seeking “investigators”! With the requirement being 5CXCs. You can imagine the quality they’ll attract. Worse that SOCU’s!!
And yet Granger didn’t file!!
…and its rewards
Against all the odds: anti-incumbency; opposition coalitions; casteist parties; regional sentiments; not exactly a stellar job creation record for youths, the BJP under the leadership of Narendra Modi wasn’t just returned to power, but actually INCREASED its share of the national vote of 900 MILLION eligible voters! Now if this isn’t an endorsement, what is??
What then was the victory due to?? And the answer is simple but profound: the INTEGRITY of Modi!! Revelling in his humble tea-vendor origins, Modi was yet universally accepted as incorruptible – because of the organisation that nurtured him throughout his life; the much reviled but completely misunderstood RSS. But name explains the phenomenon: “National Volunteer Organisation”!!
Modi was nurtured to VOLUNTEER to be a servant of the people. He dubbed himself a “Chowkidar” – a “watchman” – during the campaign; a watchman of Indian interests. And in this role, not a single person could point their fingers at him personally – in a capitalist economy.
He recognised that businessmen would become wealth. But unlike the PNC politicians, he didn’t have his hand out!!
…and a Hummer
Your Eyewitness was stunned to learn that a seized Hummer was passed on to the GDF by the GRA, but fraudulent duty-free registration to the Ministry of Public Health wasn’t investigated.
So which big one waived the duty!??! Where’s the integrity??
