Dear Editor,
Brother Tacuma Ogunseye recently made two “out of character” and untrue statements on Christopher Ram’s weekly Sunday TV show just over a week ago. While being purposefully questioned and prompted by Christopher Ram, Brother Tacuma stated that Eric Phillips “doctored” ACDA’s press release on his BV speech. Brother Tacuma also further stated the doctoring was because Eric Phillips was threatened by Odinga Lumumba to whom he gave a copy of the tape of the BV speech.
Firstly, Brother Tacuma knows fully well ACDA stands by the statement “it never discussed who would win an election and what would happen afterward”.
Secondly, Brother Tacuma should know there were several individuals whose ideas were used in the words of the press release sent to the media and the above bracketed words were not the contribution of Eric Phillips, even though I was the one delegated to finalize the draft document I had presented to him.
That draft document was an internal ACDA document which Dennis Chabrol publicly placed on Facebook to create controversy between Brother Tacuma and myself.
Thirdly, Brother Tacuma should know better than anyone else that Odinga Lumumba cannot threaten Eric Phillips. I am a third degree black belt and a weapons expert and was one of less than a handful of individuals with the courage to be in Buxton where I was weekly teaching young people during the ‘Fineman’ episode. During those two years plus, many of the “champions of people’s rights” who spout bravery and leadership today were afraid to go into Buxton.
Brother Tacuma is also aware that my trips to Buxton resulted in several threats and two attempts on my life but did not deter me. And finally, Brother Tacuma also knows that over the last seven years, no one has spent more time fighting this racially driven government through 127 letters and articles about their gross injustices to Africans in Guyana. Included in this “body of work” were the 7 letters of the African Renaissance and a large number of letters and speeches on African marginalization, shared governance and African land rights.
Brother Tacuma also knows that during this period, no one has spent more time with African youth addressing their educational needs, leadership skills, community development plans, African culture and self-improvement needs. This is indisputable.
Fourthly, Brother Tacuma knows that neither Lumumba nor anyone in the PPP can threaten ACDA.
Dear Editor, it is very instructive that Dennis Chabrol, the operator of Demerarawaves and a close friend of Brother Tacuma was the individual who started the national ruckus about Tacuma’s BV speech with his article “ACDA reads riot act for power sharing if opposition loses”. It is public record that Mr. Chabrol’s article in Demerarawaves was published by the PPP’s Chronicle, verbatim. Subsequent to the Chronicle article, thirty eight letters condemning ACDA and Tacuma appeared in this propagandistic tabloid.
The Editor and People of Guyana should know Mr. Chabrol is a close friend and associate of Brother Tacuma and Mr. Chabrol very well knew what he printed in his first outrageous headline was not an ACDA position. In fact, Mr. Chabrol claims he did not tape Brother Tacuma’s BV speech when I called him on reading his sensational headline. This must be a first for Mr. Chabrol who wears his journalistic professionalism by having his “prideful” tape on him at all times. His tape is normally his chosen weapon and sword of journalistic sensationalism.
Dear Editor, why would Dennis Chabrol go all the way to BV to listen to his friend Brother Tacuma and not take his tape? Is this journalistic deception and “deferred integrity”.
I hope by now, Brother Tacuma should realize Dennis Chabrol is not a friend of ACDA. Witness how each year Mr. Chabrol publicly questions ACDA’s receipt of a lousy US$10,000 for Emancipation Day, a day that celebrates the millions of African lives lost to build Guyana and the Western world. What a pittance.
Witness however, Mr. Editor, that Dennis Chabrol has never questioned the US$150,000 given to the racing crowd for a tarmac at Timehri; never questioned the US$50,000 given to Amerindians each year for Amerindian Heritage Month; never questioned the paltry sum set aside for UN International Year of People of African Descent and never questioned the hundreds of thousands handed out to Indian communities and events on an annual basis.
This is why Mr. Chabrol’s Demerarawaves title read “ACDA reads riot act” and not “Tacuma reads riot act”. It was a purposeful attack on ACDA.
Dear Editor, I am convinced as are many others that the lies told to Brother Tacuma about Phillips giving a tape to Lumumba and being influenced by it, could only come from a Trojan Horse source.
Strangely Editor, this episode with Tacuma shows the depth of moral corruption and fundamental conflicts of interests in Guyana that makes Guyana a modern day social, cultural, political, economic and moral tragedy.
The ERC which is unconstitutionally constituted and illegal wants to act as judge and jury when it has no moral or popular basis. This is “gong show” like behaviour.
Yours faithfully,
Eric Phillips
