Today marked National Budget Day in Guyana, and while the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) government touted the occasion as a momentous one, the event quickly became a glaring display of neglect and incompetence. Dr. Ashni Singh, the Finance Minister, proudly announced that this year’s budget was the largest in the nation’s history. However, such grandiosity was undercut by the disgraceful behaviour of senior ministers, in the National Assembly, who were caught on camera in various states of unconsciousness during the reading.
According to science sleep is a state of unconsciousness, where the brain is relatively inactive.
The PPP, in its typical fashion, promised significant advancements for the country’s future, but the sight of its ministers dozing off—literally sleeping at the wheel—raises serious questions about their commitment and competence. A sharp commentator on social media quipped, “Look at the future… fast asleep at the wheel!”
Within moments of Dr. Singh’s speech key figures like Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn and Education Minister Priya Manickchand were seen either nodding off or completely unconscious. Manickchand, in particular, seemed to have brought her own blanket along, ensuring that nothing could disrupt her slumber.
The photograph, now circulating widely on social media, has sparked an outpouring of disgust and outrage from the public. Some have pointed out that the Education Minister’s repose is a perfect metaphor for the state of education under the PPP, which has seen the quality of schooling in the country steadily deteriorate.
Guyana’s children are now lagging far behind their peers in Latin America and the Caribbean, a stark fact highlighted by a recent World Bank Fact Sheet, which found that while Guyanese students are expected to complete 12.2 years of schooling, those years only amount to 6.8 years of actual learning when adjusted for quality. The situation has been exacerbated by the pandemic. The photograph is bound to spark concern the government seems more focused on sleep than reform.
Dr. Mark DeFrance, Chairman of A New and United Guyana (ANUG), took to social media to voice his concern, stating, “Barely fifteen minutes into the speech by the Hon. Dr. Ashni Singh and taxpayers’ dollars being affected by the quality of representation by those selected to represent them.” He queried whether blame should be attributed to El Niño.
The situation has left many feeling not just disappointed but deeply insulted. One particularly irate commentator even suggested that the two ministers should be “whipped,” as children were in the past when caught sleeping in class, followed by a stern punishment of 50 push-ups. The commentator argued that perhaps only such an approach would wake these ministers from their slumber and remind them of their responsibilities to the nation.
It is impossible to ignore the symbolism of this incident. On a day when the government should have been focused on presenting a vision for Guyana’s future, its representatives instead demonstrated a total lack of awareness and responsibility.
One commentator, a former diplomat, remarked that “If these are the individuals entrusted with steering the country forward, the future seems more uncertain than ever. The PPP has failed to show the necessary diligence and foresight, leaving us wondering: How can we expect progress when the government can’t even stay awake during one of the most important events of the year?”
Showing a sad emoji another wrote: “this episode is yet another reminder that the PPP, led by Irfaan Ali, is asleep at the wheel, and the Guyanese people are the ones paying the price for their incompetence.”
