Guyanese should come together to search for the missing men

PEEPING TOM

It is now the time for all Guyanese to band together to help find the GUYSUCO labourers who went missing aback Vigilance close to two weeks ago. This has now become an issue of concern to every Guyanese because the same can happen to any of us.

We have to set racial differences aside and unite to help in the search from the men. They have families who are in agony over their disappearance. They have small children who need their fathers; there are mouths to feed. These men were the breadwinners of their families.

Is our country so cold that citizens cannot pour into the backdams in their numbers to search for the missing men? The absent element may be leadership. But there is also a feeling that “since it does not concern me, why should I bother.”

We all should worry because we all have feelings for other people. When someone we know dies, there is natural feeling of sadness that overcomes us. We feel pity for the hungry and destitute, and we empathise with those who suffer injustices. So why has it been so difficult for Guyanese to rally around the cause of the families of the East Coast men and form search parties to find the missing.

As I have said before what is needed is for an organized system of searching. GUYSUCO should take the lead and help to map out the radius that needs to be searched and it should mobilize large teams of both workers and villagers for this task. The police should provide back-up in this exercise. Haphazard search parties are not going to yield any tangible results and I urge that steps be taken to solicit wider community participation in the search exercise.

But before this happens, the seriousness of the situation needs to be emphasised. And the only way this point can be made is by a total shut down of the East Demerara estates by having workers withdraw their labor. In addition I am calling for peaceful, dignified protests outside of the Commissioner of Police's office, reminding him of his call to be held accountable.

Guyanese must come out in their numbers and join in the search for the men. We must send a signal that we will are resolute against all forms of crime regardless of the ethnicity of the victims and in our unity we will send fear in to the hearts of those who would seek to terrorize us for their own narrow ends.

We must also examine the wider issues of national security and ask whether the President of Guyana understands the seriousness of the crime threat. Ronald Gajarj gave one month's notice that he would be demitting office as Minister of Home Affairs. The President had one month to find a replacement but he did not. All we have now is another minister having to split her time between two ministries and two portfolios.

What sort of President is this? What does he think we are running for as a country - a cake shop? Can you tell me how in one month the President could not find someone to replace Gajraj? How long does he take to find his socks in the morning?

At this time when we need the Minister of Home Affairs to be fully engaged on the crime front, all we have is a situation where the acting minister has to take care of a critical sector plus administer her substantial duties as Minister of Youth Sports and Culture. This is not good enough, Jagdeo!

I fail to see how an important position like Minister of Home Affairs can be treated in this way. This is nonsense. Can the PPP not find anyone to appoint as a Minister? Okay even if the PPP is short of talent, what about the extra technocratic minister that the President still has the prerogative to appoint?

If after one month's notice the President cannot appoint a new person to the Home Affairs Ministry, tell me what chances is there of forcing the government to make more strenuous efforts to find the two missing Guysuco workers?

Thursday 06-02-2005