The Alliance for Change (AFC) yesterday stood by its embattled former Minister, David Patterson who is embroiled in a scandal over gift giving to him and his colleague minister by government agencies which were under their purview between 2015 and 2020.
With millions of dollars gifted to him and his one-time junior minister, Annette Ferguson, Patterson has faced growing calls to resign from his position as Chair of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC)
The AFC yesterday stood by him and said that he was owed an apology.
“The Alliance for Change has been monitoring news reports and statements emanating from the PPP’s Juan Edghill making serious and damaging negative allegations against the AFC’s General Secretary, David Patterson. The AFC wishes to state categorically that it has full confidence in the integrity of Mr. Patterson and holds him as a person of great fortitude of character, who performed his duties as Minister of Public Infrastructure in the APNU+AFC Administration with the highest standards of public probity”, the AFC said of its senior executive..
The party said that the Permanent Secretary in every ministry is responsible for its financial management, not Ministers. This is so in governmental arrangements in countries like Guyana.
Critics have however said it was inappropriate for Patterson and Ferguson to accept jewellery and other gifts paid for with taxpayers’ money.
The AFC also raised the issue of a policy on gifting.
“The larger issue here might be that a complete re-examination of gifting with a view to establishing clearer policy guidelines on the issue of Ministerial gifts from Ministries, Agencies and Departments is needed to be done by the government.
This, we believe is required to ensure accountability and transparency, in contrast to Mr. Edghill’s rants, which have only served to generate disrespect instead of guidance on the matter which should be important to all Guyanese.
“We assert that former Minister Patterson is owed an apology as these events have been deliberately twisted and misconstrued with a view to tarnishing his reputation and rendering him ineffective in the execution of his duties as a Member of Parliament and Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament (PAC).
“We further assert that the aspersions cast by PPP operatives are nothing more than a plan, concocted and designed by the PPP Administration to remove Mr. Patterson as Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee. We assure the public that this plan will not work and is doomed to failure. The PPP Administration, including the elected and the appointed, is dreadfully afraid of what will be highlighted as the work of the PAC progresses under the stewardship of Mr. Patterson”, the party said.
As Minister of Public Infrastructure for the APNU+AFC coalition, the AFC said that Patterson earned for himself the reputation of getting the work done instead of providing excuses to the people for lack of performance.
“He brings this same insight and effectiveness to the PAC, which the Administration is desperately trying to side-line. Under his chairmanship, the AFC is confident that much work will get done and the Committee will achieve its constitutional mandate on behalf of the Guyanese people. This is what the PPP is so desperately afraid of”, the party said.
The AFC said it wished to remind the PPP that Patterson was a highly successful professional from a world-renowned University prior to dedicating himself as a representative of the people in the Parliament of Guyana.
“His legacy is clear and he has more to accomplish for Guyana”, the party said.
