Dear Editor,
Please allow me a few lines to respond to an editorial that was published in the Friday, September 30, 2022 edition of the Stabroek News on the 181st Thanksgiving Ceremony of Queenstown Village on the Essequibo Coast in Region Two. The editorial in question quoted Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha as saying “We must beware of actions that are aimed at dividing us as a people and as a nation”. That quote was used to proclaim that the Minister’s comment “contaminated the occasion”.
While it is everyone’s free will to be critical of our leaders and public officials, some amount of investigation must be done before pen is put to paper. It begs the question regarding Stabroek News’ presence at the event. If indeed it was, it would have been aware that prior to the Minister’s presentation, the event, to use Stabroek News’ word, was contaminated by the Opposition Member of Parliament and Chairman of the PNC, Sherwayne Holder, who used the occasion to launch a verbal political attack on the government.
The minister attended the occasion with the intent to give praise to the accomplishments of the village and residents. He was given a very warm welcome by village officials and upon being invited to address the gathering, he indicated that the notes he came with can be perused by anyone to ascertain that it was devoid of any semblance of a political tone in keeping with the circumstance of the event. Given Mr. Holder’s political tirade, the minister sought permission from the audience to address Mr. Holder’s ill-timed attack and misinformation. The minister also used the opportunity to respond to another village official who sought clarity on commitments made by government officials during an earlier outreach earlier this year.
The Minister’s remarks and disclosures were well received by those in attendance as he gave his assurance that commitments made would soon materialize. In the end, a most vocal resident throughout the Minister’s presentation felt extremely satisfied that his concerns were properly addressed. I commend the writer of the editorial for highlighting Queenstown’s history. I do, however, wish to appeal to him/her to exercise balanced and responsible reporting given the glaring absence of any mention of Mr. Holder’s presence and his incendiary presentation.
At the least, and given the thrust of the opening of the said editorial, one would expect that the writer/reporter would have gone the extra mile and reached out to someone from the village who attended the event and enquire about the other speakers’ contributions to the programme. I am positive that such an enquiry would have revealed that Mr. Holder’s remarks were out of place and irresponsible in the context of the event. It is most unfortunate that aspect was missed by Stabroek News.
Sincerely,
Janell Cameron
Public Relations Officer
Ministry of Agriculture