Competency and integrity have no place around here

Dear Editor,

It is barely three months since the PPP assumed office, and already its deceptions and intents are obvious. They bode ill for Guyana, increase daily. It has been one oil outrage after another, and this from a leader and government that swore commitment to transparency and accountability.

President Ali and his controller were comfortable with a disgraced Alberta Premier spearheading Guyana’s Payara review. Despite promises from one deceiver after another, her report is still a national security secret. Perhaps, the departing or departed Canadian High Commissioner took it away under diplomatic cover, so revealing it would have been of the cover-up that could not pass muster. No wonder the President and Vice President and the gang are quiet on the disreputable Canadian’s report. But the point I wish to emphasize today is that they were all pleased with whatever was cooked up and then delivered.

On the other hand, a decent, patriotic, and honourable Guyanese was not even allowed to breathe, as they squeezed his neck with their knees. When the PPP leaders have problems with an honourable and extremely competent Guyanese public servant, it says so much about them. It says that the carefully selected phrases at the time of his being sent on leave were so many promises never intended to be fulfilled by disingenuous Guyanese political figures. They are so far gone in the dishonest and dishonourable that they have no idea how to deal with people who are not.

So they created breathing space for themselves by sending Dr. Vincent Adams, then head of the EPA on leave. He was in the way. The Trumpian characters we have here for leaders muttered something about the right place that matches with his skills would be found. That was a lie, a technique that Josef Goebbels perfected from long practice. PPP leaders have had more practice than even him by now. So they show a man of the caliber of a Vincent Adams the door. Goodbye, bro; and good riddance. Competency and integrity have no place around here.

Again and again, this reiterates something to me. Whatever Exxon wants, Exxon gets. It didn’t want Dr. Adams, so Exxon did get its PPP co-conspirators in leadership position to get him out. This is the new slavery, the new colonialism that reigns over Guyana. Unlike the slaves in chains and the serfs fighting to sell themselves, Guyanese are delirious with joy at the chance to go on their knees and suck up to Exxon masters. The company is present and future; it is an unforgiving taskmaster: get rid of Adams. Because Exxon holds more than a few oil secrets for PPP leaders past and present, it is obeyed to the hilt. This is taking the Chinese practice of full-blown facedown prostration in the form of kowtowing to depths that even the Chinese would not recognize.

These are the slaves we have for leaders, who are pawns in the clutches of Exxon and America. Our government cannot break ranks with Exxon, would not even risk incurring its wrath. So, Adams had to go. I wait to see what manner of party men and national sellouts they are going to get to put at EPA and as oil czar. And that writing is as good as on the wall, since it cannot be otherwise. This is one great big fraud, this oil of ours, with Guyanese still not understanding that where they are now. That is, despite all the leadership promises and the personal hopes, all Guyanese are in the exact circumstances of poor Nigerians and Venezuelans. Like those places, this will not last.

Yours truly,
GHK Lall