Integrity in public office must never be selective, politically convenient, or negotiable

Jan 08, 2026 Letters

Dear Editor,

As we enter this New Year, I extend best wishes to you and to the people of Guyana for a successful, peaceful, and prosperous 2026, under the guidance and blessings of Almighty God.

Politicians take public office to serve their people and to bring meaningful improvements to their circumstances, not to exploit the system for personal enrichment. Public office is a trust, and that trust must be exercised with integrity, transparency, and accountability.

I write out of deep national concern regarding the troubling and persistent revelations surrounding Minister Susan Rodrigues and the unexplained financial means allegedly used to acquire multiple properties within a relatively short period of her tenure as a junior minister, within the Ministry of Housing and Water. These disclosures, now firmly in the public domain, raise serious questions that have yet to receive satisfactory answers.

I am compelled to address this matter not only as a concerned citizen, but also as someone who has previously served in public office. Between 2019 and August 2020, I served as a Junior Minister in the Ministry of Communities. During that period, Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo, then Leader of the Opposition, publicly accused me of corruption and alleged that I owned three house lots. I immediately rejected this false and misleading claim, convened a press conference, and disclosed to the nation that I held only one title, issued to me in 2016, while I was serving as a Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastrcture, prior to me being reassigned to the Ministry of Communities.

To further strengthen my position, I contacted my attorney and initiated legal proceedings against Mr. Jagdeo in December 2019. That matter, regrettably, remains pending some six years later. Additionally, all my financial disclosures, including a legitimate loan from Republic Bank, were made public and duly submitted to the Integrity Commission. I did not hide behind silence or political protection; I confronted the allegations with facts and documentary evidence. I am often comforted by the scripture in Genesis 3:19, “By the sweat of thy brow shalt thou eat bread.” Simply put, honest work justifies honest reward. Any wealth accumulated by those in public office must therefore be clearly traceable to lawful income and hard work, not to privileged access or opaque transactions.

It is therefore sad and most worrying to witness the posture adopted by Minister Rodrigues, who appears unbothered by the seriousness of these allegations. Even more troubling is the conspicuous silence of President Irfaan Ali and Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo. This silence is particularly concerning given that both men have themselves been fingered in allegations of corrupt practices—allegations they have denied, yet without providing the necessary documentary evidence to clear their names.

Corruption under the PPP/C administration appears to have become normalised and immune from consequence. This sends a dangerous signal to the Guyanese people, that wrongdoing in high office is to be tolerated. Such a reality is grossly unfair to citizens who sit on the sidelines, witnessing before their eyes how some politicians appear to enrich themselves through access to state resources.

Since assuming office in August 2020, and with the advent of Guyana’s oil wealth, the PPP/C administration seems to have grown increasingly emboldened. Reports of questionable conduct continue to surface. Notably, in 2024, an employee attached to Minister Rodrigues was accused of underhanded dealings involving state lands. The nation was told that action would be taken; however, no meaningful action followed, and the individual reportedly remained on the job.

In light of these developments, I join the call of all right-thinking Guyanese for Minister Susan Rodrigues to do the decent and honourable thing, resign her position and allow for a full, impartial, and transparent investigation into these damning allegations of corrupt practices while serving as a junior minister. Public pressure must be maintained until the truth is revealed and accountability restored.

Guyana deserves better. Integrity in public office must never be selective, politically convenient, or negotiable.

Yours sincerely,
Annette Ferguson

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Annette Ferguson, Bharrat Jagdeo, integrity, Letters, public office

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