Readers Response

Dear Editor:
The victims of crimes like young Sheema Mangar, Mr. Ramoudit, who was returning to Guyana after more than a decade, was killed for his gold chain, he did not even have a chance to say hello or goodbye; young Ricky Jainarine 10 years old, his mother longs to just find his body to say farewell and have closure; Davendra Bholanauth who was shot while turning his computer on in his own business on Sherriff Street; and last but not least, Mr. Dennis Ramah from Success who tried to defend his home and was fatally shot. All these victims of crimes are screaming from their graves for justice.
It is an obscene vulgarity to have Clement Rohee state that crime in this country are at “optimal levels” whatever this means.
It is an even bigger travesty that this is the same incompetent minister who told Ricky Jainarine’s mother to send him a fax when she sought to get his help. He had his minions turn her away at his office; he was too busy to meet with this grieving mother, who had just lost her husband and son as well as their neighbour.
The lack of compassion from Mr. Jagdeo and this inhumane so called Minister of government is an abomination. It is time for people in this country to rise up and demand his immediate dismissal. Rohee is the definition of incompetence. We no longer have to debate this matter.
The even bigger travesty is the fact that the PPP while giving us all the most useless excuses such as, “crime happens all over the world” and that the press is hyping the situation and making the situation bigger than it really is, are all just as disgraceful as Mr. Rohee. It is even more distressing that Mr. Jagdeo himself makes these statements trivializing crime in Guyana.
Mr. Jagdeo I can assure you and your government that we will not forget your weak disrespectful comments and lack of value you place on the lives of our citizens. You have forgotten why we elected you all to office.
Brandon Samaroo vis email

February 16, 2011 issue
Readers' Response
Disheartening occurrences a reality of Guyana
Dear Editor: Everyday I log on to read the news online out of Guyana, and everyday, the stories are predictably the same: The government is accused of misusing taxpayers’ money; a road or bridge that was recently built, is now broken and in need of repairs; a motorist is killed recklessly speeding or kills some innocent bystander, while intoxicated; a young schoolchild is sexually molested by a relative or teacher; President Jagdeo is once again out of Guyana, leaving behind someone else to run his Administration; Freddie Kissoon continues his unrelenting attacks on the government; while Lurlene Nestor and B. Beniprashad Rayman continue to write letters shamelessly, in defence of PNCR Leader Robert Corbin. The news read like a photocopy of the previous days: Some poor soul is murdered somewhere in the country; bandits broke into a family’s home, robs them at gunpoint, and shoots a member of the household dead; a victim is relieved of his hard earned savings soon after making a withdrawal from a bank, and the robber is believed to have been tipped off by someone in the bank. Caught up in all this, is a remigrant, who recently returned to his native land, or an overseas-based Guyanese on vacation. The recent spate of brutal attacks and robberies on overseas-based Guyanese are very disturbing at best, and will have a devastating effect on whatever efforts are being made to promote tourism and remigration. There will always be the hard-core Guyanese who’re willing to risk their personal safety to return home to see relatives and friends, but I predict if this trend continues, most will be discouraged from doing so, and the Administration’s Remigrant Programme will suffer immensely. Remigrants seem to be the preferred target now of everyone. They’re being robbed and killed by bandits, with total disregard of the hard work they’ve done in adverse weather conditions and the sacrifices that Guyanese living overseas endure to save some money for retirement in the place of their birth. And now, even the Ministry of Home Affairs seems to be getting into the act, thinking we’re dumb enough to pay US$35,000 for a house-lot that’s only 8,000 square ft. in size, when Jagdeo, his ministers and friends of the Administration have all secured 1 acre lots, almost 5 times the size offered to remigrants, for a lot less…US$25,000. If this is not robbery, what else do you call it? As an overseas based Guyanese, I am very concerned with the deteriorating quality of life issues affecting our people: Low wages; joblessness; child beggars; crime and prostitution. The government of the day is directly responsible for solving these social ills, and this is where our focus should be. Denying we have a serious problem here will not help. For despite what Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee may say in public, he cannot actually believe Guyana to be a safe place, if he does, he’s obviously not reading the local newspapers. Giving away 90,000 computers to poor families will not alleviate these crises either, for without jobs, people are becoming more desperate and daring. Rohee needs to pull out all the stops get adequate funding from Parliament for the Guyana Police to get the job done. They must be given all the tools and manpower to stop this crime wave. They need money to recruit, train and to install a modern hi-tech computer network. They need surveillance cameras throughout the city, and if this is not already implemented, there is an urgent need to set up a “Tips Hotline” where anyone with information of a crime can call anonymously if the person wishes to conceal their identity, or the tipsters would be guaranteed rewards with the arrest and conviction of the criminal, by identifying themselves with the knowledge that all information given will remain confidential. All Guyanese living at home and those visiting from abroad, need to feel safe without the fear of being mugged in their homes or while leaving a bank. And If Minister Rohee cannot handle the job, he should not wait to be rejected at the polls, resign now. Harry Gill, via email
Disdain shown to citizens by those in authority
Dear Editor: The victims of crimes like young Sheema Mangar, Mr. Ramoudit, who was returning to Guyana after more than a decade, was killed for his gold chain, he did not even have a chance to say hello or goodbye; young Ricky Jainarine 10 years old, his mother longs to just find his body to say farewell and have closure; Davendra Bholanauth who was shot while turning his computer on in his own business on Sherriff Street; and last but not least, Mr. Dennis Ramah from Success who tried to defend his home and was fatally shot. All these victims of crimes are screaming from their graves for justice. It is an obscene vulgarity to have Clement Rohee state that crime in this country are at “optimal levels” whatever this means. It is an even bigger travesty that this is the same incompetent minister who told Ricky Jainarine’s mother to send him a fax when she sought to get his help. He had his minions turn her away at his office; he was too busy to meet with this grieving mother, who had just lost her husband and son as well as their neighbour. The lack of compassion from Mr. Jagdeo and this inhumane so called Minister of government is an abomination. It is time for people in this country to rise up and demand his immediate dismissal. Rohee is the definition of incompetence. We no longer have to debate this matter. The even bigger travesty is the fact that the PPP while giving us all the most useless excuses such as, “crime happens all over the world” and that the press is hyping the situation and making the situation bigger than it really is, are all just as disgraceful as Mr. Rohee. It is even more distressing that Mr. Jagdeo himself makes these statements trivializing crime in Guyana. Mr. Jagdeo I can assure you and your government that we will not forget your weak disrespectful comments and lack of value you place on the lives of our citizens. You have forgotten why we elected you all to office. Brandon Samaroo vis email
Speak up for your rights
Dear Editor: I think the San Fernando General Hospital needs some improvement with their services and the way they treat patients. The nurses and doctors there act like they don’t care about their patients. They have no compassion for anyone, they’re always making mistakes, giving patients the wrong meds and yelling and screaming at their patients. If they need to learn compassion and patience they should go to the US or Canada and see the way people are treated there, because animals get better treatment than what these patients get at the San Fernando General Hospital. Trinidadians need to speak up for their rights and if they want changes to be made, stop complaining in silence and taking all the foolishness that’s handed to them. L Chand, via e-mail
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