Presidential Advisor on Governance Gail Teixeira yesterday flatly refused to answer questions on who had put up controversial billboards on the maritime tribunal award.
The billboards with huge images of President Bharrat Jagdeo were deemed to be inappropriate to the stance that Guyana had adopted in accepting the award which conferred it with control over a possible oil bearing region.
The question was put to Teixeira yesterday when she filled in for Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon at the weekly Cabinet press briefing.
Asked who was responsible for putting up the billboards, Teixeira declined to answer.
She said the matter was a “closed” one. She then asked for the “next question” even as she was probed once again on the issue.
Last Sunday, a letter in this newspaper, written by Head of the Government Information Sector, Dr Prem Misir, said the President had ordered that the billboards be taken down.
At least two billboards were erected – one at D’Aguiar’s turn in Greater Georgetown and one leading to the East Coast Demerara. The letter said the President had just returned from the UN Summit on Climate Change in New York and he immediately ordered the billboards be taken down.
Stabroek News understands that the Government Information Agency (GINA) had nothing to do with the billboards. It appears as if persons from within the Office of the President were responsible for the billboards, which had the President’s image emblazoned on them. Similar images had been used for billboards for the Rio Summit and the world cup.
This newspaper also attempted to ascertain from the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) whether permission was sought for the erection of the billboards as is required. Town Clerk Beulah Williams was not available for comment and Mayor Hamilton Green was said to be out of the country.
However, a source from within the council informed this newspaper that any billboards being erected or anything being built should not be done before written permission was given by the City Engineer as is stated in Chapter 28:01 of the Municipal Act.
The source said no permission was sought by those responsible for the erection of the billboards. With regard to the one at D’Aguiar’s turn, the source said that was not the first with the President’s image at the said location. There was one for the Rio Summit, held earlier this year in Guyana and another during the recent Cricket World Cup games.
The M&CC did not grant permission for those either and the source could not say why they were not taken down as would have happened under normal circumstances if something was erected in the city without the requisite permission.
According to Misir’s letter, the billboards were inconsistent with the President’s address to the nation on the tribunal award during which he remarked that on the fundamental issues, while Guyana’s interests and objectives were fulfilled there was going to be no triumphalism.
