July 28, 2008 | Letters
Let’s make GWI a case study

Dear Editor,
I am not one of your regular letter writers and certainly am not into rambling with the powers that be and element of Guyana’s elite political and socioeconomic structure.

But it’s hard to continue enduring the pain of persevering to ‘remain in and contribute to’ the development of your Native Land, with the burden of contributing 33S!% of your earnings plus 16% VAT.

That is, in layman economics, 49S!% of your spending power going into the hands of the so-called leaders who govern this nation, who from all intentions and purposes seem to be accountable to no one but themselves.

Mr. Editor, forgive me if I am wrong, and shield me from the powers that be less my writing results in serious reprimand (too much for the poor to bear) from the intolerable hands of the possessors of the State.

I can recall that the media and some concerned sections of civil society as well as the political opposition had serious reservations about the reappointment of Mr. Karan Singh to head GWI back in September 2007.

One thing I hate most about my country is the strategic division of our people along racial lines by our so-called leaders to satisfy and feed their own political ambitions.

Thus, I will not attempt to make any claims of racial marginalisation or racial cleansing at GWI.
However, in the interest of truth and the realities of the issues life in Guyana today, I challenge your newspaper and every other media organisation, NGOs and caring Civil Society Organisations to make GWI a Case Study limited to the period ‘September 2007 – Present’ of its hiring and firing practices.

Let’s examine the cases of hiring and firing in a much unbiased way. Mr. Singh was appointed CEO of GWI to get a job done (meet objectives set by his employer) and therefore should not be dammed for justly cleansing the entity of persons whose actions and performance are corrupt or found wanting.

It is sad that all the stakeholders that were concerned for the wellbeing of GWI at the time Mr. Singh was appointment are now too busy to assess what has occurred and continues to occur within this entity in the pass 11 months.

Let’s seek and publish for the benefit of the public and most certainly to inform our Honourable President and Head of the Presidential Secretariat whose blessings Mr. Singh received at the time of his appointment, the findings of such a study.

If the finding of your case study is not disturbing to the powers that appointed my good friend Mr. Singh, then we can safely conclude that he is certainly attaining the objectives of his employer for this public entity.

From the inception of Mr. Singh’s ‘installation’ at GWI to date, due to his unorthodox management style, this public entity has seen the resignation of more than 11 senior managers (inclusive of executive directors), that is, at least one/month.

There have been questionable dismissals of at least eight senior staff with individual services ranging from 10 to 35 years with the entity. Some dismissals being done execution style with persons losing all their accrued benefits.

Mr. Editor, as an insider, I am confident that this entity can ill afford to lose many of these hardworking individuals that had their livelihoods destroyed by the stroke of a pen, and the repercussions will be felt in the already wanting quality of service provided by this important public utility.

Let the study be done and its findings publicized to show if the dismissal of managers for the Interland Department, Energy Manager, Divisional Managers, Senior Accounts Clerk etc, was just and in the best interest of this public utility.

What is the position of the Ministry of Labour pertaining to the numerous complaints of wrongful dismissal? I will refuse to venture into the issue as it relates to ethnicity in the management skill exodus and firing that is taking place at GWI and hope that there is a media remaining in Guyana that has both the will power and investigative ability to expose the unjust treatment many Guyanese professionals who choose to remain home and contribute their 49S!% of our spending power to this country’s development have to endure, or simply leave without justice or even a hearing into the injustice being meted out by the powerful untouchables of this hour.

It is sad when the government of the day places an important utility company (Water is Life) in the hands of one individual.

Given the present state of this utility, which does not seem to trouble our national decision makers in the least, I am of the opinion that the provision of a quality service by GWI to the people of Guyana is a distant second to some secret agenda.

I request of you Mr. Editor, that this case study of GWI should highlight why some people are currently free to source the wrong materials from halfway around the world for millions of taxpayers $$ and just receive a pat on the shoulder as reprimand while others have to hit the road for errors (in some cases genuine mistakes) that had occurred since 2006.

Apart from the apparent silence from your newspaper and every other media organisation, NGOs and caring Civil Society Organisations, where has Mr. Fredrick Kissoon gone? Mr. Kissoon had commenced a well deserved observation of the happening at GWI but apparently is now too busy with more important issues than to attempt to bring a voice to the weak and vulnerable professionals who choose to stay in Guyana.

Even if we ignore the welfare of those who suffer, let this case study be done in the national interest of averting the imminent street protest that may erupt throughout the length and breath of this country for the poor quality of service being delivered from one of our most important public utility organisation, whose bills when issued requires that attention of all whether the service is of an acceptable standard or not.

Concerned Citizen

quote:

Originally posted by BONUS:
From the inception of Mr. Singh’s ‘installation’ at GWI to date, due to his unorthodox management style, this public entity has seen the resignation of more than 11 senior managers (inclusive of executive directors)...

There have been questionable dismissals of at least eight senior staff with individual services ranging from 10 to 35 years with the entity.

...the poor quality of service being delivered ...

Concerned Citizen

We all know that the service has been poor for as long as any of us has been alive. That means that those who have been in charge of running the company and its various sections over all these years have not been doing their job. The appearance of someone to look into the reasons of these failings have had some of them running for cover, whilst others have been dismissed.

So what are we to make of it all? That the managers have not been doing their job, and that something is now being done to clean up the mess and dispose of those lazy bastards who have been making life hell for the water bills paying public. That's the only appropriate solution. During the days of Burnham many departments were stuffed full with black people on a free meal ticket who only had to show up to collect their pay packet. Now when it is time to weed out the chaff from the wheat there are cries from some quarters about the security of livelihood, and try to put a racial spin on it. I ask myself!?! Next thing you know dem is going to protest about the lack of bandits if and when the GDF gets its act together.

When these guys were hired, I believed that they were brown, but when they were found to be incompetent and were fired, they suddenly became black..

Evewrything in that article was said already and happened in lots of countries around the world..

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Concerned Citizen

I wish these cowards would have the decency to put their names to their letters.

quote:

Originally posted by Mr.T:
During the days of Burnham many departments were stuffed full with black people on a free meal ticket who only had to show up to collect their pay packet. .

I can deduce two piece of info from your response.

1. After 16 years of PPP rule only blacks work at GWI in a senior capacity.

2. Given the above therefore none of the incompetent managers are Indian because there are no Indian managers.

Given that I hardly think this is the case I would suggest that GWI indeed be made a test case to determine whether there is some sort of ethnic cleansing going on. This is not the first time such claims have been made.

quote:

Originally posted by Petal29:

quote:

Concerned Citizen

I wish these cowards would have the decency to put their names to their letters.

Why so that Jagdeo can know who to victimize. Talking about racism towards Africans in Guyana is now treasonous.

quote:

Originally posted by caribj:

quote:

Originally posted by Mr.T:
During the days of Burnham many departments were stuffed full with black people on a free meal ticket who only had to show up to collect their pay packet. .

I can deduce two piece of info from your response.

1. After 16 years of PPP rule only blacks work at GWI in a senior capacity.

2. Given the above therefore none of the incompetent managers are Indian because there are no Indian managers.

Well as usual your deduction are absolutely useless, and who except yourself would be surprised about that? Even the article from 'a concerned citizen' mentions employment tenure of some managers going back to 35 years, which pus their employment start date bang in the middle of the Burnham's years. Neither has there been any suggestion that none of the managers employed by the company are not Indians.
There is also a distinction between incompetence and damn right lazy. Whilst incompetence can hit both Indians and blacks, laziness is a way of life for many a black Guyanese still residing in the country. Black Guyanese only find the will power to show their ability and skills once they find employment outside of Guyana.

quote:

Originally posted by Mr.T:

quote:

Originally posted by caribj:

quote:

Originally posted by Mr.T:
During the days of Burnham many departments were stuffed full with black people on a free meal ticket who only had to show up to collect their pay packet. .

I can deduce two piece of info from your response.

1. After 16 years of PPP rule only blacks work at GWI in a senior capacity.

2. Given the above therefore none of the incompetent managers are Indian because there are no Indian managers.

, laziness is a way of life for many a black Guyanese still residing in the country. Black Guyanese only find the will power to show their ability and skills once they find employment outside of Guyana.

Now you were the one who made assinine comments about black people. And you make even MORE.

Who is being reasonable? Certainly not you. I wonder what the many AfroGuyanese living IN GUYANA struggling to make a living and working hard it at will think of you. Sitting down in London you seem quite the expert are you.

And clearly you feel that there are no lazy nonblacks in Guyana.

What is sad is that there are more than a few in Guyana who share your opinion of AfroGuyanese. Then rather than looking at your misguided, or even bigotted attitudes you lambaste those who tell you about this.

No wonder so many AfroGuyanese feel alienated ina country where some one without knowing them as individuals has already decided that they are incompetent and lazy merely because they are black.

PS anyone who was around for 35 years as a manager is most likely 65 y/o. In a country where most retire before 60 there arent too mnay of these around. The man also said 10-35 years. Not 35 years.

Try harder next time you wish to disguise your racism.

quote:

Originally posted by Mr.T:
Black Guyanese only find the will power to show their ability and skills once they find employment outside of Guyana.

how yuh douglah chirren going

quote:

Originally posted by BONUS:

quote:

Originally posted by Mr.T:
Black Guyanese only find the will power to show their ability and skills once they find employment outside of Guyana.

how yuh douglah chirren going

He will tell you that in Guyana they will be half lazy because they are half black. Thank God they arent fully black because then they would be fully lazy.

quote:

Originally posted by caribj:


Now you were the one who made assinine comments about black people. And you make even MORE.

Who is being reasonable? Certainly not you. I wonder what the many AfroGuyanese living IN GUYANA struggling to make a living and working hard it at will think of you. Sitting down in London you seem quite the expert are you.

And clearly you feel that there are no lazy nonblacks in Guyana.

What is sad is that there are more than a few in Guyana who share your opinion of AfroGuyanese. Then rather than looking at your misguided, or even bigotted attitudes you lambaste those who tell you about this.

No wonder so many AfroGuyanese feel alienated ina country where some one without knowing them as individuals has already decided that they are incompetent and lazy merely because they are black.

PS anyone who was around for 35 years as a manager is most likely 65 y/o. In a country where most retire before 60 there arent too mnay of these around. The man also said 10-35 years. Not 35 years.

Try harder next time you wish to disguise your racism.

The more you type, the more you make a fool of yourself . You feel obliged to defend the indefensible, which that Guyanese black folks are in the whole a lazy bunch. Why you think the English needed Indo folk after slavery was abolished? That's because our blacks don't know what work means unless you put two lash on their backside. Is nothing to do with being racist. But black folk get so accustomed to using their laziness as an excuse for crying racism. How many black folk you know in Guyana that are hard working ppl? How many black millionaires in Guyana with big businesses like the Indians?

The last time I saw a hard working black man in Guyana he was running down the street after just robbing somebody. Is not that most of us haven't seen that type of working class black man.

quote:

Originally posted by BONUS:

quote:

Originally posted by Mr.T:
Black Guyanese only find the will power to show their ability and skills once they find employment outside of Guyana.

how yuh douglah chirren going

The kids fine. But then again they are not Guyanese citizen .

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Originally posted by caribj:

quote:

Originally posted by BONUS:

quote:

Originally posted by Mr.T:
Black Guyanese only find the will power to show their ability and skills once they find employment outside of Guyana.

how yuh douglah chirren going

He will tell you that in Guyana they will be half lazy because they are half black. Thank God they arent fully black because then they would be fully lazy.

Out of your own tongue comes out the anarchy of your mind..

quote:

The more you type, the more you make a fool of yourself . You feel obliged to defend the indefensible, which that Guyanese black folks are in the whole a lazy bunch. Why you think the English needed Indo folk after slavery was abolished? That's because our blacks don't know what work means unless you put two lash on their backside. Is nothing to do with being racist. But black folk get so accustomed to using their laziness as an excuse for crying racism. How many black folk you know in Guyana that are hard working ppl? How many black millionaires in Guyana with big businesses like the Indians?

The last time I saw a hard working black man in Guyana he was running down the street after just robbing somebody. Is not that most of us haven't seen that type of working class black man.

Rather interesting I must say.

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Originally posted by Ireton:

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The more you type, the more you make a fool of yourself . You feel obliged to defend the indefensible, which that Guyanese black folks are in the whole a lazy bunch. Why you think the English needed Indo folk after slavery was abolished? That's because our blacks don't know what work means unless you put two lash on their backside. Is nothing to do with being racist. But black folk get so accustomed to using their laziness as an excuse for crying racism. How many black folk you know in Guyana that are hard working ppl? How many black millionaires in Guyana with big businesses like the Indians?

The last time I saw a hard working black man in Guyana he was running down the street after just robbing somebody. Is not that most of us haven't seen that type of working class black man.

Rather interesting I must say.

Very interesting because it came from a Dougla boy!!!

quote:

Originally posted by caribj:

quote:

Originally posted by BONUS:

quote:

Originally posted by Mr.T:
Black Guyanese only find the will power to show their ability and skills once they find employment outside of Guyana.

how yuh douglah chirren going

He will tell you that in Guyana they will be half lazy because they are half black. Thank God they arent fully black because then they would be fully lazy.

we all know the lazy pricks from the one who wants to work hard and own something...well !!!!! except carib.

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Originally posted by SuperMike:
we all know the lazy pricks from the one who wants to work hard and own something...well !!!!! except carib.

You saying caribj is eunoch ?

quote:

Originally posted by Mr.T:
The last time I saw a hard working black man in Guyana he was running down the street after just robbing somebody. Is not that most of us haven't seen that type of working class black man.

More "wisdom" from Mr T. Tell me something did your black parent do something to you as your hatred for that part of your ancestry seems quite apparent. Clearly when they lived in Guyaan they were lazy and you were half lazy before migration. This is what sweeping racist comments get you.

BTW 999.99999999% of Indians arent millionaires, their poverty rates are virtually the same as blacks and their incomes arent higher (unless they are telling lies to avoid taxation, thereby displaying an illegal intent and lack of patriotism). Why if blacks are so lazy?

As to your distortion of Guyanese history. Tell me how a lazy people were able to amass enough CASH to buy PLANTATIONS to establish villages. Also tell me why Jamaica's sugar output was higher than Guyana's up to the late 1960s and their agricultural production is at least as impressive and way more divers than Guyana's this despite being a smaller island with as well as severely drought stricken regions.

By the way I note that Rama (who has no respect for douglas by the way describing you by the literal translation into English of its original Hindi meaning) and supermike are your new racist best friends.

quote:

Originally posted by caribj:

quote:

Originally posted by Mr.T:
The last time I saw a hard working black man in Guyana he was running down the street after just robbing somebody. Is not that most of us haven't seen that type of working class black man.

More "wisdom" from Mr T. Tell me something did your black parent do something to you as your hatred for that part of your ancestry seems quite apparent. Clearly when they lived in Guyaan they were lazy and you were half lazy before migration. This is what sweeping racist comments get you.

BTW 999.99999999% of Indians arent millionaires, their poverty rates are virtually the same as blacks and their incomes arent higher (unless they are telling lies to avoid taxation, thereby displaying an illegal intent and lack of patriotism). Why if blacks are so lazy?

As to your distortion of Guyanese history. Tell me how a lazy people were able to amass enough CASH to buy PLANTATIONS to establish villages. Also tell me why Jamaica's sugar output was higher than Guyana's up to the late 1960s and their agricultural production is at least as impressive and way more divers than Guyana's this despite being a smaller island with as well as severely drought stricken regions.

By the way I note that Rama (who has no respect for douglas by the way describing you by the literal translation into English of its original Hindi meaning) and supermike are your new racist best friends.

Like you touch a nerve there Mr T, you gat the man goin to his history books fe dig out some reasons fe prove you wrang. The villages he talking about are outstanding indeed, one can easily differentiate those that he speaks so highly of from the rest.

quote:

Originally posted by caribj:
Why if blacks are so lazy?

As to your distortion of Guyanese history. Tell me how a lazy people were able to amass enough CASH to buy PLANTATIONS to establish villages. Also tell me why Jamaica's sugar output was higher than Guyana's up to the late 1960s and their agricultural production is at least as impressive and way more divers than Guyana's this despite being a smaller island with as well as severely drought stricken regions.

You must be dyslexic. Can't you tell the difference about my remarks on Guyanese blacks and blacks in general? So why you dragging the hard working Jamaican blacks into the discussion? It is well known that they are masters of the cultivation of class A sensimilia. Our Guyanese blacks are better known for robbing other folks and waiting for the PNC to be in power and make Fineman a role model.