FROM my letter writing days, regular readers would know sometimes I chose to expose “big shots” that “says one thing and does another”.The trouble with most of these people is that they all held serious and influential jobs at one point or the other and at most time sounded serious but wisdom and the truth evaded them.

I am now reading in the press that the 2013 Auditor General Report has revealed that four completed and tested fixed pumps were received and installed at Skeldon, Windsor Forest, Bagotville (West Bank) and Paradise (East Coast).

Additionally, six mobile pumps were installed and commissioned at Lusignan, Pine Grove (Mahaicony), Rose Hall, Mibicuri (Black Bush Polder), Three Friends (Essequibo) and Lima (Essequibo).

Now correct me if I am wrong but the arithmetic that I learnt with Mrs. Shirley Greene in Primary School would lead me to surmise that four plus six would summate to ten (10). But the contract was for fourteen (14) pumps in total. That translates to four pumps not fully tested, installed or commissioned. Bottom-line – not delivered. Upon reading the document one can discern that these were four fixed pumps.

Now let us back up to November 2013 and Dr. Leslie Ramsammy. The then Agriculture Minister Dr. Leslie Ramsammy was quoted in the national press in November 2013 as saying “all 14 pumps which the Ministry had bought from India-based Company Surendra Engineering in 2011 have been delivered.” According to Dr. Ramsammy, some of the pumps are already in operation while others are being installed.

Well isn’t that grand? I wonder when Dr. Ramsammy was Minister and if he ordered a ‘Prado’ from Beharry Auto Company and the company chose to deliver a ‘vehicle’ with no wheels and no drive shaft, if he would consider that as “delivered”? The fact of the matter is that the Auditor General discovered that one of the pumps is not even in Guyana, while the other three have missing “pump shafts” which has rendered them for the moment as “high class scrap iron”.

This is a prime example of public behaviour that is not expected from public officials where the discourse on issues of public interest are camouflaged in deceitful words with no substance and respect for the truth.

Can people now believe Dr. Ramsammy when he said that the signature on a letter to the “Miami Spy Shop” in 2012 was not his? That letter authorised the release of a “cell phone interceptor and geographic integrator” to a convicted drug lord. Unfortunately, the evidence presented in U.S. Courts illustrated a different story. According to that letter purportedly signed by Dr. Ramsammy, “Cabinet’s representative” (convicted drug Lord Roger Khan) was authorised and supported in this procurement on behalf of the Government of Guyana. The rest is now history.

Over the years, our leaders have become obsessed with this national past time called “issues dodging”.

In 2012, Dr. Ramsammy said “he does not know anything about that letter” and in 2013, Dr. Ramsammy said, “all 14 pumps were delivered”.

There is enough evidence to present a different testimony, which means a different outcome. But my sense tells me there is a method to the madness and it was all about maintaining political power and positive publicity for the rulers, even if it “hit-up” the taxpayers for a few hundred million dollars, here and there.

Well we all know the aftermath from such lawless, deceitful, and devious and might I add ungodly public behaviour – political meltdown.

There is a lesson to be learnt from this period of our history – we, as a collective, must continue to raise our voice today and every day going forward to ensure such public behaviour is banished from the land. Just to be clear, most people are very supportive of leaders who “do as they say” and live by politics of principle and avoid the seven social blunders of the world as first published by Gandhi. I beg your indulgence for me to use this forum to re-emphasise them. The seven sins are:
· Wealth without work
· Pleasure without conscience
· Knowledge without character
· Commerce without morality
· Science without humanity
· Worship without sacrifice
· Politics without principle

So this article is not a deliberate personal attack on the former Minister but was more intended to be an expose as why Guyana still has a weak job creation infrastructure, stagnating and poverty sustaining wage rates and rising inequality. We live in a period of extraordinary technology changes but yet too many Guyanese youths lack the skill to cope in the real world because our so-called leaders conducted themselves in such a poor fashion over the years and recklessly depleting the Treasury of valuable resources.

We are now at the dawn of our 50th Independence Anniversary with many significant challenges – total operational and financial meltdown in the sugar belt, falling gold prices, an under-skilled population, increasing national debt, great potential for future flooding, astonishing social issues, a runaway crime rate, lack of enough jobs, and so on.

But that does not mean we must adopt a defeatist attitude. All of our problems are surmountable but these problems demand leadership and cooperation. It is time to construct a Government that truly reflects our strength – our people. We are on the cusp of turning this nation around and more than ever, we must mobilise the Diaspora, Rural Folks and the Youths to join with the political center of gravity to unleash the true potential of Guyana. Georgetown is not Guyana!

As one of the quick win to attack youth unemployment across all ten Regions of Guyana, I am recommending the re-establishment of the State-owned Ayanganna Construction Company on a cash-neutral basis that will be the topic for the next time.

By Sase Singh in Washington DC