Dear Editor,
It was drawn to my attention yesterday that the Guyana Chronicle reported that Mr Christopher Ram has no moral authority to speak on the matter related to President Jagdeo’s land/house transaction at Pradoville 2.
Mr Christopher Ram must be highly complimented for bringing to the public’s attention an impropriety with respect to the allocation of state lands by no less a person than our Head of State – a person who should be an epitome of lofty morality and rectitude (‘President Jagdeo’s land dealings not above board’ SN, February 10).
I’m glad that he referred to my situation in the 1970s, regarding government-owned metal sheets used to paal off my property. The matter was the subject of a full public and open enquiry by the Ombudsman. Nothing was hidden or suppressed. All the files and evidence proved that I had done no wrong.
But where are our civic organizations; do they know that ‘silence gives consent’? Or are they in a trance, such as the churchman who when I asked him as a leading proponent of morals and Christian principles, what his thoughts on the sanctity of marriage were, and what he would say if a false or fake ‘marriage’ by one of our leaders came to light, said that such was a private matter. Different strokes for different folks.
I suppose acts of immorality, impropriety and breaches of time-honoured rules are private matters, and therefore Christopher Ram and others must be quiet. The time has come for us to encourage others to speak up fearlessly and hope that young and old would see beyond the well-funded state media apparatus. I say to this government, Mr Ram could not be the issue; he doesn’t occupy high political office, nor does he get for himself facilities and perks that are unique in this part of the world.
The government media and the Chronicle must respond truthfully about the transactions in respect of President Jagdeo’s land and related issues. They must respond truthfully about the many contracts which have been questioned, such as the Stanleytown pump, and strange but true, two contractors for one swimming pool. They must say in which part of the world a head of state would fail to discipline members of his cabinet who had allegedly gun-butted a young man and was also alleged to have knocked down two people on a motor cycle, or others who are now involved in this latest laptop fiasco. The Chronicle and the Government Information Agency must not use diversionary tactics such as when Dr Jennifer Bulkan writes about the contortions within the forestry sector.
Finally, when will the state appoint an Ombudsman, as is required under the constitution?
Yours faithfully,
Hamilton Green, JP
