Dear Editor,
Congratulations to President Irfaan Ali for the resounding victory of his party, allowing him a second term. Of interest to me, and I believe all true patriots is his promise to establish an anti-corruption unit. The President is obviously aware that corruption is spreading and like a pernicious and aggressive cancer eating away at the fabric of our society. This has reached a point where, consumed with pure materialism, we have a generation or two with no moral sense.
This means an inability to distinguish between right and wrong, to know when one’s behaviour is acceptable or not acceptable, and a belief that stealing, cheating, and banditry is all right, provided you are not caught. Beyond that, herein is the problem, the President has promised to set up this anti-corruption unit, but the billion-dollar question is, knowing Guyana as we do is, who are the persons that will constitute this unit?
Forget for the time being this facade of consultation, will the members of this unit be among those who openly, and in other cases, secretly supports the president and the party, will the members be among those who have, and are benefiting from sweetheart contracts? Additionally, what will be the powers given to this unit, will they be able to summons persons? Will the unit be able to demand documents? Will the unit be able to review works done, and have the authority to comment on shoddy work, and the use of inferior materials? Will the unit be able as Hercules did to clean the Augean stables?
If the president is serious, I am available to offer some suggestions, with my over seven decades of public service. Finally, I am reminded of the words of the prophet Khalil Gibran when he noted: “Pity a nation that despises a passion in its dream, yet submits in its awakening”. Once again congratulations are extended to the His Excellency President Ali.
Yours truly,
Hamilton Green
Elder
