Quoting Barack Obama in one’s defence

Mar 03, 2017 Letters

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Dear Editor,
The commentary provided by Mr. Tacuma Ogunseye in Kaieteur News dated February 28, 2016, was filled with personal attacks and insinuations targeting me. Accusing me of being dishonest, wicked, politically abusive and having double standards, such is the general tone of Tacuma’s letter. I know Tacuma is made of better stuff. However, being exposed to and receiving objective criticism or otherwise is par for the course and its effect on me, is like water on duck’s back or having to brush some dirt off my shoulder.
The opportunity cost of performing the forensic audits may have been higher than the fees received for the forensic audits. My firm utilized the services of five chartered and/or public accountants during the forensic audits that led to the high opportunity costs, relative to the fees received.
Aside from the personal attacks; Tacuma’s observation that I was supportive of several positions taken by the PPP is wholly accurate on the first three positions referenced by Mr. Ogunseye re: GuySuCo, SARA Bill, and PradoVille Two. The other issues mentioned by Tacuma, including my views on the forensic audits, the economy and capital flight are contextualized herein.
Junior Minister of Finance, Mr. Jaipaul Sharma was quoted as saying in Kaieteur News dated August 18, 2015″the audits are essentially stocktaking exercises” and recently Vice President, Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan said at a press conference that the primary purpose of the forensic audit was to see what the PPP was doing wrong, so as a stock taking”. Stabroek News in an article dated February 25, 2017, stated that “Khemraj Ramjattan, himself, has been quoted in the press only last month as saying that the forensic audits were merely a stock taking exercise”. My views on the forensic audits are like those referenced by both Ministers, in addition to disciplinary action – where warranted, and prosecution in clear cases of theft and embezzlement.
What I am against is the use of the forensic audits for witch hunting, persecution and political vendettas. I conveyed my opinion by text to Minister of State, Mr. Joseph Harmon on November 2, 2016, and included in the text that the forensic audits are being used for witch hunting, persecution, and political vendettas and a similar text was sent to the Opposition Leader, Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo on November 1, 2016. Whether the gentlemen have seen or read the correspondence is unknown to me, as neither of them responded. Also, I verbally conveyed the same information in December of 2016 to Minister Sharma, when I told him that the forensic audits should not be used for witch hunting, persecution or political vendettas.
The challenges facing Guyana’s economy and the issue of foreign currency shortage are “elementary” my dear Ogunseye. The loss of the Venezuelan rice market in 2015 was a major blow to our economy, with tidal effects on the availability of foreign currency. Venezuela also cut Guyana out of the PetroCaribe fuel supply agreement, where discounted prices, concessionary interest rates, special financing arrangements and the fuel for rice offset were boosting Guyana’s economic growth. Reduction in foreign exchange from sugar exports and the forestry sector and lack of material foreign direct investment compounded the problems facing the economy. These are facts, not opinion, and certainly not political propaganda.
Please my brother, let me know what the etceteras in your letter represent. I am sufficiently independently-minded, in our country of race and political conformity, to support the green party or the red party; as I embrace the multiracial principles of Walter Rodney, Howard Zinn and Thomas Paine.
Tacuma’s letter in Kaieteur News captioned “Nigel Hinds should return the Money he Earned from the State”, dated March 1, 2017 is weighed down with statements I have never made or statements that are inconsistent with my opinion, such as:
1. Forensic Audits are a waste of tax payers’ money. False
2. Forensic Audits are having negative effects on the economy and country. False
3. Envy Dr. Clyde Yolande Thomas ability, his honesty, his integrity and not least of all, his much vaunted local, regional and international reputation. False
4. Dr. Thomas presence is feared in SARU soon to become SARA, because they know none of them can approach him with an offer not to do his work. False
5. Nigel Hinds dislikes the government. False
Then we have this “watertight tattle” in Tacuma’s letter based on correspondence Tacuma claimed he received from Mr. Mike Rahman via email. Re:
“Mr. Mike Rahman in an email reminded me that Mr. Nigel Hinds was contracted by the government to do the Forensic Audit on the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB). Rahman, a former member of the GRDB Board of Directors, a political activist and a knowledgeable rice farmer, expressed the view that Nigel Hinds, the Auditor, did not do a pleasing job (to Rahman) in his examination into the affairs of GRDB.”
I strongly suspect that Cabinet will disagree with Mr. Rahman; also likely to disagree is the Minister in charge of the Forensic Audit Project. Mr. Ogunseye’s lack of surprise to Mr. Rahman’s view, as stated by Tacuma that “Nigel Hinds, the Auditor, did not do a pleasing job in his examination into the affairs of GRDB” does not surprise me in the least.
According to President Obama in his final State of the Union Address: “Democracy does require basic bonds of trust between its citizens… It doesn’t work if we think the people who disagree with us are all motivated by malice, or that our political opponents are unpatriotic”. Another American, T. Boone Pickens is of the belief that “when you are hunting elephants, don’t get distracted by chasing rabbits”.
Nigel Hinds

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