Goodbyes and Prognostications 2018

(Okay, you-all know by now that at this time of year I love that word - “prog-nos-ti-ca-tions”. I also wonder and wonder about Baby Jesus in Africa-Egypt in North Africa. But surely I’m getting ahead of myself…)

A goodbye is really “a concluding remark at (a) parting“. You can wish the departure a good future or you could be thinking good riddance. A farewell is similar but, seemingly, the parting is characterized by positive, sincere wishes as farewells tend to be more permanent by nature.

As 2018 departs what or who would you wish gone - for good? What would you wish to return - or even to linger a while longer?

So for now, let us respect the knowledgeable qualified analysts and commentators and the self-centred political types amongst us even as we put them aside for the purpose of this piece where I dare to speculate, on behalf of my fellow working class, unlettered citizens who still hope for, dream of his Excellency’s green and good life.

Be gone! But welcome…

We the poor-employed, partly-employed or not would like to see imposed wages and salaries give way to employer-representative collective bargaining. Goodbye to shoddy bullyism and long-term policy where the local government and management of the capital city is concerned. Goodbye to crooked cops and soldiers who utilized taxpayer training merely for “running” and criminal conduct in uniform.

Goodbye to forced extra school lessons on helpless parents who are made to sacrifice for their children’s educational progress. Can’t the hours in formal classes ever be enough? Be gone GPL blackout! After decades!

Farewell to the administration’s bluff- like disregard for the constitution they all pledged to “honour”. His Excellency should ease up - in 2018 - on naming and renaming places – from Convention Centres and ministries to special “days” to boats and buses. Leave not your name as legacy Sir, but lasting better-life programmes and actual schemes and safety-net facilities for all the people. To hell with confrontational politics only. Even amidst its missteps and now-frequent blunders, can’t the opposition applaud three achievements of the government? (won’t the spanking new Bagotville/La Grange bridge benefit the PPP Region Three majority supporters? For example?)

Cease the animosity in the Parliament. Citizens would