Dear Editor,
While I don’t envy Mr Clement Rohee, General Secretary of the PPP/C in his new role as opposition politician and I respect his right to engage, critisise and attack the new government policies or the actions of government officials, this gentleman has a moral and political responsibility to give accurate and correct information at his press briefings.
Mr Rohee’s contention at a recent press conference that Prof Clive Thomas was Chairman of Globe Trust at the time when that financial institution had collapsed and therefore he Thomas should not be Chairman of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) because of his Globe Trust track record is not only erroneous but borders on character assassination, and is a deliberate attempt by Rohee to mislead the public.
I address this matter from a position of personal knowledge. I was a member of ACDA’s leadership at the time when Prof Clive Thomas was asked to consider being appointed ACDA’s representative on Globe Trust’s Board. He accepted and was eventually appointed ACDA’s representative on Globe Trust. In the process he replaced Dr Kenneth King who had held that position for a lengthy period.
It was Prof Thomas who, after he became a member of Globe Trust Board as ACDA’s representative drew to the attention of ACDA the bankrupt state of Globe Trust. The rest is history.
I find it hard to understand how Prof Thomas is being asked by Mr Rohee to account for the collapse of Globe Trust when in fact he played no part in the management of the bank at the time when the policies that led to bankruptcy of that financial institution were undertaken. It was Prof Thomas as the new ACDA representative, who in his vigilance, uncovered the sad state of affairs in that institution.
It is pointless calling on Mr Rohee to withdraw his scurrilous attack on Prof Thomas since his and the PPP’s political culture have no room for civil and principled political disagreements.
Yours faithfully,
Tacuma Ogunseye
