Sprouting a lot of rubbish

May 20, 2012 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

---

 

I suggest that the Guyanese people, especially our young folks, read the opening lines of last Friday’s editorial of the Stabroek News. Those words have tremendous analytical importance in understanding the sadness, tragedy and mystery that is the nation of Guyana. I will reprint here and now those opening sentences.
“For all his titles and letters after his name, Professor, Sir Hilary Beckles, K.A., PhD, etc, Pro-Vice Chancellor and Principal of the Cave Hill Campus of the University of the West Indies, really does spout a lot of rubbish sometimes.”
So the Stabroek News takes a swipe at one of the Caribbean’s most learned gentlemen and one of Barbados’s most eminent and respected citizens. And why not?  His eminence should not deter us from criticizing him when he talks nonsense. And this is what the Stabroek News has rightfully done.
The newspaper may not be right in its condemnation, but it was not fearful of using strong language because he is Sir Hilary Beckles.
But surely Sir Hilary Beckles is not the only prestigious Caribbean personality that spouts rubbish sometimes. In this group of rubbish-deliverers there has to be Guyanese who have the same status as Sir Hilary. Yet we don’t see the Guyanese newspapers, civil society leaders and commentators talking about Guyanese of top reputation spouting rubbish sometimes.
One man that I saw spouting rubbish is the holder of Guyana’s highest national award, The Order of Excellence. His name is Compton Bourne, who occupies at UG, a similar position as Sir Hilary at UWI. I had a terrifying introduction to this high Guyanese personality and after that I thought he should never have been made the Chancellor of UG.
In front of the Council of which Bourne is the chairman, was the selection of three Guyanese citizens the Pro-Chancellor of UG, Dr. Prem Misir selected to investigate gross misconduct involving sexual vocabulary allegedly committed by lecturer Evan Persaud.
When the names were revealed, attorney Gino Persaud told Dr. Bourne that he knows one of the three is a card-carrying member of the PPP. I told Dr. Bourne the two others are staunch members of the PPP. I went on to describe which party group they belonged to. Evan Persaud, in fact, belonged to the same party district committee of the PPP as one of the investigators.
I turned to Bourne and asked that the names be cancelled because it was a conflict of interest. PPP members were investigating one of their colleagues.
Bourne turned to me with unapologetic nonchalance and said; “Are you questioning the integrity of these persons?” Bourne was spouting rubbish when he asked me that question.
In order to protect your integrity you should avoid conflicts of interest. President Jagdeo said that when Bobby Ramroop’s concession request came before Cabinet, he left because Ramroop was his friend. Only a fool does not understand the priceless value of the conflict of interest tradition.
Shortly after that incident, Dr. Compton Bourne’s contract as Head of the Caribbean Development Bank was not renewed.
The same Stabroek News in one of its editorials, referred to Rickey Singh as the doyen of Caribbean journalists and commentators. Now, unlike Sir Beckles, Singh does not spout the occasional rubbish, but does it all the time. His latest rubbish delivery was when he wrote in that gutter newspaper, the Chronicle, that the PPP deserved to have been awarded the Speakership of the National Assembly after the general election results.
If that isn’t rubbish, then science has gone crazy.
Didn’t Ian Mc Donald spout rubbish when, just before the national elections last year, he wrote a column in which he referred to Cheddi Jagan as a genius? Not one shred of evidence was cited showing the genius of a man who together with Forbes Burnham permanently destroyed Guyana. But here is the rubbish part. Mc Donald said he was moved when he was present at a ceremony when Dr. Jagan handed over house lots to sugar workers in Berbice. He spoke to them like a father and they listened to him like a father.
That incident in the eyes of Mc Donald made Jagan a genius. If that isn’t rubbish then Georgetown is a perfectly clean city.
I could go on, but the point is that the Stabroek News’s editorial is instructive and symbolic. I am glad it was written. It informs us that lots of esteemed citizens with immense titles behind their names and who occupy honoured positions in Caribbean/Guyanese society are stupid and unprincipled people when you get to know them.
Remember the eulogies of some “respected” ones at Bharrat Jagdeo’s Day of Appreciation.

---

---