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Dear Editor,
The APNU/AFC are at it again; that is, spinning their mindless yarn in Parliament, but this time it is done at the forum of The Public Accounts Committee, or PAC.
Now, this party holds the prestigious position of chairing the verification process of the Government in power. It is a hallowed position, in which the Opposition, through intense scrutiny, would go through the books of Government’s spending and general stewardship of the public’s affairs. They are now called upon to hold the Government accountable to the people of this great country; or is it?
Now, I have asked that question for the sole purpose of clearing up one salient point that is hitting the headlines right now; that is, the highly questionable character of the chairman of The PAC when he was in Government.
Based on the findings of the recently held audits, Patterson was the recipient of very expensive “gifts”, as well as being involved in other corrupt dealings while in office. Therefore, if good sense should prevail, it would be wise that someone whose character has been so mired in scandals recuses himself from the chair. It is the firm belief of all right-thinking people that someone who has had such a sordid background should at least do the right thing and bow out of the chairman’s position, and stay clear of heading that committee.
But Patterson is holding fast and standing his ground, refusing to give up the chair, while he goes about posturing that he is holding the Government accountable for its actions. Well, I must say what a fool he is, because, with so many issues hanging over his head, Patterson should not have the gall to be chairing anything, much less to be considered holding the present administration accountable.
He should be the one under the microscopic scrutiny of the Public Accounts Committee – something we will eventually get to.
For starters, much of what would be discussed centres around the PNC-led Coalition – the audit report shows this quite clearly – and Patterson would be hard pressed to give sensible responses to these questions. How can the PAC effectively scrutinise the books when Patterson sits in the chair? Isn’t this a conflict of interest? Well, it certainly is! Trying to frustrate a legitimate process on the PAC will not do him any good, because the more he resists the hearing into the actions of his Government, the more stupid and ignorant (Caribbean version) he appears before the people.
Patterson’s filibustering tactics is exposing his depravity. What Patterson is not telling us is that his administration promised the people the good life when in reality it provided them with a “good lie.” This is what he is afraid to face up to!
Patterson and his party are a representation of anything and everything the people of this country would never like to experience again.
And I will tell you this: the people of Guyana would not be kind to that party when the next local and regional elections come up. I can further assure him that he would not be there to posture with those unintelligible comments of his; those posturing days will soon be over.
So, in closing, I must state categorically that Guyana is in a new dispensation of governance, and the watchwords are “transparency and accountability.” Everyone that holds office in this land must give an account of their stewardship, whether it is good or whether it is bad. We reserve the right to know where we are coming from, so that we can charter a safe course into the future. This can be ascertained only by peering into the books; and no one, I repeat: no one, should try to stop us.
Respectfully,
Neil Adams
