Uncle Ramesh writes from Queens, New York, where he has lived since 1987 and has strong opinions about a country he visits every three years.
Hello everybody, good morning and God bless.
Well I calling from Queens this morning to tell all you naysayers that this government doing things, and if you can’t see it you need to clean your glasses.
First thing: the airstrip at Karasabai. One point five BILLION dollars, people. That is not small thing. That is Region Nine getting real infrastructure, real access, real development. When last any government build airstrip in the hinterland? Uncle Ramesh remembers the old days when you had to pray to reach them places. Now the President commissioning modern facilities and also setting up border patrol to protect the frontier. This is leadership. This is vision. Some people want to complain about everything but when your President commissioning airstrips in Region Nine, that is progress, full stop.
The Suriname situation — look, yes, the river fees not nice. Uncle Ramesh agrees. But the President already lodge a formal protest. He already warn Suriname that their businesses enjoying Guyana hospitality. The right steps are being taken, the diplomatic channels are open, and we must give the process time to work. Not everything need to be a big confrontation. Sometimes you talk. Sometimes reciprocity is the answer. Sometimes you build the road to Orealla so you don’t need Suriname river at all. Plenty solutions, people.
The Gas-to-Energy project — Uncle Ramesh knows how these big infrastructure projects work, and sometimes you need contractors who are willing to take on new challenges. The project is moving forward. The power plant will help Guyanese people. That is what matters. The details of procurement, leave that to the professionals.
CARIFTA Games — our young people representing in Grenada! Mixed relay record broken! On the final day we going for gold in the 800m and 4x400m. Uncle Ramesh watching from Queens and proud, proud, proud.
And the $100,000 cash grant coming through the banks — very good. Efficient. Modern. Not every government would do that for their people.
Alright, I have to go. Church later. Everyone have a blessed Monday and remember: Guyana going forward, whether the critics like it or not.
— Uncle Ramesh, Queens, New York
[Uncle Ramesh is a fictional character representing a certain kind of diaspora optimism. His views are his own and do not represent the editorial position of the Guyana Daily Brief, which has no editorial position on anything except river fees, about which it has very strong feelings.]