Dear Editor,
In light of the recent article, “Commissioners disassociate themselves from ERC letter,” published in the February 10th, 2021 edition in the various print medias, I wish to further highlight some disturbing issues within the Ethnic Relations Commission, all of which contradicts with its mission and purpose to serve and unite the Guyanese people.
In recent times, I cannot help but express my utter displeasure with what the ERC has become. In my view, since the “no-confidence” motion and leading up to the March 2020 elections, along with the political masterminds in place, the principles and philosophies that the ERC should uphold have rapidly deteriorated. Because of this, the ERC has lost its way and has not managed to find a way back to its original mandated purposes.
For me, when I was appointed a commissioner within the ERC, serving Guyana was a moment of great opportunity bequeathed by Almighty God and the Islamic faith. However, in its current state, I am of the opinion that the ERC has been a total letdown to the Guyanese nation and is not deserving of the funds they receive. In my opinion, they have accomplished very little. I believe what was done was insignificant and extremely limited to what could have been achieved. I was amazed when the chairman pushed the “National Conversation” coming to the end of our term to make it look as though the ERC is doing something. However, much like the so-called “diagnostic team,” it is too little too late. While the “National Conversation” was a great initiative, recognition must be given to none other than commissioner Neaz Subhan for being the brains behind it, him along with bits of input from others.
At this juncture, in the current state of the ERC, I am of the strong belief that we should all resign ‘en bloc’ and let the government via parliament put in place a proper patriotic commission. I say this because on a closer look, I saw egotistic, religious and ethnic prejudices and manipulations by some appointees who were only interested in name, position, money, and who, put their faith in areas where they are not concerned, just for the allowances. Some commissioners, even though they are more than well compensated and earned exceptionally high remuneration in about any and every conceivable thing imaginable, are still not satisfied.
Some wanted a risk allowance to fly on a plane. They wanted risk allowance to go in the jungle. They wanted high-quality boots which I declined, as the boots were provided at the virtual end of our term. As with the Christmas bonuses, some commissioners decided to grant themselves two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000). However, they received one hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($150,000) even though the government had advised that all statutory bodies should receive twenty five thousand dollars ($25,000) as a Christmas bonus. Further, all of the ERC staff were given one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) each. I declined to accept this abuse of taxpayers’ dollars. This to me is utterly wrong and a waste of tax payers’ money. On several occasions I expressed my displeasure to them in writing.
Recently, president Irfaan Ali pronounced his displeasure with the ERC for being in “hiding” following the March, 2020 elections. I concur with the president and I think us, as the ERC, led by the chairman John Oswald Smith, needs to apologize to the nation for pussyfooting during and after the recount of the March, 2020 elections. Also, the ERC needs to apologize for not being brave enough to condemn the attacks and various crimes on the West Coast of Berbice during the unrest there in September.
The ERC had the opportunity to prove its relevance in Guyana for the large amounts of money that were given for the sake of goodwill, harmony, and peace. It would have been a great credit to the ERC to step out and meet the people in the heat of these moments, as it would have solidified their relevance in Guyana. However, despite being an ERC commissioner myself, it was a great disappointment to note that the chairman, of what was supposed to be a powerful constitutional body, was quiet. Rather than taking the lead to stand for what is right: for unity, democracy, and peace, he went, as the president rightfully put it, into “hiding”.
I wish to take the opportunity to give credit to retired Brigadier and Chief of Staff, Norman McLean, a true human resource specialist, for having arranged a special convoy of police and military, accompanied by the Commissioner of Police and the Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force. What broke the heart of many of us as commissioners was the fact that the chairman decided against it, without a meeting or even a round robin of commissioners for their opinions. Instead, he canceled the trip, much to the amazement of some commissioners. I would also like to state that some of us, the rational commissioners, had moved a motion to take a stand on the recount and that we respect and recognized the presence and pronouncement of the CARICOM Observer Team.
However, our motion was dismissed. In my view, the chairman did not deal professionally with the motion. In another case, the legal officer had informed that former president Granger and Harmon be summoned by the Commission to denounce their statements, but once again, the chairman and his group within the ERC refused. Another area of concern is that recently, we discovered that an operative in the investigation department was meddling with the minutes and found lying, rude and disrespectful to certain commissioners, all because they did not vote for him to become chief.
Despite these few negativistic commissioners, I would like to recognize that we have a few good, professional, and righteous commissioners who are bereft of bias, and who have the heart and compunction to stand for what is just and right for Guyana and the Guyanese people. Having been the only one inside the ERC to openly stand up to these wrongdoings and injustices, I was targeted by press releases that were published against me to embarrass and break me. However, as the All-Powerful Creator would have it, it only strengthened and motivated me and instead exposed them. The entire ERC, under the helm of the chairman boycotted the recount, and while my brave colleague, commissioner Neaz Subhan was hospitalized by COVID-19, I was the ERC’s sole rep (one other commissioner attended a few of the original countings). At the end of the recount, I used the opportunity to laud the ERC which at that time seemed nonexistent.
After being urged by all other Observer groups, including CARICOM, to say something on behalf of the ERC, the chairman saw it fit to publicly humiliate me. Strange enough, as soon as I finished making the statement which was broadcasted live, one known clandestine operative and current anti-government personality immediately sent a WhatsApp message to tell me that it appears I have become the chairman. This individual makes it appear that commissioners do not have a right to speak or comment on an issue of national importance. I did not compromise the ERC, I basically tried to extol the ERC which as I said above was behaving as if it was a toothless poodle, and as the president rightfully said, went into “hiding.” One particular reporter asked me if the ERC agrees with the recount figure, I answered that they contact the chairman of the Ethnic Relations Commission. Amazingly, before the press release condemning me, the chairman never spoke to me about the words I used.
I respectfully asked the ERC to compare my words in which I advised the people who were being attacked in a particular community “to form protection groups, equipped with batons and sticks for self-defense only. Be firm and clever but never be the aggressors, and to protect the minorities in your communities” to compare my words with the words of Harmon and that of Granger who said: “this response is a correct response, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise,” and “We have to establish some self-defense in our society to protect our children, protect our women, our young people. Unless we protect ourselves, nobody is going to protect us” respectively.
When Harmon was trying to denigrate and destroy me in the media, and out of the media, using his satellites and acolytes in Guyana and around the world, I challenged him at my expense to a public debate on his and Granger’s words vs. mine. I suggested a political conversation on any media, but he never replied. To this day, in a public debate at my expense, I still challenge him to face me off. Further, I even asked the chairman of the ERC, those who supported him, and even those who sent a press release, where was my bias when I called for the protection of the minorities of citizens who were being attacked and robbed? I would also like to know why the ERC did not issue a press release and even conducted inquiries into personalities who were instigating.
I would also like to ask Harmon, who went to produce a press release to save his own skin for the unpleasant words he used to support the violence against some Indo Guyanese, which has disaffected their families and produced a life time of pain. I asked him to decipher his words vs. mine. Incidentally, the chairman’s press release came just a few minutes after Harmon criticized me and attempted to take the emphasis off his back. These actions made it seem that the chairman of the ERC is a puppet of the opposition party. To many, I used terms that were more compassionate and caring for the people who were being targeted. I also asked this to the chairman of the ERC, who published the release without even a discussion with me. This showed a total lack of disregard for me.
As chairman of the ERC, he was most unprofessional, in my opinion. As such, I ask him to refute my words, here today, in which I state: he failed as the chairman of the ERC and failed this nation by allowing it to become a marionette of hateful political master minders. I also ask this of the small group within the ERC that shares the same dangerous ulterior sentiments. At this juncture, I must say that I am always proud of my fellow Guyanese. I always have faith in my people because I know that for hundreds of years, to create this great country; we lived, worked, and even revolted together for freedom. My advice to my fellow brothers and sisters in Guyana is this: continue to live in utter goodwill, love, and seek to rise above those political master minders with evil compunctions in their hearts. Let us all strive to live as one human family under God and as One People, One Nation, with One Destiny.
Sincerely,
Dr. Roshan Khan Snr.
