Guyana Observer News

 By Freddie Kissoon

Let me say upfront that I thank New York-based Guyanese, Emile Mervin, for reading my columns. I would like to congratulate him for his constant concern about the descent into terrible governance as obtains in his frequent letters in the two independent dailies. Mr. Mervin has responded to one of my columns, “The sins of the PNC and AFC have caught up with them (Nov. 30). The contention of that piece was that the AFC was engaged in deceiving its voters when it took out a full page advertisement denouncing Parliament’s ineffectiveness in the most devastating ways. My argument was how the Parliament could be such a waste under the PPP yet the AFC has been faithful in its attendance the past four and a half years. Mr. Mervin replied (“The PNC and AFC are duty-bound to be a voice for their constituencies,” KN, Dec 20) and compared the attendance of the AFC in Parliament with my persistent stay at UG even though I have adequately described the failures of UG over the years.

Does Guyana have sufficient trained computer-trained and qualified personnel willing to teach computer in fifty of our secondary schools? It may not seem like a lot but it may be difficult given what is paid to teachers to find persons willing to teach computer studies in schools. Secondly, are our existing teachers sufficiently competent and trained to begin to use computers, to teach other subjects in schools. No doubt computer labs are being created not just to familiarize students not just with computers and computer studies, but also as medium for teaching other subjects as well. So are our teachers sufficiently seized of the knowledge to make an immediate transition to these media within the next twelve months. Thirdly, does the government have the resources and the administrative mechanism to maintain computer laboratories in secondary schools?

By Neil Marks in Cancun, Mexico

 - says Bank wants to ensure Norway funds are ‘well used’

The World Bank’s climate change enjoy, Andrew Steer, has defended the Bank’s delay in disbursing funds to Guyana under the forest-saving deal with Norway, saying the Bank wants to ensure the money is well used. “Why would your President say the World Bank is a problem?” Steer responded when asked to comment on President Bharrat Jagdeo’s accusation in late October that “silly, useless” World Bank officials were stalling the release of the funds. Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) is the foundation of the five-year agreement with Norway, which has agreed to have the World Bank administer the fund of US$250 million.

Bharrat nearly get involve in a matter at Hen See Hen this week because dem had a problem in de coop—a real serious problem. Was a meeting and de cackling was terrible. One of dem boys manage to calm things down and de meeting continue wid de agenda. Couple minutes later people run out of de meeting because things reach a pitch. One man in de coop get suh vex that he tun he table upside down. Books and paper fly. De security guard run in when she hear de noise and see Fuzzy wid he hair sticking straight up in de air. He look like a fowl cock in de midst of a fight. Was Kwame he want fight. Dem, boys seh that he call Kwame a dunce and Kwame tell he how he mother mek he and how he fall pun he head when he born and that he more dunce. That was when dem boys watch Fuzzy head and realize that de hair almost gone suh he probably fall pun he head in truth when he born. This time Kwame swell up like a crappo. He jaw puff and he belly expand. He and all did vex. Dem boys seh that he cool a bit real quick when Fuzzy pick up de hot water flask and guh to throw it pun he. De meeting bruck up. De hot water flask fall down and Kwame pants waist buss. He threaten to beat Fuzzy till he sleep and Fuzzy promise to scorch he till he get white.
Talk half. Lef half.