Dear Editor,
I am shocked, saddened, stunned that persons would use our national State newspaper, the Guyana Chronicle, to publish a report in its December 30th edition `Shuman shunned …leaves trail of division, controversy in St Cuthbert’s Mission’ on myself that is false, malicious, slanderous, libelous, scandalous and mischievous.
In the interest of setting the record straight, and to ensure that the Guyanese nation stand up for justice against those nefarious, uncouth, unethical and unprofessional persons at the Guyana Chronicle who published the false report, I am forced to initiate legal proceedings against the Guyana Chronicle and its operators.
In terms of addressing the many false accusations the report made against me, in what is clearly political propaganda to malign my good name, I point the media to available audit reports in the keep of the Auditor General’s office, the Village’s Minutes book as records of our community’s business, and the investigation report from the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples Affairs conducted in 2017 that all verify the ethical and professional conduct of myself during my leadership of St Cuthbert’s Mission.
My role as the Leader of a Political Party is not to stoop in to the gutter to answer every malicious report against me, made by petty people who oppose the good that I set out to do for our people. But I cannot stand by and see the national State newspaper used to harass, intimidate, malign and damage the good character of any Guyanese citizen.
I call on the Government of Guyana, the Board of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited (GNNL), the Editor-in-Chief of the Guyana Chronicle, and all those concerned to immediately cease and desist from using the State newspaper for such nefarious political propaganda and malicious slander against Guyanese who serve this nation.
My foreparents are the founders of the community and I come from a long line of Chiefs all the way up to my Father, Clifford Shuman. I was bred, born, and grew up in Pakuri. My father and I built a more permanent home in Pakuri in 2009, and my sisters, with the tremendous help and support of Ms Elizabeth Andrews established the first and only library in our Community. I am a commercial pilot, so my job takes me flying all over the world. However, my primary residence is in Pakuri.
As a Guyanese, I am appalled at this brutal lack of decency exercised by the State newspaper under the control of the Government of Guyana.
Yours faithfully,
Lenox Shuman
