Dear Editor,
Undoubtedly, the AFC is ‘dead meat’, the former Leader of the AFC, Khemraj Ramjattan should take solace in the fact that his clairvoyance skill is now indisputable.
The AFC’s 12th anniversary was advertised extensively on the Internet and a man from the Diaspora went abroad and collected funds to ensure that the event, which was slated for the Whim Cricket Ground, would somehow convince the few remaining AFC members that the party is alive and well. There was supposed to be such a celebration that Dr Ramayya who lived a couple hundred yards away would rue the day he fled from the AFC. A massive crowd was envisaged according to the ‘invitation’ circulated.
The theme for this celebration was “Reflection, Evaluation and Projection”, recognising 12 years of “robust, strategic and successful representation…as part of the Coalition Government”. It further added that, “let us show our appreciation for each other for the sincere support throughout the years by celebrating with our families whose support we could not have done without”. The ‘invitation’ promised “lots of entertainment and fun activities such as singing, dancing, Bar-B-Q and novelty games”.
According to the ‘invitation’, free transportation was to be provided and a ‘motorcade’ would have left the AFC headquarters in Kitty at 7:30h (7:30 am) heading for the Whim Community playground where they would ‘prepare for each other…cater for each other…share with each other…and celebrate together’.
But at 18:00h (6 pm) on that day, 29th October, 2017, no motorcade showed up at the Whim Community Centre Ground. There were only about 40 persons present of whom 23 were CORE workers from the Government taken there by an AFC executive member to ensure a ‘massive crowd’. However, only the Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Ms Valerie Garrido-Lowe found the time or was instructed to be there. This is real ‘social cohesion’ in action. The Prime Minister, Mr Moses Nagamootoo, who took great ‘pride’ in being born at Whim, was notably absent as was the Minister of Public Security, Mr Khemraj Ramjattan, whose ‘navel string’ is buried in Berbice; therefore, it will be a waste of time to question the absence of the Minister of Natural Resources, Mr Raphael Trotman, another Berbician, and those other AFC Ministers such as Mr Holder and Mr Patterson. Even the MPs were also in hiding, two of whom are from Berbice.
Apart from the notable handful of persons who attended and the absence of the ‘fat cats’, there is now a big scandal. Many prominent businessmen, after seeing the few attendees, are now questioning what happened to the huge amount of donations they gave towards the event. One businessman gave 0,000 in cash, and it was reported that huge amounts of chicken, liquor, soft drinks, and cash were collected from businesses yet the few attendees had to buy food and drinks according to an AFC Executive member, Mr Gladwyn Abdulla. According to him, it was a shame and disgrace to watch the RMC members eating and drinking to their fill while the few invitees and their families’ mouths were ‘dripping’. He concluded that it was ‘a great shame on our AFC leaders’. Certainly what happened at Whim was not what the ‘invitation’ had promised. It promised to ‘prepare…cater…share and celebrate’. But now it must be concluded that the ‘invitation’ was more likely setting the stage for ripping off businessmen. I have always said it as a former member of the AFC that ‘corruption and cronyism’ pervade and Guyanese must never expect it to be any better.
Moreover, there were no ‘entertainment and fun activities such as singing, dancing, Bar-B-Q and novelty games’. One AFC member said that a ‘wake house’ was better than the 12th anniversary ‘celebration’.
This now brings me to the theme: “Reflection, Evaluation and Projection”, recognising 12 years of “robust, strategic and successful representation…as part of the Coalition Government”. It is clear that at this ‘celebration’, the theme was absent just like the leaders of the AFC. If the AFC is doing any ‘reflection’, then it would have been apparent that they made a huge blunder by coalescing with the PNC and any ‘evaluation’ would have allowed them to ‘project’ their demise. Ramjattan was absolutely correct. The ‘projection’ of ‘dead meat’ aptly describes the AFC’s status right now. The compelling facts that the CORE workers from the Government made up the core of the audience, compounded by the absence of the AFC leaders are conclusive evidence to support this. Most of their members and supporters are back with the PPP. Names such as Dr Ramayya and Erwin Abdulla immediately come to mind.
In conclusion, repeating platitudes such as ‘robust, strategic and successful representation…as part of the Coalition Government’ will not convince anyone that the Cummingsburg Accord is not even worth the paper it’s printed on. The AFC has failed to represent any one of its members and supporters and the fact that it was not ‘consulted’ on such a vitally important decision as the appointment of the GECOM Chairman speaks volumes. There are many issues such as the Public Procurement Commission which the AFC was adamant about and failed to address when they became part of the Government, resulting in the corrupt practices which resulted in the drugs scandal. These will vitiate any ‘robust, strategic and successful representation’. Furthermore, it would be extremely difficult to convince anyone that the AFC is free from corruption; it’s the reverse. They are so steeped in corruption that they are unable to keep their hands clean even from any forms of donations. However, no one man is capable of stemming this tide of corruption within the AFC, I tried and I was unceremoniously expelled.
If I am wrong, I would like the AFC to convince me about the veracity of the theme.
Yours sincerely,
Haseef Yusuf
RDC Councillor –
Region 6
