Dear Editor,
I READ a letter in the Stabroek News by Charles Ramson Jr. arguing a poor legal case of Professor Pollard comments offend sub justice.

Mr. Editor, everyday this clown-show is getting more actors. Where was Ramson when his mates, both in the PPP and PSC, were making comments in the very active legal case? This is a real sad state of affairs for a once presidential hopeful and self-appointed oil and gas consultant and academic, now relegated to the occasional letter writer. Poor chap.

I did my research on Charles when I found out that he had aspirations of being President. I found that out in 2010 after he threatened to sue me when I said [the] PPP is corrupt. I kept my findings under wrap until last year when he put himself forward as presidential hopeful. I singlehandedly destroyed his bubble of oil and gas consultant and academic. A title he gave himself. Arrogance personified. I provided scientific facts and evidence why he was not. The closest he could ever come to the oil industry is working at one of the local petrol stations as a petrol attendant; Charles, the only academic who is not affiliated with a university or done research in [the] said area. Anyway, I kept the rest of my findings to myself after I realised that his presidential aspirations were as dead as LSF Burnham and Dr Cheddi Jagan. But then with today’s proclamation, he has overstepped the mark. As a result, I will release a little of what I know.

Stabroek News of 20th February, 2007, ran an article titled, “Guyanese student achieved first class honours in top UK university.” The Guyanese student was Charles Ramson Jr. and the top university was Buckingham University. Buckingham University is a complete useless university that attracts useless, poor quality students. Let me tell you why.
Buckingham University was initially University College at Buckingham (UCB) which was opened in 1973. At that time it was not a university. Margaret Thatcher, in an attempt to create private universities, pushed for UCB to get university status. This was achieved in 1983. The first private university with a plan to have many more. The university struggled to attract quality students since entry requirements to all universities are set by the government and students would rightfully choose established universities known as red brick universities. As a result, Buckingham University focussed on the academic scrapheap in Asia and Africa. If the potential students don’t have the grades or English requirements for entry to the university, then the university ran a one year programme to get them “up to standard.” In effect, giving poor students more time to get the grades. As a result, local students would only choose that university as last resort. Also, university fees are set by the government, hence all universities, whether poor or good, have the same fee structure. Therefore, Charles Ramson going to that university was likely because he did not have the grades to get into a top UK university, since all would have the same fee.
Stabroek News had this to say in the same article. “Buckingham is rather a special university: the only private one in Britain.”

Let me explain that to you Stabroek News. They are not special. They are a complete failure hence the government abandoned the idea of further private universities. That’s it. Leaving them as the first and the last as of 2012 when the coalition government of the Conservatives tried to resuscitate it but encountered lots of resistance from established universities who argued that it was tried before and failed. Why would it be a success now?
Charles Ramson then attended Nottingham Trent University and Aberdeen University. Both these universities were once polytechnics i.e. institutions that offer undergraduate and postgraduate courses but could not function independently. They had to be affiliated with established universities. In 1992, the UK conservative government, in an attempt to expand the university pool, made all polytechnics universities. Even though they are now universities, the stigma of being former polytechnics made them less attractive to local students. Only those that cannot get into the top universities will actually go to those universities.

So what are top UK universities? Top UK universities are the Russell group universities. The top 24 universities in the UK. The locals and EU students rush to those universities. Professor Duke Pollard and Nigel Hughes, both excellent lawyers, studied at University of London which is a Russell Group university and a top UK university.

My point is that Charles Ramson never studied at a top university in the UK. Absolutely never. All the universities he attended are all poor and not in the Russel group universities. He should stop misleading the Guyanese public that he studied at top UK universities. He has the financial resources to attend those universities but lack the academic ability. Who would choose to go to a poor university that has the same fee structure as a top university if they have the grades? Money was never the determining factor. Academic ability was.
When Stabroek News wrote garbage without doing research that Charles Ramson Jr. graduated from top university with top grades, that need to be taken with a massive bucket of salt. Just like how Kaieteur News went along with Charles calling [himself] oil and gas consultant and academic without requesting his credentials for same. Stabroek News did the same with your top university misrepresentation. Charles Ramson, I have more files. I have files on the oil and gas conference you attended last September in the UK. I contacted the organisers and was provided useful evidence. I kept it with the hope that you will be the PPP presidential candidate. You were not, but I still have it.

You can try getting my nephew, Edwin Foo in Japan to defend you again. He got his first child a few weeks ago. He may be a bit busy now. You may finally have to come out and defend yourself without your daddy. Leave Prof Pollard alone. You are not in his league to be offering legal advice. Like everyone else, he is entitled to his opinion just like your mates in the PPP and PSC.

Regards
Dr. Mark Devonish, MBBS MSc MRCP(UK) FRCP(Edin)
Consultant Acute Medicine
Nottingham University Hospital
UK