…to the Police?
The Police Association (PA) – claiming to represent the largest number of police ranks and officers – says the Berbice Chambers of Commerce (BCC) are “ungrateful”.
The BCC had criticised Minister of National Security Khemraj Ramjattan on several fronts including refusing to meet them because he was “too busy” with Jubilee preparations. The BCC’s overall concern was the crime-wave in Berbice.
The Police Association believes the BCC are “ungrateful” to them and Minister Ramjattan. Now both the Association and Minister are paid from the public purse – into which Berbice puts a whole lot more money than is spent back in their Ancient County. So if anyone should be grateful it’d be the Policemen and the Minister, nuh?
But it’s clear the Policemen don’t think paying taxes to pay their wages is sufficient to earn their goodwill. They harrumphed, “over the last five years” unlike other groups in other parts of the country, the BCC haven’t been coughing up for projects organised by the police. Maybe like Police BBQ’s? Well now we know what it takes for the Police not to call you “ungrateful”!!
Ramjattan had also consistently berated policemen for using “too much violence” and the BCC suggested he might’ve sent the wrong signal to bandits. Not so!! We now have a kinder gentler force! As for being “ungrateful” to Minister Ramjattan, the PA compared the situation in 2014 when a LAPOP poll showed the police force was “the least trusted organisation in Guyana”. “Today”, the PA trumpeted, “this has all changed in a very positive way and certainly Minister Khemraj Ramjattan’s initiatives have contributed significantly to this current development.”
Can you believe this? The Police are supposed to have their ears to the ground and know what’s going on in society, and THIS is what they hear? That the Police is NOT the “least trusted organisation” any longer? So who’s replaced them? The government? This is what the vaunted “intelligence led policing” produced? No wonder bandits launch attacks on businesses next to police stations – like the invasions of Sterling Products and Ramada next to Providence Station! Some intelligence!
And what exactly are these “initiatives” of Ramjattan that produced a “turnaround” in the fight against crime? The 2:am curfew? Maybe if the curfew wasn’t on, the “insider” wouldn’t have told the bandits that the attack would be best after that time – since the Casino wouldn’t have too many patrons then. The “dog and pony” unit? We’re still waiting.
And whatever happened to “Operation Dragnet” – incidentally introduced by President Granger and not Ramjattan? Wasn’t this supposed to eliminate both “internal and external threats”?
Maybe Ramjattan can induce “Operation Cast-net”??
…to sugar workers
Unlike what we hear about elephants, most people have short memories. Take this PNC-led government – of which President Granger’s leader, as he reminded the nation at the party’s annual meet last week. Back in the seventies they imposed a levy on every ton of sugar shipped out of this country and in this way, drained billions of dollars from the industry. That could’ve gone into refurbishing the already old factories and such like.
Rather, the money was frittered away on Hydro in Mazaruni, glass factory, bicycle factory, etc. All of which never saw the light of day. So now sugar’s fallen on hard times, all the PNC-led APNU/AFC coalition can do is to tell sugar workers “tough luck”!! On its closure of Wales it couldn’t refurbish for $1.7 billion and save 1700 jobs but could write off $3 billion taxes for a company that uses sugar’s by-product, molasses.
Isn’t it ingratitude when the goose that laid the golden egg doesn’t get sauce like the gander?
