Dear Editor,
In the Queenstown Mosque on Church Street at the ‘jumaah’ (prayers) two Fridays ago, my friends spoke in what was supposed to be hushed tones about the extent of corruption in the land. Others could hear the conversation assailing the President for presiding over a government that an increasing number of people see as corrupt and not taking action against his cabinet colleagues.
Even my friends and family members who got large amounts of contracts in the tens and hundreds of millions and of billions of dollars complained about the huge amounts of kickbacks they paid as much as 40% at various levels. Nothing gets approved without a heavy handshake. Worshippers expressed their disappointment, shame, and embarrassment. They did not vote for corruption. It is against their belief. I could hear it in their voice about their disgust and shame that they voted for a government that has turned out to be the most corrupt in the history of Guyana, outdoing the coalition.
My friends and several members of our community are becoming increasingly wealthy, but we are losing our moral fabric as a people. Our scriptures speak against the corrupt. Favored contractors is the talk among my jamaat and friends. My wife also tells me that her female friends and other people are talking about corruption even on the phone and in the markets.
Just in my Mosque alone, every Minister, from top to bottom, and several government officials were ‘indicted’ as being on the take. My friends tell me that the conversation about corruption crops up at other mosques as well. People no longer talk about who is the most honest and competent Minister. The conversation recently has been who is not in the take and who is the most corrupt in the government.
A Berbician won the top prize, tied with a Demerarian/East Coast Essequibian. Mention the word corruption and the names of those two individuals pop up. Others take smaller amounts (20%) as they understand the contractors have to also eat and something must be left to do the work (albeit shoddy work) that was contracted. They leave something for the calf. It can’t be that the President and Vice President don’t know when the talk of corruption reverberates around the country.
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Yours Truly,
Zainool Ally
