Guyana has just celebrated the 56th anniversary of being a Republic. And traditionally, there were the Mash activities culminating with the float parade. There was the flag-raising ceremony at the Public Buildings.
Until the PPP came to office in 1992, the flag raising ceremony was held at the National Park. That was a rallying point for people. Going to the National Park was an experience. Although the location was not in central Georgetown people simply flocked the venue.
They came from all parts—some from as far as South Ruimveldt and south Georgetown.
In 1993, the PPP government became afraid of the people and opted for the Public Buildings with barricades around the venue. The people had decided to heckle the late Dr Cheddi Jagan so vehemently that the event was reduced to a farce.
The heckling was a spillover from the defeat the PNC suffered a few months earlier. Since then the public has been excluded from the flag raising ceremony.
Public Buildings has been the flag raising venue for the Republic anniversary ever since.
The float parade is another event that attracts Guyanese from all walks of life. They line the Mash route, some with picnic baskets, some with money to buy snacks from the various roadside stalls and support the enterprising few who invest to make some money. Â
All that has come and gone. The fun and frolic has ended so it is back to the daily drudgery. People still have to struggle for their daily bread in this oil rich economy.
It really hurt me the other day to hear President Irfaan Ali make fun of the people whom he claimed would give the biggest cheer when he utters the word cash grant as opposed to production.
He was addressing the Energy Conference.
In the National Assembly Prime Minister Mark Phillip’s made bold to challenge the opposition to tell the people not to have their photographs taken and so be eligible for the cash grant. It is a source of humour for the government that the average Guyanese has been reduced to a pauper who must now depend on the crumbs being dispensed at the pleasure of the government.
More than half of the budget is going to infrastructure but the people cannot expect to capitalize. They are not going to be employed on many of the projects. They are going to be offered substandard pay because the employer having paid his kickback must ensure that he has enough money to finish whatever project he has been awarded.
The average worker would decline to take the job especially if it will involve transportation cost away from his home.
At the same time there are the migrants who would work for cheap. It is already happening.
One major infrastructure project is the extension to Heroes Highway, a recently concluded project that is being revisited. One member of the political opposition recently exposed the poor quality of the material being used on the road.
Of course one must question the level of supervision being conducted by the consultants. Everything is below par. In fact, that has become the norm. Questions are being shunted aside.
Take the case of the helicopter crash of 2023. More than two years on and the nation cannot be told of the report. There have been all manner of reasons for the non-release of the report. In the first instance it was supposed to be theresponsible agency that would release the report.
Now we hear that the crash is a national security issue. The helicopter was not a military aircraft. If it was on a military mission that could have been kept a secret but the reason for the crash should have been made public.
A military helicopter collided with a passenger jet in Washington DC near the Ronald Reagan International Airport last year. The American people and the world have been made aware of the reason for the crash in which 67 people died.
But Guyana is different. Everything is a secret. The 2022 Census report is a secret. Two aircraft nearly collided over Guyana on February 16, 2026. That too is under wraps.
A United Airlines flight UAL860 and a Venezuelan Airline, Turpial Airlines VTU9905 nearly collided over Guyana on February 16 last.
The incident, described as a near miss, occurred at 1:58 am about 100 miles from the Cheddi Jagan International Airport.
United Airlines was approaching the Cheddi Jagan International Airport while the Turpial Airline was passing through Guyana’s airspace.
Head of Guyana’s Civil Aviation Department Col Egbert Field could not be reached for comment. The government was however made aware of the incident but chose to remain quiet.
The incident is being blamed on Guyana’s air traffic control. The United flight had already been handed over by Trinidad.
Some years ago, the near miss involving the Caribbean Airlines flight in which Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo was a passenger was made public.
One would expect that an investigation would have already begun. Nobody from the Civil Aviation Department is saying anything. The people involved have surrendered their right to the political directorate. One individual actually suggested that I speak to the Minister.
I know that he wasn’t on either plane because he was in the National Assembly justifying the non-release of the helicopter crash.
