…the Ming swing
Checking one’s golf swing is a favourite preoccupation of the moneyed class. Did you see Trump working on his swing at his exclusive Resort down in Florida? As usual, we in Guyana slavishly “follow pattern”, as we can see from the diligent, if risible, efforts at the Lusignan Golf Course. These wannabe “Gatsbys” should be excused for their gauche efforts at social climbing, since like the original fella who made his wealth on contraband moonshine (“bush rum”), the nouveau riche is always a schizophrenic lot!
But this new Demerara Harbour Bridge is acting like a Rorschach test, exposing the inner landscape of so many in this APNU/AFC Administration. And what a twisted, avaricious and bleak mindset it is! Just look at the latest expose, which will necessitate you taking a look at an aerial “top view” of the bridge in one of the dailies. If you look at bridges across the world, you’ll see them perfectly straight. They might be at an angle to the river banks – but between the two points, they’re straight.
The proposed DHB, however, is curved!! It starts out from the Eastern (Houston) bank straight as an arrow, then suddenly, as it approaches the western (Versailles) bank it curves!! “What the heck!?” you’ll exclaim for sure, or maybe some spicier words!! This, dear reader, is the “Ming Swing”!! If the bridge had continued as it should have – straight ahead – it would have ended up on the property of one Mr H, in Versailles.
NOT anyone’s close friend, as has been alleged!!
But this would’ve meant the Government would’ve had to pay “Mr H” quite a bundle…and HE would’ve immediately joined the moneyed class, and probably start working on his golf swing! But the Government had another idea. BY SHEER COINCIDENCE, the very wealthy Stanley Ming – who’d been one of the APNU/AFC major financiers and made quite a lot of “political investments” – had purchased a plot of land downwind from Mr H, and by ANOTHER SHEER COINCIDENCE, the bridge made a swing to Mr Ming!!!
The Government will now be forced to pay all that money to Mr Ming. But maybe it’s all for the best. Mr Ming’s already loaded to the gills, but had picked up go-kart racing rather than golf, so never got a chance to work on his swing. Now he has his own swing!!
The Govt knows money brings its own worries — think of all the guards and guard huts etc. the Ministers had to be supplied with after they got their 50% raises!
Mr H will be spared all this headache! Isn’t this Government all heart??
…Procurement
While most of you, dear readers, may think of “procurement” as involving material things, like schools and bridges and stuff, it also covers services, such as the feasibility study for the new DHB that just suggested the “Ming Swing”.
And guess what…with all the brouhaha that has been made about corruption in procurement, you’d think this Government would learn, wouldn’t you?
Well, maybe.
But then old people do talk about dogs getting hooked on egg-sucking! So we now find out the feasibility study was “sole-sourced” for the tune of $143million!! And even after they were outed, the Government continues to treat the Guyanese people like they’re morons. Twenty-two firms, it said, expressed interest, and 12 were subsequently shortlisted; but only two submitted bids, but they were annulled and the NYTAB informed. So far, so good. But then, rather than opening up new bidding, they sole-sourced to LievenseCSO.
They insist, “The information of this release is factual”.
Yes…but is it legal? Not by the laws of Guyana!
…for gas
After huddling with Exxon, the Govt spokesperson said they discussed natural gas’ complementarity “to other renewable sources of energy, such as hydro”, to generate electricity.
Until they mention the astronomical costs involved – including transmission – the Govt’s just letting out (noxious, unnatural) gas!!
