Condemning ongoing campaign to discredit the PPP presidential candidate

Dear Editor,
Please allow me to respond to the ongoing vitriolic and virulent campaign by the APNU/AFC supporters to discredit and disparage the credibility of the PPP presidential candidate, Irfaan Ali.
Ali is by far one of the most qualified persons to ever contest for higher office in Guyana. His exemplary and impeccable track record as a Government Minister, apart from being one of the leading figures behind the 2011-14 orchestrated economic boom through the unprecedented housing programme, undoubtedly, allowed him to reach the zenith of his political career, whereby he is now the presidential candidate of the largest single political party in Guyana.
It must be noted, however, given the ongoing ad hominem attack and spurious allegations of academic fraud in the media, any sane person would grasp the notion that this is clearly a politically driven campaign by the Government to tarnish Ali’s image. On that note, I would like to address one of the latest attacks, one penned by Shawn Sam in the Guyana Chronicle on March 2, 2019. In the article, Sam alleged that Ali obtained a fictitious Master’s Degree in Finance from Anglia Ruskin University. This is, however, far from the truth. Ali’s degree from Anglian Ruskin University (ARU) was obtained through Arden University, an institution that collaborates with ARU in the delivery of online graduate programmes. Similarly, his other Master’s Degree from the University of Sunderland, was obtained through RDI distance learning. And in the interest of putting all accusations to rest, each university was written to, seeking confirmation and validation of all certificates.
Hence, Ali’s commitment to self-improvement and intellectual development is astounding. In his latest quest for higher education, he is currently enrolled in the prestigious and internationally recognised LLM International Commercial Law at the University of Salford. The programme, inter alia, will explore critical areas of international commercial law, corporate law and governance. Notwithstanding, he is also awaiting results from the University of the West Indies on his PhD dissertation. Hence, his unmatched self-discipline and commitment to achieve higher education should be celebrated and not condemned.

Sincerely,
Name withheld