Dissatisfaction with PPP leadership
Kaieteur News – We have been saying it for a long time now, and on every occasion that we say it, PPP leaders and defenders say that we are biased, have a partisan agenda, and always seem to have an axe to grind. In recent times, different people have come forward publicly to announce their dissatisfaction with the PPP leaders in Government, and how they treat their own. They speak of corruption and cronyism, and they lament the disadvantages with which they are forced to contend. As we present a snapshot of what is being said in the public domain, and not only in KN, we remind everyone that what is shared is not what KN says or publishes, but of what the disgruntled in the PPP’s own ranks complain about, and warn about, rather ominously.
One letter writer after another has summoned the courage to come forward and protest what they perceive as wrongdoing and injustice in the managing and awarding of lucrative contracts for a variety of government projects. These projects involve big opportunities and big money, and from what we gather is common in the objections. The little comrades are not getting what they consider their fair share of the spoils of victory. Most times, they are not getting anything at all. It could be those same project jobs, or the sweet jobs in different public service agencies. Those on the losing end of their leadership bargains are angry and bitter over the inequity, and the indecency with how the awards are granted, meaning, who gets the cream of the prizes, and who get nothing, and are left to grind their teeth in frustration.
The writers remind forgetful PPP leaders that their supporters were there for them, with presence and money and machinery and other supplies. They make a point of emphasising that when the going was rough, they stayed in place and did not jump ship, or distance themselves in any way during those times when the party struggled with limiting circumstances. The long last elections season has been repeatedly identified as the biggest poster child.
Smaller grassroots supporters of the PPP note for the public record that the President has his own favoured people. Though the language is usually careful, there is little difficulty in deciphering the anxieties of low-level PPP supporters, and their accompanying alarms, as being the forgotten men and women. Other PPP loyalists make it their duty to spotlight to the Vice President, and that in his hour of need and call, they were always there, and quick to respond, even at risk to themselves and family.
Yet they are pained, and at their wit’s end, to observe that the rich state contracts and meaningful public service jobs go to others, who (in their opinion and calculations) are less deserving. Dissatisfied PPP supporters have made known their disappointments over arrangements that for all intent and purposes leave them out in the cold, and on their own. They have spoken about cabals and inner circles, about the toadies who are always hanging around the party’s two top leaders, and how those are blessed with access, power, and the rewards of contracts or employment. Of recent, some PPP comrades, who gave of their all, have been bold enough to express their bitterness over what they sense as bias and corruptions that take on a certain religious bent, and which effectively disown those not of that particular religious persuasion. Some have been more direct, and came right out, and made mention of secret meetings and underhand dealings in places of worship. The end result is that, in this zero-sum game of contracts for infrastructure and other works, and contracts for sought-after work in a ministry or state agency, when one section of the PPP’s base wins, the other inevitably comes up empty handed.
The problem is that some PPP disappointed are not taking matters sitting down, or quietly. More are taking the unusual step of voicing their sharp dissatisfactions publicly, which is unheard of in tight PPP circles. They warn of consequences, if this continues. They urge leaders, especially the Vice President, to listen and correct the situation, or else. Is an election coming?