OFTEN, one is left to wonder how things would have turned out had the circumstances been different, whether intended or not. In other words, what if the other person/party was elected, or a particular project was completed. While some would hold on to optimism regarding expected outcomes, even as the opposite would eventually obtain, in instances, the intended reality, had it been realised or not, was never in doubt.
One such case was the Amaila Falls project which was envisaged by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government, and deliberately scuttled by the APNU+AFC coalition during their tenure in opposition from 2011-2015. As Guyana is now poised on the cusp of transformative development, it is worth revisiting that scenario, and the impact it has had on the country’s development.

It is almost 10 years since that visionary and transformative project came to the fore, with the direct intent of providing cheap, reliable and clean electricity through hydropower. It could not have been put any simpler; household and manufacturing costs would have been vastly reduced. In turn, the cost of goods and related services would have also gone down, and on a larger scale, there would have been more disposable income in the pockets of consumers.
That, in itself, would have redounded in growth to both the local and national economies, thus paving the way for further advancement of the lives of Guyanese, and prosperity of the nation. More importantly, the challenges of power outages would have been effectively mitigated, bringing confidence to both consumers and manufactures. Industries, especially smaller ones, would have mushroomed and grown, thereby creating more jobs.

In any country, especially a developing one, such projects are vital, since they create much potential to navigate out of poverty. Governments that are, therefore, concerned about improving the welfare of their citizens would endeavour for them to be realised. In other words, a caring government would explore such opportunities to bring relief to all of its people, and to ensure their welfare is not compromised.
With regard to the Amaila Falls ‘Hydro’, it appears that APNU+AFC, in scuttling the project, could not mask the element of selfishness that may have overwhelmed them. Given the benefits of that mega transformative endeavour, it becomes extremely difficult to not conclude otherwise. The obvious and rhetorical question is: Why would any political party that claims it wants to improve the lives of people deliberately kill a project that is intended to do just that?

When all the analyses are completed, the seemingly logical conclusion is that the APNU+AFC was more concerned that such a project was envisaged, and about to be executed by the PPP/C. In the context of what transpired, what else could it have been? But that conclusion could also be contested, simply because the APNU+AFC came to government in 2015, and had the opportunity to do that project to its liking, or to embark on any other transformative project for that matter.
Given their robust campaign, persuasive rhetoric, and enticing promises, many were of the belief that the APNU+AFC’s approach to development, and for the advancement of the lives of Guyanese would have surpassed the unprecedented achievements of the PPP/C.

They woefully flattered to deceive, and in the process exposed their dearth of vision, leadership and care. What they exhibited was a penchant for self-interest and enrichment, at the expense of the ordinary citizens.
In the context of the question of why, the belief of selfishness becomes even more real, given their inability to deliver an iota of transformative development while in government, and the fact that they killed the Amaila Falls Hydroproject when in opposition. That makes the question of what if even more relevant.
Had the Amaila project not been scuttled, it would have been completed before now, and the benefits reaped by all. That’s a reality that was never in doubt, and would have helped to augment efforts to mitigate the challenges of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Such projects are the hallmark of visionary leadership.