Jobs for the “foreign boys”
AFC junket to Canada
… no report of any investment
In what was a carefully planned manoeuvre to combine just enough “official business” with personal and
First Vice President and Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan
party affairs, an Alliance for Change (AFC) delegation went on a junket to Canada where they rewarded four veteran members of the AFC overseas chapters in New York and Toronto as “Ministerial Advisers on Diaspora Affairs” . This was the assessment of former People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister Irfaan Ali in an invited comment by this newspaper. Ali, during his term of office was been able to attract billions of dollars of foreign direct investment into Guyana from the Guyanese Diaspora and other foreign investors. Ali in questioning why no investments have been announced, added “It is more than passing strange that all of the Government officials are from the AFC. Surely someone like Finance Minister Walter Jordan or one of the several economic advisers to President David Granger should have been there.” The AFC delegation consisted of Leader of the AFC and now Vice President and Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan; AFC General Secretary and present Infrastructure Minister David Patterson; and AFC Treasurer and now Business Minister Dominic Gaskin. They met with a number of individuals said to be investors at the offices of a Toronto law firm on Friday, October 9.
Earlier in the month, Patterson had explained that after President Granger’s visit to Canada, he had been bombarded with requests for investments from businessmen and the trip was accordingly arranged. He specifically mentioned the proposed Demerara Harbour Bridge (which the British Ambassador suggested later that Britain might build for free), the development of four new townships, alternative energy sources, and security services for the Cheddi Jagan Iinternational Airport. It is said that these projects in addition to mining prospects were discussed. However there was no announcement of any of the “investors” present at the meeting making any commitment towards any investment. There was another meeting at the Riverstoen Golf Club in Brampton where the four Ministers were accompanied by Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, with more than 26 Diaspora owned companies. No investments were also announced.
Junket and awards But at an extravagant event, dubbed the “Alliance For Change Appreciation Dinner and Dance” at the Woodbine Banquet Halle in Brampton, Ontario the four AFC Executives, joined by AFC Executive and present Prime Minister and First Vice President Moses Nagamootoo, whose first class airfares and hotel accommodations were paid for by the Government , presented Certificates of Instruments, appointing four North American AFC members as “Ministerial Advisers on Diaspora Affairs. These were Dr Rohan Somar of New Jersey, Accountant Tameshwar Lilmohan of Toronto, and Earth Marshall and Ron Alert of the US. The overseas AFC members were extravagantly praised by Ramjattan and Nagamootoo for their contributions to their party. The latter took the opportunity to tell the 200 odd guests that the A Partnership for National Unity+ Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) coalition had fulfilled their campaign promises to the Government workers and that the extravagant salary increases for Government Ministers and Vice Presidents, including himself, were merely “trying to correct the deficiencies of the past.” Nagamootoo and his wife arrived in Toronto via New York, New Jersey and Texas after departing Guyana on “leave” mere hours after President Granger returned from his foreign trip.
