“Thiefing” is indeed the culture of some in our midst

Dear Editor,
Just when we thought we were about getting over that disgraceful hurdle of our fire fighters stealing items from a downed aircraft, we are now in for another shocker in our Policemen stealing model planes from an International Aviation air-show meeting held here recently.
There seems to be no end to this barefaced, shameless, conduct of our “Disciplined” Services. It is beyond comprehension what these guys have done and I am registering my sternest rebuke to their actions with the firm view that strict disciplinary action is taken. My recommendation is that these guys be dismissed from their post as officers in the service as well as have them serve some jail time. This nonsense has to stop and this is the only way we can send that message.
Guyana has to purge itself of this scourge and this has to be done now, not sometime in the future. For too long we have been plagued by these instances of theft and rampant corruption in the Guyana Police Force. No wonder the public has lost confidence in the Disciplined Services. To think those who swore to protect and serve us are the ones doing these dastardly things is enough to send you over the edge. Again, I say this nonsense has to stop, now!
Now I love to delve back into history sometimes because the information gleaned, gives you a solid background and a clear picture as to the real cause for the course of action taken by some in our midst. Having said that, I reference you back to one of the programmes formulated by the People’s National Congress (PNC) Government called “Self Help Projects”. These projects were placed under the direct supervision of known party hacks and their corrupt associates which made it a recipe for disaster right from the very start.
Burnham’s “Self Help Projects” rebranded “help yourself projects” became a bastion for thievery and corruption and a place for every greed and avarice you can imagine. Building materials meant for those purposes saw wholesale removal in broad daylight with no one being brought to justice for such barefaced thievery. Further to our misery, those who dared to question their actions were met with humiliating punishments such as branding them thieves and saboteurs.
To think of it, the corrupt ones were calling the opposers to their corrupt actions “thieves.” Incidentally, that very same word “saboteur” was used by Minister Harmon to defend the corrupt actions of his very own PNC hacks in some of these Neighbourhood Councils. Very revealing how history repeats itself.
I painstakingly took the time to go through the rudiments of these “Self Help Projects” and how it worked to give you a clear understanding as to the reasons behind present day behaviour of some in society, including lawmen. Some in society today are still mired in that gene pool of corrupt mentality, and once you are of that mode of thinking, things the likes of fire fighters, even coming out of their vacation to “help themselves,” would be the order of the day.
My point is if stern action is not taken now, that is firm, decisive, corrective action (not token words like we are going to do something about these guys or any such generalities. I am talking about firm action oriented measures, otherwise we are going to suffer further shame down the road once this mode of thinking prevails.

Respectfully,
Neil Adams