Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo today named the new Board of Directors for the National Communications Network (NCN) and the Guyana National Newspapers Limited (GNNL).
Nagamootoo, who also has the responsibility for public information, was reported by GINA as saying that there will be major policy reforms for the state owned National Communications Network (NCN) and the Guyana National Newspaper Limited (GNNL), which own the Guyana Chronicle.
The board members were presented with their instruments of appointments at a ceremony today, at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre (ACCC).
The board members are as follows:
NCN
- Bishwa Panday (Chairman)
- Mark Archer
- Dr. Paloma Mohamed
- Margret Lawerence
- Kojo McPherson
- Dhanwanti Sukhdeo
- Carolyn Walcott
- Imran khan
- Colin Thompson
GNNL
Jean LaRose (Chair)
Karen Davis
- Imran khan
- Scherazade Isoof –Khan
- Ruel Johnson
- Bert Wilkinson
- Tabitha Sarbabo
- Patricia Wolford
- Sohan Poonai
GINA said the Prime Minister reminded the members of the board that they are now the representatives of the shareholders, which is the state of Guyana represented by the Government of Guyana.
He alluded to that fact that Imran Khan, Director of Public Information appears on both boards. The Prime Minister explained Khan will represent him and the interest of the Government. GINA said he also reiterated that NCN and GNNL are both owned by the “state.” They are incorporated under the law and the Company Act provides for the appointment of a Board of Directors. The board will decide on policy issues and will engage management on the efficient operation of the entities.
The Chronicle, which is the primary source of income of the GNNL has been one of the most abused newspapers according to the Prime Minister, “reducing it to the state of a political rag expressing only the views of a particular political party”, GINA reported.
He said there are credibility issues that the members of the boards will have to confront. The board was urged to guide the managers of the newspapers on issues and policies that make the newspaper “national, inclusive and acceptable, one that has wholesome information, entertainment, sports and cultural bits and pieces that may satisfy the needs of Guyana”.
With regards to the NCN, Prime Minister Nagamootoo said that this “highly indebted company” has fallen in some hard times. GINA said that Nagamootoo noted that the television station has tremendous potential, and called on the board members to harness this and recover several hundreds of millions of dollars that is owed to the company. “We need, I need you, Guyana needs you, and President David Granger needs you to lift the NCN, to ensure that they have reach, to ensure that they have programmes that reflect the realities in Guyana”, Nagamootoo said.
The PPP today issued the following statement attacking the appointments. The statement follows:
The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) is not surprised at the recently-named state media boards which are dominated by political appointees of the APNU+AFC, contrary to statements by Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo that “Party Hacks” will not be appointed to Stet Media Boards.
Nagamootoo was quoted in sections of the media as saying, “I am not going to be a Minister responsible for information and who puts party hacks into these Boards, to just draw stipends for not working, but to do party propaganda”.
This statement rings hollow, especially since both the boards of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited (GNNL) and the National Communications Network Incorporated (NCN) are dominated by political hacks who were on the APNU+AFC List of Candidates or are closely associated with the Granger Administration.
These two boards are shallow on professionals and deep on political hacks.
Director of Public Information Imran Khan, who was a APNU+AFC Candidate in the May 11th General and Regional Elections is a Director on the GNNL board, which include APNU+AFC Candidate Jean La Rose (Chair); Tabitha Sarabo, another APNU+AFC candidate for the May 11th General and Regional Elections; Patricia Woolford member of the PNC/APNU; Ruel Johnson an open supporter of the APNU+AFC and Scheherazade Ishoof Khan another open supporter of the APNU+AFC.
Khan Again found himself on the NCN Board of Directors, which includes Director of Public Communications Mark Archer, an APNU+AFC candidate for the May 11th General and Regional Elections; Kojo McPherson a known supporter of the APNU+AFC who was part of the Election campaign and Chair Bishwa Panday a known financier of APNU+AFC Elections Campaign and relative of Khemraj Ramjattan
Already Nagamootoo had backpedaled on his promise of “professionalizing” the state media, when Beverly Alert, a candidate on the APNU+AFC list, was appointed Head of the Government Information Agency.
The duplicitous nature of the APNU+AFC is being unraveled daily, as one election promise after another is being thrown out the window.
The PPP believes this is just the preview, the full show is still to come.
But, Guyanese are wise people and will soon come to the realization they were ripped-off with lofty assurances by the APNU+AFC.