SARA’s Eric Phillips responds to recent publications

Jul 16, 2019 Letters

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DEAR EDITOR,

It became apparent to me that during my absence from the local shores last week, the PPP and its known propagandists unleashed a preconceived attack on my character.
Kaieteur News, with its usual reckless disengagement of fact-checking or due diligence, published an article about the African Business Roundtable’s application for oil blocks in 2016, singling me out as if I was in some conflict of interest in the Preliminary investigation of the Canje and Kaieteur blocks. And of course, Christopher Ram couldn’t wait to add his inconsequential views.
Jagdeo and his henchmen are using age-old political trickery and methods of psychological deflection to take the spotlight off of themselves in their role in the awarding of these blocks, and are now attacking the personalities behind the agencies that are investigating their various questionable deals.
It is common knowledge that there is an investigation into the award of the Canje and Kaieteur oil blocks (worth hundreds of billions of dollars) by the PPP regime during a 6-week period prior to the 2015 elections. Note that these blocks were awarded secretly when then there was no parliamentary oversight, because parliament had been prorogued since November 10, 2014, with elections held on May 11, 2015. Of course, the ‘duplicitous’ PPP former administration has been arguing since December 21, 2018 that no major decisions of this type should be made during a period close to an election.
There are four concerns that I wish to highlight:
1) Why has a particular media house purposefully created a magnificent media masquerade which has been in vogue since the announcement by SARA in Bloomberg News of the United States of an investigation into the award of the Canje and Kaieteur oil blocks?
2) What are the real reasons for the media circus?
3) Is there a concerted effort to prevent the People of Guyana from learning the truth about the oil blocks?
4) Is there an attempt to protect those who have the blocks, and if so, whom are these individuals or business networks, and whose interests is this media campaign trying to protect?
Much of the flurry about the highly touted conflict of interest regarding my involvement with the investigation of the Canje and Kaieteur oil blocks began with a Kaieteur News article that indicated I was part of the African Business Roundtable group that applied for an oil block in October 2016, almost 3 years ago.
An application was made in October 2016 by a group of individuals whom all belong to the African Business Roundtable (ABR), whose main goal was to ensure that the historical and continual economic genocide of African Guyanese which took place under the PPP is addressed.
It was in this context, the ABR, comprised of established African Guyanese businessmen and businesswomen, applied for a bank license, one of the two remaining oil blocks, a fishing license etc. Under the former PPP regime, these African Guyanese entrepreneurs had long been denied equal access in every sector of the Guyanese economy due to systematic, institutionalized racial marginalization and discrimination. This institutionalized racism was evidenced by United Nations Special Rapporteur, Gay McDougall in 2008.
Yes, I was a Member of the ABR group that applied, but was not the lead person involved in the application and had very little to do with it since December 2016. My appointment with SARA was May 2017, and so I can only deduce that Kaieteur News was purposefully creating the “perception” of “conflict”, when there is no substance to the claim. Note that we were not awarded any of the oil blocks that we applied for, and that I started working at SARA May 2017.
It is a fact that all of the previous 10 oil blocks have been awarded to only Non-African Guyanese.
Most Public servants are respectable working class people, however there are a few that are taking bribes for leaking information about government officials, and this information is being twisted and used fallaciously in a cheap attempt to destroy the credibility of others.
A June 22, 2013 article in the Stabroek News entitled “Guyana will soon qualify as `Kleptocratic Republic’”- Ramkarran” tells us all, and I quote “Former PPP stalwart Ralph Ramkarran says the country will soon qualify to be described as `The Kleptocratic Republic of Guyana’ and the ruling PPP/C will do nothing about corruption as it is being supported by three discrete groups which are fueling this graft.
In his most withering attack to date on the party of which he was a member for nearly 50 years, Ramkarran described one of the groups as follows: “Above all of these is a group of wealthy and influential businessmen who have high political connections. They meet regularly to examine business opportunities and potential deals and map out strategies as to how their plans can go forward, and implement those plans. They have access, through their political connections, to information of the potential opportunities that are likely to emerge in the near to medium term and are in a position to make the investments now so as to cash in on those opportunities down the road.”
Of course, the Kaieteur News has done everything possible, including making false representations, to create the racist belief, that I, Eric Phillips, was the recipient of an oil block and Christopher Ram couldn’t wait to weigh in on the misinformation that was spread about me.
The Kaieteur News even topped its eagerness and tipped its racial bias by highlighting I was a Director of several companies such as a fishing company, a pharmaceutical company, a logistics company, as if this is in anyway related to the application for the oil block or to the Preliminary Investigation into the Canje and Kaieteur blocks.
To make this media masquerade more intense, the Kaieteur News made it seem as if I was doing something illegal in establishing companies, even though these companies were private sector companies that had nothing to do with government business. The general idea was to create a “hurricane of protest” to make it appear as if the formation of a private company in fishing etc., was in conflict with the investigation in the award of the Canje and Kaieteur Blocks.
Can the Kaieteur News or Christopher Ram explain how I am in conflict?
What is even more important is the fact that Kaieteur News was aware that I was not a member of SARU or SARA at the time the oil application was made in 2016, as I joined SARA in May 2017 and had interacted with Kaieteur News several times in my position as Special Assistant to the Presidential Advisor on Sustainable Development, which dealt with the creation of a just inclusive Green Economy.
Why then would the Kaieteur News make it seem that I was in conflict as one of the investigators of the Canje and Kaieteur blocks?
Why did the Kaieteur News put my Directorships of unassociated companies in the papers and link these to the SARA investigation? How are these private directorships or Board memberships, linked to the investigation into the awarding of the two blocks?
So, the question becomes: why did Kaieteur News place all these unrelated articles in the public domain, knowing what I have just shared with you, and knowing that they knew most of it?
Why did Kaieteur News, knowing I had no oil block, make it appear as if there was a conflict?
Surely the Kaieteur News would know that Dr. Clive Thomas would have NEVER entrusted me with such an investigation if I was the owner of an oil block.
By the way, none of the companies I am on as a Director, be it the logistics company or the fishing company etc. are the recipients of any grants or assistance from the government of Guyana.
The real reason for this magnificent racial masquerade is centered on one issue…the PPP’s giveaway of the Canje and Kaieteur Blocks. Bharrat Jagdeo and the PPP are known around the Caribbean and worldwide for being a lawless cabal. Your tactics are old Jagdeo!
At the time of my commission to be part of the team investigating the corrupt awarding of the two blocks I was no longer an active member of the ABR. Hence the only Conflict of Interest is at the level of perception not in substance.” Since I hold myself to a higher level of public conduct and propriety there are corrective measures that shall flow to dismantle this misperception that is been bandied around. Stay Tuned!”
Kaieteur News did not create a media frenzy when the PPP had given an Indian company (from India) one million acres of our land or to a certain Brazilian miner whose name is mentioned in the Panama Papers, a lease and 18 licenses for 2.2 million acres of our land to exploit rare earths.
Does Kaieteur News even know about the Panama Papers? Judging from your poor and sensational excuse for journalism, I think not! When the PPP government gave Blue Wave Inc., another company from India, 60,000 hectares of land at US$12.50( GY$2500.00) per hectare for 199 years.Why was Kaieteur News quiet?
Why is there no uproar when over 900,000 acres of our mining lands were mainly given to a single family of another ethnic group?
Do our Youth know that 12 families own the majority of our rich mining lands and these were given out under the PPP?
Why is there such a magnificent masquerade of racism when I, Eric Phillips legitimately, with a bankable business plan, and an overseas investor, apply for agricultural land?
Are Jagdeo and the PPP outrightly saying that African Guyanese are not supposed to be investors or to own businesses or to own oil blocks or banks or mining concessions, or agricultural lands…just like they claimed that we were not qualified to hold Ambassadorial posts?
473,000 of my ancestors – Africans – died to build Guyana, withstood over 200 years of brutality, during which time they cleared 18,000 square miles, moved 100 million tons of earth without machinery and cleared 9 million acres of land, much of it swamp. African Guyanese are more than entitled to the benefit from the wealth of this nation.
Why was Kaieteur News so quiet when 289 Only East Indian Brothers and Sisters were given land in the MMA (Mahaica-Mahaicony -Abary) prior to 2015 without paying a cent?
In conclusion Bharrat Jagdeo has an obsession with me, and that obsession will only continue. I am not his competitor nor do I want to be like him. I am far more educated and qualified than Bharrat Jagdeo will ever be.
I attended Queen’s College High School. I have a bachelor’s degree and two masters degrees. I excelled in seven sports and represented Guyana in three, was a White House Fellow, was on the cover of Business Week International, was on the cover of Black Engineering Magazine, have 6 scientific and other awards, have travelled to 70 countries, have established over 25 youth groups, have mentored thousands in entrepreneurship and leadership, co-founded the REFORM Group with Stanley Ming, co-produced the Guyana 21 and Guyana 2030 plans, have taught 8 different subjects to thousands of Guyanese at the University of Guyana over 6 years , and along with Rupert Roopnarine, Andaiye and Sister Yvette Herod, took the Army into Buxton to make Peace during the ‘Fineman’ days and the colonization of Buxton, etc., took food from the Venezuelan Embassy into Buxton when the farms in Buxton were destroyed by Jagdeo and Operation Tourniquet was in place etc.
I can work anywhere and be legitimately well paid. I don’t have to hide the companies I am in or steal state assets or give them to friends and family.
Yours Truly,
Eric Phillips

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