Leadership is all consuming. In fact, leadership represents that ability to influence, in as much as it encompasses the nebulous terms, motivating and challenging. As a matter of fact, leadership both an intrinsic and extrinsic construct, entails shouldering responsibility, embracing President Truman’s mantra, the buck stops with me. Moreover, leadership involves making the most difficult of decisions, which take on paramount importance, when things go wrong. And when they inevitably go wrong, regardless of the consequences, the exemplar leader would wholly and unconditionally put their hand up, accepting responsibility.
That being said, PPP an installed government, is failing abysmally in demonstrating exemplar leadership. As a matter of fact, from their political installation, the country has been sliding from one catastrophe into another. And with painful catastrophes experienced, it shouldn’t take much excruciating reflection to recall the pandemic crisis. For the dead stands at 1300, with over 74000 having been infected. In fact, our pandemic statistics, all down to PPP incompetence, represent one of the worst in the English-speaking Caribbean. But rather than demonstrating leadership, taking responsibility for their ineptitude, PPP sought the bullhorns, bellowing on the mountain top, APNU+AFC is to be blamed.
Then having fortunately survived the pandemic catastrophe, we were confronted with an equally worrisome, cost of living crisis. And facing such a life and death crisis, meant the long suffering many, were struggling to place three square meals on their tables. But even as the masses endured this economic cataclysm, PPP was unbothered, since their oligarchic cronies were unaffected. However, as the long suffering many cried for financial support, the responsibility averse PPP once again sought the bullhorns, taking to the mountain top to bellow, APNU+AFC is to be blamed.
Subsequently, for better working conditions and pay, the teachers made the tough decision to take industrial actions. For the underpinning reason is, in the English-speaking Caribbean, our teachers have the worst remuneration. As a matter of fact, our teachers work miracles with our children, considering their working conditions and paucity of their financial earnings. But with the teachers demanding better pay and working conditions, PPP once again demonstrated poor leadership, as they blame shifted, shouting from the mountain top, APNU+AFC is to be blamed.
Consequently, Gail Teixeira was dispatched to represent the blame shifting installed government, at the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR). For she was interrogated on much, encompassing governance, human rights, corruption etc. And confronted with difficult questions, Gail Teixeira resorted to what PPP does best, create an unflattering narrative on APNU+AFC. But that inevitably failed, with APNU+AFC writing to the UNCHR, to set the record straight on Gail Teixeira’s misrepresentations. Which meant, Gail Teixeira back was now against the wall, thus she sought the favoured bullhorn, shouting from the mountain top, misinforming UNCHR, for all the ills of Guyana, APNU+AFC is to be blamed. However, UNCHR had enough of her blame shifting, instructing Gail Teixeira in no uncertain terms, she should answer the questions, while desisting from blaming APNU+AFC.
Mark’s Take
So, it’s evident, with the installed PPP in power, the entire country was shifting from crisis to crisis, epitomised by the Guyana Power and Lights (GPL). For it was under the APNU+AFC, GPL was a functional corporation, where blackouts were an infrequent occurrence. But with PPP installed in 2020, the successful leadership team was changed, to be replaced by CEO Bharat Dindyal, who they once fired for incompetence. In fact, in a 2014 work appraisal, the very PPP characterised Bharat Dindyal performance as, “below expectations.” Nevertheless, despite Bharat Dindyal’s below expectations performance, PPP on being installed, replaced the exemplar CEO Albert Gordon, with the established failure, Bharat Dindyal.
And with a new board headed by Bharat Dindyal, the rational thinking was, GPL will continue APNU+AFC successful policies. But that wasn’t to be, as all of APNU+AFC successful policies were scrapped, to be replaced by policies formulated by the established failure, Bharat Dindyal. Then with Bharat Dindyal policies taking full effect, the populace started to experience more blackouts, than that of the neighbourhood drunkard. However, with the masses complaining of too frequent blackouts, PPP sought their bullhorns to bellow on the mountain top, APNU+AFC is to be blamed.
As a result, we once again reflect on what leadership is and isn’t. For leadership is about accepting responsibility and not blame shifting. Leadership is about active listening, recognising when direction is wrong, mandating remediation. Leadership is goal oriented, unifying the team around a common purpose, vis-à-vis generating electricity. In fact, leadership isn’t of PPP, since they lack the necessary leadership attributes, thus will be voted out in 2025. And of course, when that eventuates, APNU+AFC will be blamed.
