Dear Editor,
In this continuation of yesterday’s contribution on Bharrat Jagdeo’s reaction to Nigel Hughes’s ascendancy to leadership in a major opposition party, the focus is limited to two issues: conflict of interest and interests. Jagdeo has driven himself into a frenzy about Nigel Hughes’ seeming conflict of interest in his professional (legal) relationship with Exxon. Interesting! This is beyond a coal pot calling a stove black. This is the Jagdeo who is the epitome of all that is complete darkness in Guyana labeling a Guyanese who may hold a ray of light for all the citizens of this distressed State. For sure, Hughes’ ray may be tiny, but it is still better than the impenetrable darkness than my brother Jagdeo has come to be.
Jagdeo must be given credit: he has the nuts to talk about conflict of interest, as such involves Nigel Hughes. My God! What hope, when someone with more conflicts of interest could open his mouth and talk about conflict of interest. One of his closest friends got huge, unequalled business opportunities when Jagdeo was the chief mover and shaker, and there was no conflict. Not one of his old and newly diehards objected when that surfaced. When the Chinese Dragon in Guyana, Mr. Su, a tenant no less of a fine landlord than Jagdeo, got a bag of rich Guyanese gifts, then disclosed the juicy sharing arrangement involved, only a Biblical character of Jagdeo’s standing could not see a conflict of interest in that setup. A Chinese tenant who became a Guyanese tycoon. God bless Guyana! And Jagdeo’s fertile mind when things like these happen, and there is no conflict of interest. Where are his people then? What happened to the analytical and critical parts of their minds? Have those been overtaken by spirits?
It was Dr. Jagdeo who put on his white gown and run to upend Justice Sandil Kissoon’s ruling on full parent company coverage in case of a ruff oil spill. No conflict as the ranking national political leader, comrades? It was Dr. Jagdeo himself who out on his green mask and blue gloves and rush out to employ Guyana’s assets (AG Nandlall, money, time, systems) to defend Exxon. No conflict, my fellow citizens, for a man who once swore to defend the Constitution of Guyana above all other interests? It is okay to think of me as limited, but never make the mistake of taking me (or Guyanese) for either a fool or a dunce. It was Dr. Jagdeo who hacked away at a Guyanese tax case involving oil money and Exxon. If there is one leader in this land who shouldn’t pronounce upon conflicts of interest, it is Dr. Bharrat “Conflict of Interest” Jagdeo. Apparently, the Hippocratic Oath doesn’t apply to him: if good can’t be done, then do no harm. Try hard.
Re interests, this is twofold: American and mine. I warned brother Jagdeo: deze Yankees doan have permanent friends. They only have permanent interests. If he is minimally smart, he should discern what Alistair Routledge was doing when he asserted that Nigel Hughes has no conflict of interest in his Exxon linkage. I hear America talking. I hear America calling. I hear America telling Jagdeo: interests always trump relationships. Stone the crows… (in Guyanese, if maan can kick dawg in chuch….), then matters have deteriorated to the depths, with Jagdeo left looking naked and marooned. Yeah, corruption catastrophes are killers.
Last, my abiding interest is in what is good for Guyana. What is good for Guyana is good for me, justifies my presence here. In this country, in the Guyana media coliseum. I had the courage to hail David Granger publicly; then I had the strength to tell him he did wrong with the 2020 elections, when all the marbles were on the line. I got cursed for my troubles. It would be inspiring to know of any PPP bigshot who can say that they have broken ranks and told Jagdeo to his face that he has done some things (many) wrong. The record is there: former APNU+AFC ministers Khemraj Ramjattan (prison fires), Winston Felix (passport lines); Yvonne Yearwood (spousal award) to be fired. The caller was yours truly.
Will somebody help me locate one of Jagdeo’s media worshippers who said a tenth of the same when it was their own involved? I stand for who and what I believe is good for this country and its hurting citizens, whether it is David Granger or Nigel Hughes. And by God, I have the manly fortitude, the masculine attitude, to rise and assert that I believe that they have faltered, done wrong. And with that I will keep no company. Who else can say that in this country, having thought so highly of them? Guyanese must learn to cultivate, begin to make a start, with being honest with themselves.
Sincerely,
GHK Lall
