Dear Editor,
I am responding to a letter published in the Stabroek News on July 29, 2021, titled `The diaspora is the most potent resource available for Guyana’s development’.
Although United Guyanese Diaspora Global Network Corp (UGDGN Corp) did not send the letter written to President Ali to Demerara Waves, it is my responsibility to respond to the deceptive and deliberately misleading statements in Salaudeen Nausrudeen’s letter.
Nausrudeen, who was not a part of or invited to any of the seven meetings and many discussions with the Diaspora Unit in planning a series of webinars, falsely stated:
“Mr. Forde’s frustration stems from a planned investment webinar that did not happen because of the unavailability of the President.”
Fact: President Ali was neither considered for participation in the webinar nor invited to participate; therefore, President Ali’s availability or unavailability was not a factor in the arbitrary postponement of the webinar.
Nausrudeen erroneously credits the Ali administration with “the establishment of a Diaspora Unit within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
Fact: It was the Ramotar administration that established the Diaspora Unit in 2013-2014.
Nausrudeen suggests that the postponement of the webinar was also due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fact: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs convened a successful webinar on May 22, 2021 (during the pandemic), in which the President, Vice-President, and several senior Ministers of the government participated, delivered presentations, and answered questions.Even more important than the first letter, I dispatched a second confidential letter to President Ali
yesterday that contains significantly more grievous concerns and damning information.
The contents of said document shall remain confidential at this time.
This is my final salvo; beyond this, I have no time to waste.
Sincerely,
Wayne Forde, MPP,
DBA
