…in SARA’s eyes
When the PPP was in office, Clive Thomas concocted a theory of “The Criminalised State” that they (The PPP created as they “siphoned off billions and billions” into their pockets or into secret offshore accounts. He was afforded a bully pulpit in the private press and pretty soon, his contentions became the then Opposition’ received gospel. And some doubt was created even in some PPP supporters’ minds.
The “criminalised state”, according to Thomas, also facilitated and participated in an orgy of killings of “African Guyanese youth” – to such an extent, his WPA collaborated in creating 400 a “dossier” killings that’s floating around the Internet. Even a cursory examination of this list shows the names of persons of all ethnicities and many who were killed in bandit attacks. That some of the killings – by what was called “Phantom Squads” – were a reaction to an armed gang holed up in Buxton – which took on the State and terroristically murdered innocent civilians who were deemed to be supporters of the PPP, is never mentioned.
Anyhow, when social academics construct theories in their air-conditioned offices (Thomas was Director of the Institute of Development Studies at UG for decades) they rarely get an opportunity to test their theories. But after the PNC-led APNU/AFC coalition snuck into office, who did they appoint to head their newly formed “State Assets Recovery Agency”? No other than Thomas, who was conferred with such wide-reaching powers, he was arguably more powerful than the President of the country in several respects.
Well, it’s been over two years since Thomas has been in hot pursuit of the supposedly “pilfered” billions and billions. And how much has he recovered? Zero! Zilch! But has that forced him to even suggest he might’ve been mistaken? Not in this life!! In fact, Thomas and his minions have been most diligent in fanning the dying embers of the charges of “PPP corruption” to ensure the political polarisation and hatred is maintained.
One indicia of the Government’s hypocrisy over the Thomas’ hatchet job on the PPP has been their own obliviousness to the recent irony of Trotman accusing folks who have “no experience in the trenches” having the “temerity” of criticising his giveaway of the nation’s patrimony in oil. With that laudable commitment to co-joining criticisms with experience, one wonders whether he will comment on the absolute and abysmal failure of Thomas to prove his academic assertions on the PPP with his “experience in the trenches”.
Before he criticises the mote he discerns in his critics’ eyes, it would do Trotman and the rest of the coalition to pull out the plank from Thomas’ and SARA’s eyes!!
…in GuySuCo’s eyes
Thomas was also made Chairman of GuySuCo under the Government, replacing a fella they claimed had no experience in sugar! Actually the chap was in HR in GuySuCo just after Burnham nationalised the industry. What was Thomas’ connection to sugar? Just the theory he picked up from reading books with his feet “cocked up” on a desk in his aforementioned IDS office!!
Anyhow, how has Thomas fared in THIS vaulted position? Even more abysmally than at SARA!! Here he participated in a most extensive – and expensive – CoI into GuySuCo (no mention of a conflict of interest!!) which was promptly thrown into a wastebasket by his Government!! Even the section he personally wrote!
And subsequently – this once staunch Marxist who marched against the Burnhamite dictatorship for bauxite worker is now standing shoulder to shoulder with Burnham’s successor, firing 5700 sugar workers – just for starters!! Not only has Thomas not uttered a squeak.
He’s actually justified two centuries of colonial exploitation and two decades of Burnham’s by putting profits before labour!! Oh Marx!!
…in Police Brass’ eyes
If there was any doubt about this Administration’s betrayal of everything they claimed they stood for during their campaign, it’s their deprofessionalisation of the Guyana Police Force.
What do they expect to come from the Poisoned Tree they’re planting as the top brass?
