…the nation??
Pressie – who’s also the Commander in Chief of the Disciplined Forces, which consists of the GDF, the GPF, GPM (Guyana Peoples Militia) and the Guyana Prison Service – just gave a charge at the final Annual Officers’ Conference with outgoing Chief of Staff Brigadier Godfrey Bess. He made an import announcement for our fast-changing country, fuelled by oil revenues. “Over the long-term, we are looking to develop a modern Air Corps and Coast Guard…it is a critical aspect of national security.” He’s therefore acknowledging the fact that our northern border, which extends 200 miles into the Atlantic, is more than just a nominal factoid. Below those waters are buried billions and billions of barrels of oil and trillions of cubic feet of gas that are worth billions and billions of US greenbacks!!
As such, we cannot take the threat from Venezuela lightly. They’ve cast covetous eyes at our Essequibo landmass for almost a century, when it was just virgin jungle. Imagine how green their eyes are now that we have all that petroleum wealth off the Essequibo Coast!! So, what do we do about it?? We really can’t depend on any Big Brother to do right by us. It’s all about interests, and right now it looks like our Big Brothers from up North are rethinking their sanctions against the Venezuelans that has brought them to their knees. Who knows how far that rapprochement will go?? After all, Venezuela has 30 times more oil than we have!!
So, it was heartening to hear the Commander in Chief call for our troops, deployed to our western border to take on any invasion from that quarter, be buttressed materially and manpower wise. He was stoutly backed by Brigadier Bess: “We remain deployed on our borders 365 days every year as we seek to defend the territorial integrity of Guyana. Further, we continue to keenly monitor the judicial process at the International Court of our longstanding border (controversy) with Venezuela.” Now, some may scoff at the disparity in size between our forces and Venezuela’s. But, as with so many other areas of life, size ain’t everything. We just gotta look at how Israel’s been more than able to hold its own against the tremendously larger forces surrounding it. That should be our motivator!
Now we know that there are many who want to disrupt our developmental trajectory from within. So Brigadier Bess’s parting words were very heartening: “Our officers and ranks remain on high alert, ready to give support and work with our local agencies to address any occurrence that has the potential to interrupt the smooth (functioning) of society, whether it be civil disturbance or natural disaster.”
We hope the provocateurs are listening. This time na lang time!!
…Haitians
After two years of holding up his hands to the heavens like a biblical prophet for some relief for the beleaguered people of Haiti, it would appear that – as has been said – “God doesn’t come; he sends”!! And in this case, he sent Pressie to follow up on Jamaica PM Holness’s declaration that he’s willing for Jamaicans to join a UN force to back up the Haitian Police to take on the gangs who’ve held the people of Port au Prince hostage. Pressie says he’ll ensure Haiti’s on the Caricom Heads of Government agenda next week.
Thank God!! Now, your Eyewitness knows the situation in Haiti’s quite complicated. But where on God’s good earth things ain’t “complicated”?? Certainly NOT Guyana!! There are questions about the bona fides of the incumbent Haitian PM, who was installed after his predecessor was assassinated. There are questions about the elite that arranged for the assassination.
OK…but how many more Haitians must die, Jah – and why? – before those questions are resolved??
…Children’s health
There was the headline: “Dhal and rice meal for Akawini pupils triggers closer monitoring by Region Two”!! He remembered his boyhood rebellions against his mother if she dared serve dhaal and rice sans shrimp, fish, or vegetables!!
Sacrilege!!
