Will history judge Mr. Jagdeo, as a crook?
Dear Editor,
Our first own dictator of Guyana, Mr. L.F.S. Burnham, dutifully followed the script that was almost universally embraced by tyrants in their grab for total power. In then Guyana , not only were local opponents perceived as “Enemies of the State’ pulverized, but so were even friends and former colleagues whose loyalties were now deemed questionable.
This brilliant lawyer and orator trampled upon human rights and controlled the judiciary, media, education, police, army, civil service jobs and promotion etc. In fact he was the arbiter of life or death for many.
This deified person changed the constitution to be the chosen ‘President for Life,’ and as a legal safeguard made himself, ‘The Comrade Leader,’ immune from any prosecution, should his government fall. He was the law and above the law, and decided which and how the laws were to be interpreted and applied.
The President Burnham and his PNC New Nation presided over a dying nation. Yet the PNC to its eternal shame has never apologized to this nation for this destruction of so many lives. Guyanese have not forgiven the PNC for allowing one man and his faithful to subjugate this nation into total tyranny.
What Mr. Burnham failed to do, as other dictators did, was to accumulate sizeable foreign assets or stash cash in overseas accounts. (The news in Guyana was that, according to Ebony Magazine, he was the third richest ‘black man’ in the world. I tried to find this article, but never found it. So far there is no evidence after Burnham’s death that he and his family accumulated wealth anywhere.
His widow, Ms. Viola Burnham, had obtained a few acres of state land on short leases that expired in 1992. The land was used to raise buffaloes which Ms. Burnham sold off over the years to earn a living. Their children held ordinary state jobs even when Mr. Burnham was alive.
They too like so many ordinary Guyanese migrated and struggled to educate themselves, worked at regular jobs and lived in very ordinary circumstances.
Mr. Burnham’s failure to accumulate wealth seems rather uncharacteristic for one so brilliant and who enjoyed the good life – according to his love of Western/European lifestyles and tastes. This failure was because the economy totally tumbled with no foreign exchange being available to purchase basic necessities at home. There were reports of gold being shipped in diplomatic bags.
But these would never have large enough to support any affluent lifestyle overseas. The people of Linden like others in the country rebelled.
The country needed a statesman, the PPP in its wisdom offered Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo and must likewise take the credit or blame for his actions.
Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo of the PPP exceeded the worst excesses of Mr. L.F.S. Burnham of the PNC. This resident dictator, generously armed with the constitutional and legal tools created by his idol (Mr. Burnham) which his mentor Dr. C. B Jagan failed to change in 1992 and should rightfully be called the Dr. Jagan’s PPP constitution, continued the emasculation of the long oppressed people.
Mr. Bharrat’s absolute control even in petty matters made his power felt and the ‘follow the leader’-conditioned and intellect-deficient PPP succumbed and fell.
Moreover, Mr. Jagdeo astutely avoided the personal failures of Mr. Burnham, in that he has accumulated local assets likely far exceeding his total accumulated public incomes. (Guyanese wait for a forensic audit.) It could therefore be concluded that Mr. B. Jagdeo made some exceptionally wise investments in Guyana and/or overseas that Guyanese are not aware of.
Would His Excellency Mr. Jagdeo or his faithful followers kindly let the Guyanese people know where he invested his monies, even while in office? There is no such evidence of wise economic stewardships by His Excellency Mr. Jagdeo with the assets of the nation – since the working-classes are still suffering and praying for deliverance.
Mr. Burnham’s strategy was to nationalize anything ‘big’ and put his faithful in charge; whereas, Mr. Jagdeo’s was/is to outsource and award contracts to local and foreign gangsters or those who are willing to make secret deals at a price.
These members of Mr. Jagdeo’s nobility are given generous government contracts with little public oversight and further contracts are offered to correct the deficiencies/neglects of the first contracts. The fleecing of Guyanese is rampant, as seen in one the earliest scenarios at UG with regards to the renovation of the Biology labs with European Union (EU) funding. This was never addressed.
In addition, these individuals or their companies are given monopolies on the import of certain products, e.g., basic medicine) so that these individuals and their companies control local prices. This is another way to fleece the locals who are an already oppressed people.
These recent arrivals are given advantages and privileges that are denied to honest local businesses that have been working here in Guyana throughout the years. If the locals complained they are belittled publicly, irrespective of age or stature.
Another example is that respectable businesses such as Stabroek News and Kaieteur News have been denied radio and or television licenses despite years of responsible journalism and public service. UG students and the Linden community still cannot get their own radio and or television licenses; wherwas, the American naturalized friends of President Jagdeo get preferential treatments – they have TV and Radio licenses. Mr. Jagdeo’s largesse does not come free. Everything has a price and is negotiable.
Our Elders taught us that we can tell a man by his friends, if those chosen to serve Mr. Jagdeo locally are of questionable character and several of his overseas rich friends are before the foreign courts for basically theft, then what must we conclude of Mr Jagdeo with his unseemly acquisition of personal wealth?
The people have not forgotten the deeds of Mr. Burnham, his executioners and PNC. Likewise, the people will not forget the deeds of Mr. Jagdeo and his loyal henchmen (including those with academic titles), his unprincipled PPP and the new nobility.
Will the PPP do the right thing and apologize to Guyana for the transgressions of their leader, Mr. Jagdeo and his enablers?
Seelochan Beharry
