Dear Editor,
The lull in election letters as we move towards the election defeat staring the APNU+AFC+WPA, allows me the opportunity to react to the responses to my letter of June 13, 2020 edition of SN, `A movement once famous for its values and Rodneyite principles is now deeply involved in attempts to rig the 2020 elections’. Readers will probably recall that a response came first from Tacuma Ogunseye, then Desmond Trotman and latterly Eusi Kwayana. I will ignore the innuendoes and attempted attacks by Ogunseye and Trotman as unworthy of both the WPA we all knew, or a reply and merely seek to correct Kwayana who seemed to mix-up, unwittingly I hope, my reference to our conversation when he was leaving Guyana in the heat of the Buxton troubles with when he returned for the Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry. I would like to maintain my respect for Kwayana and the privacy of our conversations even as he chooses to highlight a narrative reflective of an obviously evolved view of events and key actors.
I was both surprised and amused at the lengths to which Ogunseye would go to fabricate facts. He accused me of being a major shareholder in a company of which Ram & McRae is the independent auditor a statement which an Editor’s note forced him to retract. That was not his only fabrication. His letter also stated that “What Ram has failed to tell readers is that it was under the PNC/Burnham regime, aided by his buddy, Elvin McDavid, who at the time was a powerful politician in the ruling party and government that “opened” the door for Ram to emerge as a successful businessman and now an economic power in the country. The genesis of his economic empire lies in the support he received from Mc David’s organised “state patronage”.
As the following shows, and he can confirm this with Kwayana, the facts are quite different.
I left Guyana as an employed person in 1978 for Grenada where I worked first with Coopers & Lybrand and then the People’s Revolutionary Government (PRG) led by Maurice Bishop. After the invasion, I returned to Guyana with my young family to set up home. Among those returning were Freddie Kissoon, Ms. Denise Cossou and economists Claremont Kirton and Eddie Dewar. The latter two and I set up the ambitiously named Management and Economic Consultancy Services Limited along partnership lines. After a few months of struggle and no work, they packed up and left. I was determined to stay on and set up an accounting practice which Ogun refers to as an economic power.
Miles Fitzpatrick who had also worked with the PRG rejoined the law firm de Caires and Fitzpatrick and persuaded David de Caires to give me “a brace”. I would visit their office every Friday afternoon to balance the partnership’s books. I supplemented my meagre income by doing some moonlighting accounting work with an old friend from South West London College who had an accounting practice in Central Trinidad. Because I had written in 1980 as Purpose of Visit on my immigration landing card “To attend Walter Rodney’s Funeral”, a complete search of person and luggage on arrival had become obligatory. I soon discovered however that an offer of a copy of Time magazine as good an explanation as any to ease the entry process!
In the meantime, I had reconnected with Paul Chan-a-Sue, my old boss from Bookers Stores Limited Guyana. Paul offered me a small engagement to set up an accounting system at National Printers Ltd. Shortly before the commencement date, Paul informed me that he had been “advised” by Mr. Elvin McDavid, Chief Political Advisor to President Burnham, to withdraw the offer on the instructions of Burnham. (Mr. Chan-a-Sue who is still around has consented to my use of his name in this letter). During that time when the State boasted of controlling the commanding heights of the economy, all State audit and accounting work was reserved entirely for Thomas, Stoll and Dias. Even crumbs were not available to the few private accounting and audit firms around and the period witnessed the exodus of some of our brightest accountants.
Sometime after McDavid’s removal by Hoyte as Chief Political Adviser to the President following Burnham’s death, Mrs. Doreen de Caires called to tell me that McDavid, whose house in Queenstown had been rented by the Stabroek News, was concerned about his tax affairs and requested her to inquire of me whether I would assist him. I agreed and brought his affairs up to date, all at no cost.
Anyone who knows Elvin would tell you he was not a shy man and even while we were meeting to finalise his work, he requested similar work for Mrs. Viola Burnham on the same terms which he enjoyed! I agreed and I have to say that I have met few women with Mrs. Burnham’s charm, elegance and humility. Elvin and I did become friends in the late eighties, and he as the pioneer of the Burnham Foundation invited me to deliver the feature presentation at one of the early anniversary events for Burnham. But money or work from Burnham, McDavid and Viola? – definitely never.
I do not need any further apology from Mr. Ogunseye. What is important to me is that the public must not be misled or deceived by those in support of our new riggers.
Yours faithfully,
Christopher Ram
