Jagdeo threatens to pull state ads. From K/News

Oct 20, 2024 News

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…Newspaper will not be silenced on exposing mismanagement and corruption – Publisher

Kaieteur News will not be silenced because of threats by the Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo to withdraw state advertisements from the media entity, Publisher Glenn Lall said on Friday during his radio programme aired on Kaieteur Radio.

Lall was responding to repeated threats by the Vice President to withdraw the state advertisements from the newspaper. On Thursday, Jagdeo told reporters that he views Kaieteur News as a political entity and as a result the newspaper should be stripped of state advertisements or p

olitical party papers, such as the Mirror [The People’s Progressive Party] and New Nation [The Peoples National Congress Reform], should receive equal number of advertisements from the state as does Kaieteur News.

The Vice President said that he intends to write President Irfaan Ali on the subject since he feels strongly about the matter.

“So, I have not gotten the time to write the president as yet but I said as General Secretary of the party I have to write the president. They must get now the same amount of ads that the mirror gets from the government and New Nation from the PNC. So that’s what we want if you have a political…the head of your newspaper [Kaieteur News] is a political candidate who has declared his candidacy then he has to get the same amount of ads, or else it’s unfair the government is funding the lies and the political party which is Kaieteur News,” Jagdeo lamented.

He continued: “So I gotta get the same thing or you gotta increase the Mirror’s ads. I want like all the ads. you see in Kaieteur News I gotta get it too for the Mirror. It’s either they cut and give to us…I would also urge Mr. Norton to apply for the same amount of ads. cause he’s eligible just as we are as political parties we get the same amount of equity.”

Further, the Vice President said that the government cannot continue to fund the “lies” that are being published by a newspaper that is run by someone seeking political office.

Kaieteur News will not be silenced

Meanwhile, Lall is of the view that the Vice President is making every effort to silence Kaieteur News so that there would be less exposure of the levels of corruption in the country, particularly in the oil and gas sector.

Notwithstanding the Vice President’s statements, Lall made it clear that his newspaper will not be bullied. He said the government can withdraw its advertisements but that will not deter the paper from exposing wrongdoings and corruption.

“So, Jagdeo should know better to threaten me about pulling state ads. from the newspaper, he should know better.  Yes uncle, it will bring some pressure to maintaining the paper, but I will not roll over and change for $100M, or $100B in state ads. a day.  No way uncle, in life if you can’t stand for something, then you gon fall for anything and you end up being nothing, and my maker has not created me to be nothing, not then, not now, not ever – put that in your pipe and smoke it Jagdeo,” the businessman said.

During Friday’s show, Lall told his listeners that he has known Vice President Jagdeo for over 30 years and “what I am seeing is a man who is degrading himself in every office he has held and holds presently.   He just can’t help himself, sliding from bad to worse. Honestly, Jagdeo is one of the main leaders responsible for where this country is today with the resources that Guyana has…”

The businessman told his listeners that Jagdeo is uncomfortable with the number of serious questions posed by Kaieteur News reporters weekly at his press conferences.

“Uncle, he can’t handle the newspaper exposing his schemes every day, where the nation is now seeing the kind of leader he is, so he is now resorting to blackmail.  Toe the line or get out the line – that’s his message. Report what he Jagdeo wants you to report or he will deal with you.  Follow the footsteps of the Chronicle, NCN and the other friendly media houses and you will stay in business with state ads., stand up and give the nation the facts, get ready for the punishment,” Lall stressed.

The businessman made it clear that if exposing Jagdeo’s weakness and his fear to address ExxonMobil and the lopsided oil contract, exposing how foreigners are robbing the country of its natural resources, highlighting corruption, and reporting on the advice of international experts on the oil and gas sector [that the government is not heeding] is upsetting the Vice President, then he can do that which he feels is in the best interest of the country.

Lall reminded of the era during Jagdeo’s presidency when Kaieteur News refused to publish advertisements sent by Jagdeo’s business associates and friends.

“So Jagdeo should know better to threaten me about pulling state ads. from the newspaper, he should know better,” the Kaieteur News Publisher stated.

(Jagdeo threatens to pull state ads. From K/News)

 

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• Jagdeo, mirror, New Nation, political, state ads

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