Dear Editor,
I saw the post by First Lady Mrs. Arya Ali, and I am relieved that good sense finally prevailed and she took it down. But the question that haunts every right-thinking Guyanese is this: Who is advising our leaders?
Let us be honest. Compare her to the women who came before her. Mrs. Joyce Hoyte. Mrs. Sandra Granger. Mrs. Janet Jagan. Mrs. Viola Burnham. Mrs. Yvonne Hinds. These were refined, schooled, and finished First Ladies. They understood dignity. They understood that when a nation weeps, you do not turn mourning into a fashion parade. They would never—never—have made such a tone-deaf, insensitive blunder.
So let me offer Mrs. Ali some free, urgent advice, since clearly no one in her inner circle has the courage to tell her the truth:
When giving a condolence message, the golden rule is simple: dress as you would for a funeral. Sombre tones. Modest. Reserved. You cannot—cannot—be draped in fancy earrings and colourful designer clothing while families are fishing the bodies of their loved ones out of the Atlantic. It is not just inappropriate. It is obscene.
Minimize the jewellery. Remove the large, dangling earrings.. Lose the chunky necklaces and flashy watches. A simple wedding band. Small stud earrings. A thin chain. That is all that is required. That is all that is decent.
Here is the test Mrs. Ali clearly failed: “If I walked into that grieving family’s home right now wearing this, would they feel I am honouring their loved one?” If the answer is even slightly “no”—and it was a resounding NO—then you dial down the optics immediately. Because in a moment of mourning, it is never about you, Madam First Lady. It is about the mourning family. Substance and solemnity always outweigh style. Always.
And most importantly, why is she not by the side of her husband at Charity on the Essequibo Coast, supporting directly the families of the victims? Even if it for one hour. This nation is in collective mourning and the President is stuck all alone at Charity? It makes him look weak; he has no wife and he has no Bharrat by his side. Bharrat is busy playing President with the Amerindians in Georgetown.
Then I turn to the most kakistrophic, self-serving message from Captain Gerry Gouveia Senior. He writes: “It’s slow. It’s painstaking. It’s dangerous. But it is absolutely necessary”, in a battery of words to self praise himself.
Seriously, my brother Gerry? Here we go again.
Another one trying to score peanut points off the dead and the drowned. Who cares if you flew the aircraft low or high? Are we hearing such self-promotional drivel from the other pilots—the ones who might actually be doing a better job than you? No. Because they have class. They have professionalism. They understand that this is not about them.
Every word Gerry uttered is performative, narcissistic, and utterly tone-deaf. He is not focused on the critical, urgent work. He is shifting the spotlight away from the victims and onto himself. This is not the time for reflective commentary or personal tributes. The priority is the search and rescue operation itself—the facts, the progress, and the desperate needs of the families.
So just stop it, Mr. Gerry Gouveia Senior.
At this stage, every communication must be circumspect, factual, brief, and victim-centered. None of it should be about Gerry and what Gerry did. But then again, this is the same man who stood in the rain with an unopened umbrella in his hand, supposedly in support of his President. What Gerry seems incapable of comprehending is that most Guyanese see such actions for what they are: the antics of a class clown. And it appears today the class clown has learned absolutely nothing from “Umbrella Gate.”
Now, let us address the most damning part of this entire sordid affair.
They said Mr. Azruddin Mohamed is trying to score clicks from this tragedy. I beg to differ.
Mr. Mohamed has been the single most reliable source of up-to-date and accurate information coming out of this recovery effort. He is not grandstanding. He is not posturing. He is begging for help with solid, actionable ideas that can accelerate the securing of the bodies. And what is the government doing?
Playing politics. Choosing not to help.
Let that sink in. While families wail, while bodies drift, the PPP government is more concerned with damage control and optics than with actually recovering the dead.
Here is the damning evidence: Mr. Mohamed posted the exact location of several dead floating bodies. And from all indications, it took the authorities over two hours to fish those bodies out of the water.
Two hours.
While families waited. While dignity was lost. While the dead were left to the mercy of the waves.
So who is lapsing on the job still?
Yes. The PPP officials.
They are too busy polishing Gerry’s ego, too busy defending Juan Edghill, and too busy playing politics to actually do the work. They have failed the families. They have failed the dead. And they have failed Guyana.
This is inexcusable. This is shameful. And the people are watching.