Tacuma Ogunseye takes on Clement Rohee

Jan 01, 2016 Letters

Dear Editor,
As the person to whom tremendous prominence was given in his letter in the media on December 30, 2015 captioned “A group is trying to push an extremist agenda on the administration” I crave your indulgence to offer a response to PPPC General Secretary, Clement Rohee. The first point I wish to make is this – Mr. Rohee is not a naïve politician. Many often overlook his political astuteness, forgetting that he came through the ranks of the PPPC and benefited during the days of the Cold War from years of training in the best political and propaganda schools in Eastern Europe. It is therefore not surprising that he brings to bear in his letter his experience in political propaganda.
Secondly, I submit here that Rohee’s reaction to my letter represents not only his personal views but also that of the PPPC leadership. It confirms my observation that the PPPC’s approach to its new role as opposition is to engage in hostile and aggressive political tactics to force the APNU+AFC government to a position of not prosecuting PPPC wrongdoers. In his letter, he accused me and other comrades of pushing an extremist agenda on the Granger administration and in the process attributed to me political influence that I wish I have.
For the record I wish to state that my position that the Government would be making a big political mistake if it does not honor its commitment to the nation to prosecute wrong doers and seek to recover stolen state assets, is a principled political position that has nothing to do with vendetta. However, I do admit that my position is influenced by ideological considerations based purely on the need for justice. The saying that what is good for the goose is also good for the gander is applicable here. The logic of the PPPC General Secretary is that we as a nation must continue to accept the double standards that was on display during the tenure of the PPPC Government, i.e. a situation which saw one law for the poor and powerless and another for the rich and the political powerful. He wants to see a situation where some citizens are sentenced to jail for stealing mangoes while political criminals go unpunished after stealing millions from the state and the people.
Good governance, democracy and the rule of law make it imperative for the nation to come to grips with the political dilemma it faces. Guyana cannot go forward unless we resolve this historic challenge of a criminalized state. The rule of law must be reestablished. If this represents extremist politics, I am on good ground for advancing the cause since the majority of the Guyanese people share the view that justice must be done.
Rohee and other elements in the PPPC leadership have consistently taken the position that they did nothing wrong and that they played by the rules. Their supporters and the nation have been assured by them that all the government is doing is witch hunting and the audits will not support allegations of wrongdoing by the PPPC regime. Given these statements of self-confidence in their innocence I find Rohee’s panic response, contradictory. If he is so confident of the PPPC lean and cleanness in government – why worry? The truth is that he knows the extent of PPPC’s corrupt behaviour committed during the twenty three years of that regime’s tenure and it is just a matter of time before irrefutable evidence is presented to the courts.
It will be remiss of me not to recognize what this letter is really about. He is trying to sow seeds of division in the APNU+AFC coalition by raising the “red herring” that extremists are seeking to set the President’s and government’s agenda. Sadly, the PPPC leadership and Mr. Rohee are clutching at straws.
Tacuma Ogunseye

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