Is Guyana a world mystery?

The receipt of $83 million over a two-year period (excluding medical bills which from what we know may bring the total to $170 million) by Bharrat Jagdeo as part of the perks he collects as a former President is the talk of the town. Since the amount became public, this thing has swept through Guyana. It has emerged as the most talked about public topic for one basic, simple reason – it is unbelievable. From the wealthy to the poor, from the cocktail circuit to the fish market den of Priya, the Satira girl, people cannot accept that poor Guyana can offer that amount of retirement benefits to a former president who is not in his seventies or eighties but as they say in Guyanese parlance, “wan strapping big man who could go and look fuh wuk.” The question that should be asked as this incredible tale gathers momentum is, should we be surprised? The answer is no? The story of the PPP abuse of the resources of Guyana and the Guyanese people is from a science fiction novel. The nation has remained cowed and fearful since Mr. Jagdeo went on his post 2001 rampage. If any ruling party has contempt for a nation it is the PPP. If contempt is not confronted in its early stage, it will grow out of control. This is what has happened with Guyana and the PPP. It is graphically shown in the person of Clement Rohee. Each act of morbid venality by the PPP is met with a stoney faced Rohee, in a barefaced unapologetic response. Mr. Rohee told his press conference that he knows nothing about a claim by Mr. Jagdeo’s common law wife that she was terribly abused by the then President. No other example shows how contemptuous is the PPP of Guyana. Ms. Varshnie Singh’s accusations went viral. It went beyond Guyana and was the biggest story of that year in this country. So afraid that he would lose power over this macabre mistreatment of Ms. Singh, that Mr. Jagdeo sought help from a nationally known media personality. That Mr. Rohee can watch his country in the face and tell it that he knows nothing of what Mr. Jagdeo did to Varshnie Singh is sickening. Mr. Rohee didn’t stop there. At another press conference he justified pathological corruption by saying those in power saved their money when they were younger. The PPP General-Secretary seems to be in permanently bizarre overdrive. He sees nothing wrong with the stupendous post-retirement benefits Mr. Jagdeo receives. He said it is legitimate money. He heaped praise on Manickchand for her horrible conduct at the home of the US Ambassador. Mr. Rohee is not alone. Mr. Ramotar behaves like his presidential predecessor. Again we see the contempt. When asked about the findings of an inquiry into alleged corrupt transactions of the leadership of NCN two years ago, he simply refused to acknowledge the contents of the report much less act on it. At every press conference when pressed, he says he is yet to act on the report. Then the contempt came forth. He told the media why bother with the report. The people that were investigated are no longer there. You can analyze Ramotar’s response a million ways and you will end up with one interpretation because it is the only interpretation – brazen contempt of a nation. The equivalent of what President Ramotar is saying is that if a gynecologist sexually molested his patients at a hospital and was removed to facilitate a probe why bother with the results, because the predatory doctor is no longer at the hospital. Of course this complete dismissal of Guyanese people started with Bharrat Jagdeo. If any leader ever laughed at a country and with the wave of his middle finger dismissed the feelings of the population, it was Mr. Jagdeo. Where does one begin to tell the story of Jagdeo’s denigration and suppression of the Guyanese people? A date is hardly important. It is the enumeration of his authoritarian output. The outlandish post-retirement benefit was inevitable and more extraordinary amounts will come his way once the PPP remains in office. This is because under Mr. Jagdeo, right up to Mr. Ramotar, the PPP feels that it can perpetuate the most horrific violation on this country and get away with it. When you look at the tyranny Mr. Jagdeo heaped on this land, Forbes Burnham and Desmond Hoyte would have been afraid to do so because of the PPP and WPA opposition. President Janet Jagan buckled under PNC’s pressure. Why we tolerated Jagdeo and now the present regime remains a world mystery.