THIS was the appeal of a contributor to this newspaper’s Letters Column recently. He lamented the constant carping, nitpicking, naysaying, doomsaying, negative prognostications, projections and pronouncements against transformative programmes and projects by the joint parliamentary political Opposition, in collaborating with their supportive satellites – including anti-Government media houses.

He also slammed their unpatriotic actions whereby they have sought to impede the progress of this country under a PPP/C Administration by even attempting to convince investors and supporters of Government’s developmental initiatives to boycott this nation and its people. Their ploys have been successful in some instances – the withdrawal of the investors and the setback of the Amaila Falls hydro project as an example; and unsuccessful in others, as in their efforts to convince the Norwegian Government to withhold funds meant for carbon capital payments.
The West Coast Demerara road project is a massive modernisation project that will improve traffic capacity from Vreed-en-Hoop on the West Coast of Demerara to Hydronie on the East Bank of Essequibo, and will entail total resurfacing and general works to enhance the safety and convenience of both pedestrian and vehicular traffic.
However, in its usual anti-developmental rhetoric, the Opposition is opposing (pun unintended) the project, which was already approved by Parliament, as it will benefit even Opposition parliamentarians living in those communities.
Minister of Public Works, Robeson Benn, in responding to threats by the Opposition that the Works Minister will suffer the consequences for unapproved spending during the suspension of the National Assembly, said this move by the Opposition surmises that the APNU is anti-development.
“I can only look with continued disappointment and resignation when one looks at the statements that the Opposition has made in the Kaieteur News…I would remind (them) and say that these projects are for the benefit of the people of Guyana and the statements they made for the West Coast Demerara road, the East Coast and West Bank and East Bank Demerara four-lane expansion, indicate that they are on the path for destabilisation and bringing to a halt the development of the country for narrow political ends…”
“I am prepared to suffer any consequences, once it leads to the further development and progress of our country in a clearly positive way,” Minister Benn declared.

Several contractors were awarded a total of US$46,789,000 in contracts, signed by the Government on November 22nd, for varying aspects in the improvement of Guyana’s highways – a necessary development consequenced by the rapid socio-economic growth in the country that has allowed unprecedented wealth-acquisition in the nation, with vehicular traffic correspondingly increasing, among other factors that are immensely contributing to the enormous and near-miraculous transformation in Guyana’s physical landscape and developmental demographics.
But the joint Opposition – void of vision and seemingly devoid of grey matter, apparently thinks (sic!) that their constituents’ vote provided them with the sole mandate to oppose; which it seems they consider their ultimate relevance in the Opposition benches.
How much more could our Government achieve if the anti-developmental forces cease their negative rhetoric and actions and allow this nation to breathe.