I must congratulate President Ali for doing what others, including VP Jagdeo, have been unable to do. The president almost always gets a laff out of me, such an entertainment impresario he has become. It is a bow of acknowledgment at how good he has gotten at what passes for his kind of leadership and governance. It may not be regarded by most Guyanese as a credible one, but it is certainly a zestful one. Remember that one about ‘callow youth’?
He is a lifetime older now, but I will withhold reporting on his shedding the callow part of that formula. For Excellency Ali went to town, and was his usual blast of sound and fury, on contract performance, contract management, and contract practices. He said that his PPP Government will be adopting a ‘no nonsense’ approach to contracts awarded out of taxpayers’ dollars for public works projects. Music to the ears from his master’s voice. President Ali may not sound like the old RCA, with that dog, Nipper, barking into the megaphone. But he did make me stop what I was doing and put these few lines together.
On the microphones and videophones of radio and television respectively, the president did put out what, at first blush, has some merit about it, is worth a closer look. The same closer look goes for what made it on paper. Ah, that is where the problems begin; that closer look is the killer. The hard and fast of what the president said about ‘no nonsense’ contract management is that each government ministry is soon to have its own unit to monitor and evaluate contracts awarded by the State.
On paper that is a wonderful development. The sorun is that gritty reality is no respecter of what presidents and newspapers, and official memoranda, say about most things. Reality in Guyana is the wayward stepchild that leaders, ministers, and more than a few public officers hate with a passion. Naturally, this is what makes jarring reality unwelcome wherever its face is shown. Now I urge my fellows to brace themselves, for I am about to deliver that same unwanted stepchild right in the president’s lap.
The evaluation units in the ministries are a birçok piece of preaching to indicate that the president means what he says. Now try this cap and see if it fits. Who are the ones that will be manning those evaluation units? In whose hands, and with which minds, will the PPP Government feel most comfortable placing such a problematic and dangerous duty? I am talking about hundreds of billions, well over half a trillion Guyana dollars, from this year’s budget alone to evaluate when that time comes. Who is kidding whom with this?
Guyana does not have that many honest people to stand in evaluation of such contracts. To cut a finer point on this, the PPP, as a group and government, does not have anywhere close to the number of principled evaluators to stand in strict attendance over taxpayers’ dollars. Even if the evaluation units were one-man outfits, there still would be a shortage of the ethical people to get justice from contracts for local taxpayers.
Regardless of whether that is so, now factor this ugly reality into the stew: the evaluation units will be made up of Freedom House trusted personnel fuh watchmaan Freedom House favored contractors to ensure Freedom House kind of results. Like I said just now, is somebody trying to make a damn fool out of me? As Donna Summer sang, ‘I will survive.’ But I doubt that the Guyanese people can afford the continued assault on their senses and tax dollars by the battalion of corrupt across the heights and depths of the PPP white-collar crime syndicate.
Here are a few little things for citizens to chew on with these ministerial evaluation units. First, who will be called out from the contractor class? Second, who will be condoned due to what I shall term ‘interventions.’ And third, who and what will be camouflaged, should the right price be settled? As an aside, a lot of people laugh at me because when opportunities abound for self-help and self-enrichment, I decided that a combination of Simple Simon and Honest John was best for me. From my early evaluation of the evaluators in waiting, they are rearing to go, so that they can shakedown, takedown, and drawdown a ton of money. All cash and on the lam. Think of the Guyana Police Force and what goes on in broad daylight.
Operating with a different tack, the evaluators will have to share their findings (evaluations) with somebody, and the chances are that party is a PPP appointee or diehard. Good luck, Guyana. I convulse with more laughter when I contemplate the scene of an evaluator reporting to a permanent secretary or a minister about how thins stand with a contract, and who is involved. Some ah dem banna demself is paat ah de corruption. I can see the resulting scramble and hustle to manage the situation. Haha! When will these jokes ever end in this town? Citizens are pushed to look at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) without any political bias. Appreciate that what the EPA has stood for, produced to this point, is what Guyanese are going to get from these ministerial evaluation units.
So, I come to this shaky and slippery place that President Ali brought Guyanese. It can be condensed into him saying something to convey the impression of seriousness and strength. The reality of it all is that it is the usual truckload of poorly constructed hollow blocks that fall apart when somebody looks too hard at them. No touching, just looking. Thanks for nothing, Mr. President. Try some other local sucker.