Nepotism is at its highest level in Guyana

Dear Editor,
Until now President Ramotar has been perceived as a person who ought to have been willing to work with the majority opposition to build Guyana and improve the lives of the people.  At least that was what we gathered from his speech to open the 10th Parliament in 2012.
However, his revelation on “RADIO LICENCE GATE” which he supported Jagdeo has completely shattered his image as someone who would work with the majority opposition to deal with the high crime rate and with more than ten years of runaway corruption.
Rather, from all appearances, he comes across as someone who is prepared to sacrifice the rights of Guyanese and is prepared to cover up the corrupt practices to protect the incestuous business interest that infects the PPP.
These are not the action of a visionary; these are the actions of a cockalorum. Mr. Ramotar’s failure to follow through on his own statement exposes his lack of leadership, hence his ability to govern the nation.
President Ramotar is being viewed as a very weak President who waits for the orders from his immediate predecessor before making any major decisions. We thought that President Ramotar would have brought hope to the Guyanese nation early in his term when he made sweeping statements on the GPL generator and the NCN/GT&T corruption scandal.  But again zero action from his office has backed up his statements?
Was it pure empty political rhetoric?  We are being told that all his pertinent actions on corruption since those statements, have been overruled by his predecessor, which is a total abandonment of his duty to the people on resolving these clandestine corrupt deals.
His promise during the election campaign to end corruption, reduce crime, lower VAT, improve the health and educational sectors and improve the lives of the masses has fallen on the wayside. As we now know, PPP cabal is more interested in themselves than in the working class or in the development of Guyana.
This is evident in the near collapse of the sugar industry, the impending bankruptcy of NIS, the total collapse of CLICO, little or no efforts to reduce corruption, the regime’s refusal to lower the high toll on the Berbice Bridge, their contempt for the rule of law and their disrespect for the people.
There are many acts of alleged corruption leveled against the Jagdeo regime starting with the clandestine awarding of multiple radio licence to close associates, to the Marriott deal for which the paying public has not seen the feasibility study, and now we have an airport contract for US$150 million with its high cost loan issued under questionable circumstances that is only designed to plunder the wealth of future generations.
The end results of all these questionable deals is that many in the Jagdeo/Ramotar cabal are now owners of mega-resorts on the Essequibo River and some of the largest Taj Mahals and business enterprises in Guyana all paid for from dark money. Many consider that the Pradoville Crew runs Guyana like a family business and have used the state resources as their own. In fact, the Jagdeo/Ramotar cabal acts as though Guyana belongs to those members.
Mismanagement, poor planning, gross incompetence and above all, corruption by the cabal have cost the Guyanese taxpayers an average of $ 40billion per year.  This is what it would cost to give an across the board increase of 10 per cent to the workers or to build 500 low cost houses at a cost of $8 million each.
This is especially ironic when 40% of the Guyanese population live below the poverty line and 45% of the youths are unemployed!  The members of the PPP cabal are accused daily in the independent news media as being the main perpetrators and beneficiaries of many corruption scandals from the Skeldon Sugar Factory to the Marriott Hotel.
Today all this corruption has now manifested itself into an establishment where Jagdeo is accused of “back seat driving” of Ramotar on all the deals that profit the business cabal that surrounded the PPP regime since 2001.
That period has seen the highest form of nepotism ever in the history of Guyana and by default that trend continues today.  The children and best friends of the President of Guyana have benefited as much as we observe today.  Just ask Nadira Jagan!
When will it end?  When will the Guyanese people who continue to toil in the sun in the sugar belt, in the rice fields and in the bauxite and gold mines really benefit from fair returns for their sweat?  This 2013 National Budget must be rationalized to ensure that the process of change continues.  No Public Procurement Commission; no funds for the contract workers at the Office of the President.
No move on Rohee; no capital budget for the Ministry of Home Affairs? No action by Ramotar to revoke the licenses granted to Jagdeo’s friends and relatives, no money for NCN and the Ministry of Information.  What do you think?
Dr Asquith Rose and Harish S. Singh