Dear Editor,
The sudden rise of crime all across Guyana has been a great concern of all Guyanese citizens fearing for their lives from the hands of criminal elements and bandits. I was flabbergasted when I saw the news report that the Police Force said the crime rate has fallen significantly while many are begging for their lives from criminal elements that stalks our beloved country like a sudden night mare on elm streets now in the streets and homes in Guyana.
I was amazed when I saw about a thousand citizens in the hot sun and the rains queuing up for their passports. One can say that all these people are fed up to live here just running out or the news mentioned that the long lines at the passport office is just because of a false gossip that the passport fees will be raised from 00 to ,000. I really don’t think that is the case for the past year the lines at the passport office gets longer my wife and I passports are expired until now over a year my wife cannot renew her passport nor myself because of the lines and we work. I read the Minister of Citizenship mentioned that they will decentralized the passport and birth certificate process. I am still wondering how soon will that be. Birth, death and marriage certificates takes longer than expected these are basic things in life; I still wonder why the entire nation has to travel to Eve Leary at CID head Quarters to apply for a police clearance and most times you are ‘turned down’ Can the Commissioner of Police tell this nation why? With this new wave of crime where just a few days ago Princess Hotel Casino was robbed, many families in Berbice and Essequibo are robbed and killed. But this doesn’t seem to bother our erudite Home Affairs Minister and Obscure Commissioner of Police. It seems as if our complicated political ideologies tied the tongues and hands of our security people in authority. What plans does our new administration have to tackle this crime situation in Guyana? Our President needs to address the nation on crime and blackouts, and not the Minister of State. We have quite a number of Vice Presidents I am unable to count but yet they are very silent on the crime situation but very vocal on the 50th Anniversary Jubilee celebrations. I still wonder what is there to celebrate when our people are crying and hurting for police protection.
If this administration cannot protect our own citizens then how will they protect the foreigners coming in to celebrate our 50th Birthday Anniversary Celebration?
I am yet to hear the voices of the religious organizations about this crime situation. Why are they silent? Why can’t they advise our President and send for troops from their country to keep the peace in Guyana. I remembered two profound quotations from George Orwell’s book Animal Farm:
“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”
“Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. He does not give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to pull the plough, he cannot run fast enough to catch rabbits. Yet he is lord of all the animals. He sets them to work, he gives back to them the bare minimum that will prevent them from starving, and the rest he keeps for himself.”
These elegant truths from Orwell’s magnificent book fit’s our political scenario here in Guyana.Our leaders crave political power and recognition but cares less for the citizens of this nation. That’s what Orwell meant when he said ‘’but some animals are more equal than some’’ depicting man with a greedy and unscrupulous mentality.
It’s about time our soldiers be placed to guard government buildings and banks, and patrol the nation around the clock like Suriname. We must accept one fact: that after 50 years of independence we have become a failed nation, failing to protect the rights and dignity of our citizens. What have we really achieved after 50 years of bad administration? It’s time we rise up and take back this nation all of us from every religion, creed, culture and race must fight for justice to protect this nation.I end this discourse with this inspiring quote from Dante Alighieri: ‘’Consider your origin you were not born to live like brutes, but to follow virtue and knowledge.’’
Yours faithfully,
Rev Gideon Cecil
