Embryonic politics

WHAT IS TRUE OF THE HUMAN EMBRYO AT EIGHT WEEKS, IS NOT TRUE OF
GUYANESE POLITICS after 55 independent years in the national ‘womb’.
At eight weeks, the human embryo has an undeveloped nervous system, and the head enlarges.
The tough elastic tissue, which will be converted to bone in future adults, called the cartilage skeleton
also begins to show up by the eighth week. By then too, muscles have taken shape. By the end of two
months, the embryo begins to look like a human being, according to the physical science: facial features
become evident, and most of the organs by then are well developed.
For outspoken religious leader, Apostle Nigel London, Guyanese politics which should have been a fully-
matured ‘adult’ by now has remain embryonic, even fossilised.
London’s observation was ventilated following public protests in Linden, the bauxite-mining
municipality, by residents outraged by the government sudden demands that only vaccinated citizens can
enter public buildings, even if they need life-saving medical procedures.
This tough stance to extract compliance following hardened vaccine hesitancy has since been softened,
with some categories of government employees, including nurses, given two weeks to take the life-
protecting covid jab.
Police from the capital travelled to Linden to give support to their colleagues in the standoff with
protestors. Some prominent persons in the bauxite-mining capital wanted credit for preventing an
outbreak of violence.
“We know that the TSU (Tactical Services Unit) that came from Georgetown was on the ground
as they showed up on the bridge and we know what they came to do. So, if it pleases you to say
Member of Parliament (Jermaine) Figueira was the one who made the people move:
congratulations! Kudos! They moved,” London said sarcastically.
“If compliments are what you seek, then take it. At the end of the day my people lived, they were
not beaten by police officers, tear gas wasn’t sprayed in their faces (and) they were not shot at by
police officers. The bridge wasn’t burnt, no life was lost, (and) no one was injured. If Figueira
stood to talk to people and they left I am happy. If that is how you see it, at the end of the day,
they left and they were not shot by policemen who came to shoot as far as I can see it.”

“If the narrative from the APNUAFC camp to appease you to make you feel that you have
represented your people at 10 am when no other person…I saw no Regional Councillors, I saw
Regional Chairman (Deron Abrams) stranding before the crowd when the curfew was
approaching,” London said.
The controversial religious figure expressed disgust with the “nursery school politics” of his
colleague Lindeners, blasting them as little children seeking attention.
“If you are appeased by compliments, I am appeased by results. Politicians who are elected must
do that which in their minds cause you to clap and say you did well. I did not stand at that bridge
at 10:30pm. I did not put my life and that of my children and my wife on the line to have a
debate as to who succeeded. I put my life on the life because what matters to me was that my
people were not going to be shot at by police,” he reiterated.
London said his involvement was to avoid a repeat of 2012, which police shot and killed three
and injured several others during a public protest.
London felt personally responsible to ensure the protest was in keeping with established
local guidelines preventing the need for police to justify using deadly force.