Dear Editor,
The 30th anniversary of GuyExpo was intended to be a showcase of a modern, prosperous and oil-rich Guyana. Instead, it served as a stark and embarrassing reminder of profound institutional failures at all levels in the Ali-led, PPP Govern-ment. As an attendee on opening night, I witnessed not a national celebration, but a case study in negligence, for which the ultimate responsibility must lie with its chief architect, the former Minister of Tourism, Industry, and Commerce, Ms. Oneidge Walrond, since the new Minister Ms. Susan Rodriques just picked up the bag of bones. Let us see what she does with it by the next GuyExpo.
The litany of failures began with the most fundamental prerequisite: a reliable electrical system. The sequential destruction of a 50 KVA and then a 100 KVA transformer was not an accident; it was the predictable outcome of a catastrophic planning failure. Any competent event management process mandates a pre-event energy assessment, requiring exhibitors to submit their electrical needs weeks in advance. This data must be used to calculate peak simultaneous demand and install infrastructure with a significant safety margin (150% of the peak calculated needs). The evidence suggests this basic step was ignored entirely. Therefore, the Guyana Power and Light’s (GPL) statement, deflecting blame to an “internal fault,” is a poor excuse for a crisis born from a lack of ministerial oversight and preparation.
The failures extended far beyond the power grid. The absence of mandatory backup generators, the poorly lit and hazardous walkways posing significant safety risks, and the disorganized floor plan that ignored basic fire codes and signage, all point to a complete breakdown in project management. The reported lack of a certified electrical sign-off before the event opened is a damning indictment of the leadership’s disregard for public safety and professional standards.
Furthermore, the event’s ambiance was an assault on the senses and its purpose. The incessantly loud music transformed a family-oriented national exposition into an unprofessional spectacle, while the lack of basic amenities like accessible trash receptacles and clearly marked medical and security stations created an environment pregnant with opportunities for chaos.
The buck for this fiasco must stop with the former Minister, Ms. Walrond. For five years, the planning and execution of this national event fell under her direct ministerial purview. The disorganized and substandard condition of the exhibition site is a direct reflection of her leadership—or lack thereof. To have presided over such a systemic failure and then be reassigned to the critical Ministry of Home Affairs is a bewildering decision that only President Irfaan Ali must be held accountable for since it undermines accountability in public service.
This incident is more than an inconvenience; it is a national embarrassment that tarnishes our country’s reputation in front of international visitors and investors. It fundamentally undermines the government’s stated vision for a modern and competitive Guyana and strays far away from the “Alice in Wonderland” tales he was spreading at the Berbice Summit about a railway to Brazil and a Deep Water Harbour in Berbice. Definitely not under his watch because such projects are clearly beyond his capabilities.
But with regards to this 30th GuyExpo, we cannot accept the lame excuses. This “blackout” was not an unforeseeable accident but the direct result of incompetent planning and a dereliction of ministerial duty which Minister Susan Rodriques should have flagged weeks ago.
To save us from such an embarrassment next time, we, the public, demand a full, independent investigation into the planning failures of GuyExpo 2025. Those responsible, starting with the former Minister who allowed these standards to lapse, must be held accountable. Our nation deserves professional competence, not a legacy of failure. And while you are it, can you at least pave all the roads at the National Exhibition Site and create some Guyanese specific wooden walkways?