I refer to an article issued in the Stabroek News of November 18 titled “NICIL handled Pradeo2 land transfer – official mum on tendering, allocations.”
The article attributed several statements I allegedly made to your news reporter pertaining to the housing development on the East Coast Demerara. It is not part of my psychological make up to be abusive and or to denigrate others. My constant pre-vocation is to get ahead with the job for which I have portfolio responsibility, and I do that job without fear or favor. It bothers me however, when the Stabroek News reports inaccurately and subjects itself to vain and spurious accusations that are completely bereft of analysis and fairness.
As Minister, I have repeatedly invited the Stabroek News to cover events where I speak ad nauseaum of my ministry’s programmes and policies. Such fora would have provided invaluable information to your news team on the processes and methodologies that the Ministry follows in our land allocation programme. It would have also provided your reporters with first hand, irrevocable evidence of how the process works in real time and with real people. Instead your paper absented itself from these occasions and relegated itself to back room reporting that discredits your papers’ integrity. Take for example the case of your reporter seeking to waylay me for an explanation of these same processes and procedures in the chambers of Parliament which was in full session.  It is imbecilic for anyone to believe that such an interview was possible. I believe that it would be useful for your reporters to be schooled in the difference between a “comment” and an “interview.”
I have said on many previous occasions that my Ministry follows a clearly defined and well documented process in land allocation. The process was no different in the case of the East Coast Demerara housing development at Plaisance. The CH&PA has elaborated several mechanisms which includes Public/Private partnerships, high income development, Middle income development, medium income development and our internationally acclaimed low income settlement programme. The land itself was subject to approved valuation and sold at Market Value.
Journalism is intended to be ethical, not sensational and pampering to political motivations. How can there be fairness when only one party’s view is expressed? Your paper regrettably continues to be guilty of this indiscretion.
Let us look at one recent example. On November 19, 2010 the Ministry held a ‘One Stop Shop’ at its Brickdam office, all media houses were invited.
Again, Stabroek News absented itself at that ‘One Stop Shop. I spent time again dealing with the matter Stabroek News raised. Now is the Minister or Ministry to be blamed for this absence? Certainly not, but would you be ethical enough to share the reason for your continuous absence at these activities where important public information is documented?