AFC wants Culture Minister to resign after failing to address racial issue involving Art School Administrator

Sep 28, 2024 News

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Kaieteur News – Leader of the Alliance for Change (AFC) Nigel Hughes on Friday called for the immediate resignation of Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson over his mistreatment of an incident involving Guyanese Sculptor and Administrator of the Burrowes School of Art, Mr. Ian Ivor Thom.

Kaieteur News had reported that Thom had tendered his resignation as Administrator at the Burrowes School of Art earlier this month after he was verbally abused by a member of the public who used racial slurs over a parking issue at the school.

The matter had reached the Minister who failed to investigate the matter.

Speaking about the matter on Friday at his party’s press conference Hughes said, “The Alliance for Change unequivocally calls for the immediate resignation of the Minister of Culture after the utterances of those statements a week ago and his failure to apologize, qualify, reject and disassociate himself with them.”

The AFC Leader added that with the way the minister handled the matter “it does indicate that the Minister of Culture is clearly no longer capable of representing this country internationally or domestically on matter of culture.”

On Thursday, Vice President (VP) Bharrat Jagdeo during his press conference disclosed that after learning what transpired he spoke with Ramson expressing disappointment with how he handled the matter involving Thom.

“This was not a government official who made this racial slur, I spoke with the minister and I said to him if a member of the public complains about an issue then these matters should be dealt with at the Permanent Secretary level and I said to him it was badly handled and he accepted it, it was badly handled. As far as I’m concern, that is the end of the matter,” the VP said.

Jagdeo, who called Thom and asked him to reconsider his resignation, made it clear that such matters need to be reported to the police and or the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) while adding that “only in that kind of environment that people will stop this nonsense and it goes against anything.”

“I think it was unnecessary, this gentleman served the country well and continues to serve the country at a very high standard there in the Burrowes School of Arts and when I saw the information that he had resigned and the reason for which he resigned I thought it warranted my intervention and I called him and said we’ll like you to withdraw your resignation that you are held in high esteem by the government of Guyana and I spoke for the Government of Guyana,” the VP said.

Meanwhile, on Friday, the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) in a press statement also condemned the Minister of Culture’s handling of the matter.

“The recent conduct by Minister Charles Ramson in the Ivor Thom incident is not a one-off event. It is yet another display of the arrogance, racial bias, and incompetence of the Minister,” the PNCR said.

Kaieteur News had reported that Mr. Thom on Monday resumed his duty as Administrator at the school after government officials contacted him following his premature resignation.

Mr. Thom’s resignation from the school was highlighted in a letter published in the Kaieteur News on September 21 by students who expressed deep concern about the unfortunate incident that led to his departure.

In their letter, some students from the school had expressed, “We are writing to express our deep concerns over an unfortunate incident that took place at the E.R. Burrowes School of Art involving the Administrator, Mr. Ian Ivor Thom on the evening of Saturday 7, September 2024 at around 4pm. The incident appears to reflect racism and the unjust favour given to those in our society who have status, as a result, that incident led to Mr. Thom’s untimely resignation.”

Mr. Thom told Kaieteur News that on the day in question, he was in the parking lot near his car when he observed a red SUV reversing in a parking space next to where he was that was reserved for staff and students of the Art School.

Upon seeing this, Mr. Thom said he signalled to the driver to get his attention. The driver came out of the vehicle to speak with him.

“The person came out of the vehicle and asked what the matter is. I said, that is a no parking, you can’t park there. It is a passageway and apart from that, this area is reserved for the Burrowes School of Art students and staff. He (driver) said but there is no school. I said but you are also blocking the passageway and even if it’s not school, only our students park there,” Mr. Thom explained.

He related that after informing the driver he could not park there, the man continued insisting that he could park there.

“He continued insisting that he can park there. I told him if I come to your place of work or place of residence, and I park where I am not supposed to park would you be abusive the way you are trying to abuse me. He (driver) said, “oh it’s stupid **[word withheld] people like you make this country where it is and that is why all kind of foreigners gotta come in because of stupid people like you,” Mr. Thom recalled.

Shortly after that incident, Mr. Thom said he was summoned by the Minister at his office concerning what happened. There Mr. Thom said he told the minister what transpired in detail and even committed to getting the names and numbers of the witnesses. However, the minister did not seem inclined to investigate.

“I even said to him that there were witnesses there who saw what happened and I can get their names and numbers and give it to you and if you want the truth of the story, you can have an interview them. He said to me, your image is not a reflection of what he wants for this ministry. I said well minister, you are the minister and you will have to make a decision or I would have to make my appropriate decision and shortly after I left,” Mr. Thom recalled.

Meanwhile, on Monday after resuming his duties, he told Kaieteur News that while he hopes that similar incidents do not occur in the future, if they do, he wants them to be handled properly.

 

 

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