THE people sometimes get the impression that those tasked with the responsibility to manage their business are comfortable settling for mediocrity. The summation is based on the manner in which important issues are handled.

REGION FIVE RDC
There is a situation involving the APNU+AFC councillors of Region Five that deserves revisiting. These representatives of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) have decided that no statutory meeting will be held until the PPP/C-elected Chairman apologises to President Granger for not attending the event at which he handed over school buses to that region.
It is instructive to note that there is no public pronouncement by the President requesting an apology from the person who is being asked to apologise. If the person who is perceived to be offended has not asked for an apology, then a complaint has presumably not been made. In spite of this, the Council’s business is being stymied, pending an apology.
The absence of a chairman at an event that is clouded in controversy among the various political groups is not enough to demand an apology and disruption of systems that have been put in place for meetings to be held.
Statutory meetings are important. They give leaders or representatives the opportunity to plan and develop programmes, and give guidance to the Regional Executive Officer and his/her team in executing their tasks.

The people of Region Five are presently affected by floods. Crops and livestock are being affected, and the health situation may be challenging. While these problems and threats are taking place, elected representatives are exerting energy on demanding an apology, instead of meeting and correcting a situation deserving of their attention.

From a political standpoint, it is not astute politics, and it is playing into the hands of the Government’s political rival. From a humanitarian standpoint, it is wrong; from a governance standpoint it is an abrogation of constitutional responsibility. Noteworthy is that, as the APNU+AFC councillors prevent the Council from functioning, their supporters are being affected by the floods and are on the streets protesting this dislocation and inconvenience.

In the event it may have escaped the councillors, the supporters are protesting the performance of the Government they elected, including those councillors, as they remain content to prevent the Council from meeting, planning, developing, and executing a programme to bring relief to the region.

BHARRAT JAGDEO AND GLENN LALL
It was during the Jagdeo presidency that this nation witnessed its worst period of extra-judicial killings and gang wars, which he failed to arrest and, by extension, can be considered as having benefited from the mayhem that was created in the society.

Today he thinks he is elevating what could potentially have been an issue with grave consequences by suggesting that Khemraj Ramjattan, Moses Nagamootoo and Glenn Lall — publisher of the Kaieteur News — could have planned the grenade attack on the business.

Lall is correct in his response that Jagdeo should be behind bars. His dastardly stewardship of the economy, policy of economic genocide in the African community, running roughshod over the people, and now levelling accusation of a crime without providing evidence are all deserving of him being made a guest of the state.

The police should have moved to call on Jagdeo to provide the evidence, and if he fails to do so, he should be charged and placed before the court for public mischief.

The events of 2002-2006, when he was president, cannot be allowed to go unnoticed. Many of the young men, whose mothers are still to see their corpses, were deemed criminals by him, which tacitly aided and abetted their execution.
What Jagdeo did to this nation is deserving of him being placed before the International Court in The Hague, and tried for his crimes against humanity. The fact that he sits in the National Assembly, the nation’s highest decision-making forum, and the Government has not seen to it that he be held accountable for his stewardship of this country must be of concern to us; and we must see to it that Government acts in accordance with our wishes.

The Parliament, in addition to holding Government accountable, is also the place to hold the Opposition and every parliamentarian accountable.

LINDEN TELEVISION
There continues to be misguided action by the newly elected Regional Chairman and Mayor on who should control the community television in Linden, with the apparent support of the Government. These persons are seeking to do the said thing that Lindeners fought against in 2012 when they protested the PPP/C’s obsession with controlling everything and every space.

This television station belongs to the people of Linden, not the politicians. The people have made known that they do not want their television — acquired through the blood, sweat and tears of bauxite workers — being controlled by the politicians.

It was the general secretaries of the two bauxite unions, GB&GWU and GMWU — Linden Smith and Morris Drakes — who initiated engagement with Greens Construction Company that resulted in the station being handed to the people under the leadership of Haslyn Parris as CEO of GUYMINE.  The intent of the Linden TV Trust is to put control of this asset in the hands of those to whom it belongs — the community.

The 2012 Agreement between Region Ten RDC and Central Government caters for the establishment of an Economic Committee. The parties that form the government campaigned to honour the agreement, after the PPP/C government refused to do so. When in opposition, they called on the PPP/C to honour the agreement, and even brought to the National Assembly a motion to this effect, and voted in favour of it.
Today, instead of the present regional chairman and mayor of Linden being preoccupied with being on the TV board, duty requires of them to address the establishment of that economic committee, which would develop a plan to bring economic empowerment to the people.

NOTE WELL
The PPP/C leadership never thought it would be in the Opposition. Arrogance, rapacious conduct and abuse of the people and their resources have placed them there. The APNU+AFC can learn a lesson from the PPP/C, even moreso that their supporters are less tolerant of being treated with contempt on any pretext that it is “we time.”