THE One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) programme in Guyana has been fraught with much controversy, even before its actual launch and, like a fledgling’s first attempt at flight, is being shot down before it is airborne. This perfectly sound project has had its pitfalls because of some prophets of doom and the new political culture of “free speech” that is sweeping this nation. But I would not be too hasty to heap scorn on the naysayers with their usual garbage, as I would the government side with its apparent inefficiencies.

I have reserved my most scathing rebuke for the official in the Office of the President who, in the person of the Permanent Secretary, has brought untold problems to this programme with its novice-like approach to the whole affair.
They have entrusted this project into the hands of someone who is obviously clueless as to the entire laptop process and who, in turn, has employed questionable persons with dubious qualifications to oversee the project.
Therefore it was indeed doomed from the start by a government who should blame itself for putting in place square pegs in round holes. Who made all of these individuals consultants? To top it off, they have been earning a fat income from our meagre resources, while doing practically nothing. Lohmeyer and the lot of them can safely meddle in our political affairs because they were facilitated by a faulty system to begin with. They have now become local radio and television celebrities because they were goaded into this through a system that lacked detailed planning and an enactment of proper proposals and well-set guidelines.
But before I advise the government on the way forward, let me issue a warning to the meddling bunch that Guyana, like the country he hails from, has laws stipulating harsh penalties for the breaking of contractual arrangements, like the one he is guilty of; so he should not be allowed to fool himself into believing that he can run away with a windfall of cash from a so-called backward third-world country.  Please think again, sir!
Guyana’s youth deserves the best and a project of this magnitude requires careful planning and meticulous execution. Mr. President, please ensure that the necessary strict guidelines are followed in the future, and this must begin from the top down so that we can avoid the mess we have found ourselves in at the present moment.