Nazar Mohamed, aka “Shell”: Care-giver par excellence

Dec 12, 2021 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

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Kaieteur News – Two things had simultaneous occurrence last week. One was the reaction I got from dozens of people of the stress I went through looking for lawyers to do free work for all the court cases I got over the long decades. I had agreed to the decision by Mr. Glenn Lall more than 25 years ago that Kaieteur News will not fund my cases.
Secondly, while I was getting calls and emails about that aspect of my life, I read criticisms about businessman, Nazar Mohamed, well known by the nickname “Shell” for being awarded a state contract worth $600M. His accusers said he did not have a track record in the industry.
How are the two occurrences connected? Please read on. I will establish the connection. I was taken back at the accusation against Shell because I know he is a superb human that will build whatever he undertakes in a professional manner and will spend his own money if there are complaints of standards not being met.
More than 35 years ago, I met Shell through the publisher of Kaieteur News, Glenn Lall. We developed a friendship over those years and as usual, I would use my academic training to assess people. As the years move on, Shell was definitely one of the persons that I felt morally comfortable with. I will repeat again, this is an ugly country where people are mostly deceitful, selfish, cruel, and will abandon you in the most unprincipled ways. I repeat once more on this page that if I ever write my memoir, I would get more than a hundred libel writs.
I am saying here for all those who read this page, I do not see Nazar Mohamed like that because I have seen the ultimate in human consideration in him. Humans all over the world do not understand each other because the mind is a complex thing. There are billions of people who do wonderful, caring things for others and they would object if you write glowingly about them. If Shell reads this and he asks why I wrote this column, I would tell him I am a trained historian, and my obligation is to record history.
Here is the aspect of Shell’s life that intersected with mine and I will caution politicians from all races, cultures and organisations to remember the paragraphs that will follow. Let me preface those paragraphs by saying, if you do not know a substance, research it before you criticise.
Over the decades I have taken suffering people, not one or five but umpteen times, to Shell for help and the generous mind was always there glowing for us to see. All of those people were from the category of the poor and powerless. They were Indians, Africans, Amerindians, etc.
The suffering range from being without food, school books that were desperately needed, paying to see doctors, filling doctors’ prescriptions because the Georgetown Hospital didn’t have the drugs and finding lawyers for people who were terribly wronged by police cruelty. This is just a short list. I never thought I would write about these things that Shell did but times are always changing in Guyana.
Here now is the link between the two occurrences last week, that is, my court cases and Shell’s involvement. Over the decades Shell would call me to compliment me on many articles. Never had he ever suggested I write something he wanted to ventilate. As the court cases were publicised all over Guyana, he would call and ask in what ways he could help – if I need assistance with lawyers’ fees.
On each occasion I would say that I am satisfied with Khemraj Ramjattan and Nigel Hughes. Before I end this article let me say that I am most thankful to Khemraj and Nigel for free legal service over a long period of time. I met Nigel at the GRA last month and I made it plain to him that I appreciated his help in the past. I will never support the degenerative politics of Khemraj.
I believe Khemraj’s politics has caused Guyana tremendous pain to me and my country between 2015 and 2020 and now even in opposition. But I will not shy away from doing anything I can personally for Khemraj. I would gladly teach any student if he sends him/her to me and provide the necessary books. Tsunamic political difference has come between me and Khemraj but I love my country and will not let him and the AFC destroy it.
To conclude I personally admire Shell for his commitment to the poor and powerless who I had brought to him. His donation last month of $15 million to animal protection should be emulated by the wealthy folks of Guyana. Good luck in whatever you do Shell.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

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