THE APNU+AFC coalition is peddling the idea that the PPP/C needs to be removed from office because of its corrupt practices. According to their claims, the PPP/C is so corrupt that they were forced to vote down all the programmes earmarked for this country.
Seeing all of the programmes are of a developmental nature and beneficial to the nation as a whole, I sincerely ask the question: Where is the corruption? The answer I got was that these projects were not designed for the country, but were corrupt schemes made out to put money in the PPP/C and their lackeys’ pockets.
They are trying to sell the idea that the PPP/C Government has done this country untold evil by robbing its citizens of well-needed tax dollars; monies they claim that was shared by them and their cronies. According to them, the ill-gotten gains were siphoned off to build large mansions and other luxuries for the PPP/C cabal.
So, let us begin with the alleged ill-gotten wealth amassed by the PPP/C. As required by law, aren’t all Parliamentarians to declare their assets to the Integrity Commission? By declaring one’s assets to the Commission for scrutiny, it will clear you of all corruption charges.
If all of the PPP/C Parliamentarians have declared their accounts and financial transactions to the Integrity Commission, then I ask if any of the Opposition have declared theirs. And the answer is not one of them. So, how could you cry corruption when you haven’t declared your assets, at least for the people of this country to see and judge for themselves? It tells me that the Opposition have lots of things to hide, and they are the ones that are corrupt elements.
Our next stop is Pradoville and the alleged enormous pension of the former president. Now, presidents and their spouse’s emoluments in and out of office were decided upon by both Government and Opposition way back. One former president and his wife who benefited from this scheme was Desmond Hoyte; so why is Dr. Jagdeo not entitled? How are his benefits tainted as “corrupt” assets? And should I add, is Pradoville the only gated community? As I write, I am looking at an advertisement directed by Dwayne Bravo, a Trinidadian, on Windsor Estates, encouraging foreigners to purchase houses in this upscale community. If a Trinidadian of such great immensity could invest in Guyana, and is calling on others to do the same, then it tells me that foreigners have confidence in the PPP/C Administration. Most of the persons in some of these upscale communities are re-migrants; and they too are expressing confidence in the investment climate. So this nonsensical talk of corruption is giving someone a proverbial “basket to fetch water.”
Chief among the accusers is Carl Greenidge, former finance minister under the PNC Administration. He claims that the present finance minister is corrupt. Well, I have news for him. Dr. Ashni Singh is (if I’m not mistaken, he is the chairman) on the IMF Committee of finance ministers. Do you think those people would appoint a vagabond and a thief to such a prestigious position? The answer is: Never! They would have seen his impeccable track record, and judging from that record, asked him in on their team.
Carl Greenidge, even in his best of times, could not attain such a position because of his lousy management here in Guyana, as well as his time at the ACP. I challenge the PNC/APNU+AFC “mish-mash” to tell us of his stewardship whilst he was at the ACP. Let me help them with the answer: It was the most dismal of times, seeing they were led by a corrupt deputy secretary general who was clueless as to economic or fiscal matters. They simply had to get rid of Carl Greenidge before the entire ACP grouping collapsed. This is the onerous record of this man, who now files corruption charges against the PPP/C.
What they need to tell the people is that they are the ones who are corrupt, because Greenidge and his cohorts jealously eye a treasury with foreign reserves. They are the ones who want to get their filthy, corrupt hands on the treasury.
Further to our discussion is the fact that the finance ministry now boasts of foreign reserves for many months. This is an unheard of story when the PNC was in office; Greenidge and his Government were bankrupt. So, what corruption brought us to the place where we now have foreign reserves? The answer is no corruption at all, but the educated and skilful management by the finance minister in a PPP/C Government.
Let us turn our attention to the airport expansion and modernisation scheme. This is a project meant to enhance the airport and bring it into respectable 20th Century rating. We are well aware of the scare we got when that Caribbean Airlines aircraft skidded off the runway and the high price the Guyana Government would have had to pay had those investigations revealed that it was due to the airport’s short runway? Thank God the results proved otherwise; that it was due to pilot error.
We are not out of the woods yet, because the airport has to be lengthened, as well as its facilities brought to international standards. This is capital investment, where a lot of finance has to be expended. I was so mad when I saw splashed on the front page of a prominent anti-government tabloid that the planned expansion reeks of corruption, and the example cited was the cost for toilet facilities. The cost cited was some US$238 for toilets. Now, this outrageous claim of corruption compares the erroneous fact that a common household toilet costs about G$20,000, and these toilets should be used instead. Now are these guys for real! Are you talking about outfitting an international airport with toilets that we commonly use in our outhouses? This is what they want for the first impression a traveller gets of our country?
The Opposition cabal travels a lot, and they go into modern washrooms equipped with marble stone outlay. In these washroom facilities, you do not have to manually operate anything; it is all automatically done. The facilities I’ve mentioned are expensive ventures; they call for a lot of money to install. So, my question is: Why can’t our airport get into the modern era? Why must our airport remain a hovel? The answer again is, these guys want us to remain in the present backwardness, then turn again and blame the Government of corruption.
Our airport needs a complete overhaul, and this has been negotiated and is about to be executed by the Chinese, who, by the way, are earmarked to do it at a reduced cost. But the corruption word is a shameless excuse for them.
There are many more examples of this trash talk of corruption I could expose, such as the Amaila Falls HEP project and the Opposition who benefited from it and who now turn again and cry foul, but will stop here to make way for other letter writers who are eager to nail another lie promulgated by the Opposition.
My advice to the APNU+AFC coalition is: don’t try to fool the people with this corruption nonsense; it simply wouldn’t work. Because when the people look at what you are saying and what you have done, they will see who really are the corrupt individuals. Clear as glass, they would see straight through your schemes.

NEIL ADAMS