…money
The PNC-led Government just approved another $4.5billion for spending as “supplementary funds”. Now, the latter are supposed to have been “unforeseen” expenses, after presentation of their last Budget. Last year, they went to Parliament at least FOUR times for $17 billion is supplementaries for “unforeseen expenses”, just as they did every year they’ve been in office. There have been so many “unforseens” that one wonders if this Government isn’t blind!!
Your Eyewitness wouldn’t mind, except he fears Guyana might stumble into a financial Black Hole like the one Burnham’s PNC left us back in the day. It took the financial legerdemain of Bharrat Jagdeo to dig us out of that one!! And he most likely won’t be back at the helm for another two years!! (Just kidding!! One can imagine the PNCites and AFCites shivering in their boots at that thought!!)
So, let’s see what these latest “unforeseen” expenses are. $788 million is for preliminary legal fees for lawyers to handle the Venezuelan Border Controversy the UN Secretary General sent to the ICJ.
Can you imagine the PNC government saying that’s “unforeseen”???! So why’d they tell us they had the “foresight” to ask for a US$18 million “bonus” from Exxon to handle those fees?? Mouth open and story jump out!!
They’ve just exposed their dirty linen to their supporters, who’re hoping against hope they’re not as corrupt as that, wouldn’t they?? Will SARA sic SOCU on them?? Don’t hold your breath!!
Point is, the moment Chris Ram exposed the secret “bonus”, the PPP’s been asking why it wasn’t placed in the Consolidated Fund, as required by the laws of the land, and from which the legal fees would have to be paid. They had all kinds of cock-and-bull stories to excuse their perfidy.
Granger said the US$18 million – or Gy$3.6 billion – was being held in escrow!!! Trotman said it was in a BoG “special account”. Harmon said it’d be transferred to the Consolidated Fund. Then, finally, Jordan claimed it was “invested’ in foreign securities!!
And now they’ve admitted they need to pay the legal fees from the Consolidated Fund!! And have to pretend the $788 million was “unforeseen”!! For the rest of the $3.5 billion of “unforeseen” expenses, $346 million is supposed to procure two additional boarding bridges at the CJIA expansion.
They must’ve read your Eyewitness’s revelation there was only ONE boarding bridge, rather than the EIGHT the PPP had planned for – even as the Government had already increased the contract by $3 billion!!
So they’re still five bridges short!! More supplementals?? Why worry…it’s only money for the boys!!
…it’s still a man’s world
Seems the GDF advertised for applicants to their Officers Training Course (OTC)…and said only males should apply!! And here your Eyewitness thought our officers were all polished up at military colleges in the US and the UK, where they’ve accepted they can’t discriminate against LGBTs. Even for those in the front line! And we haven’t moved past placing barriers against women?? Oi vey!!
What’s going on with this evident misogyny? Is it because the OTC is the surest path to get to the top?? Which “top”, you ask, dear reader? Any damn top!! Presidency? De facto PM? Head of the Judiciary? Head of the GHPC? Head of Boards? Heads of CoIs?? Head of Carnival celebrations? It’s all military, baby!! They can not only break through glass ceilings – but steel ceilings, if need be!
So what’s a woman who wants to get ahead do? Well, there’s still that adage, “behind every good (army) man….!
…teaching them about hustling
To show he really means BUSINESS at UG, the VC just put up signs that he’s not only charging students for parking, but he’ll be clamping wheels of defaulters.
He’s just preparing them for Smart City in the Dirty City!! Show…don’t tell!
