…even though he can more than adequately defend himself
I AM  the brother of Bishop Juan A. Edghill who currently serves as the Chairman of the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC). After much thought and some discussion with my other siblings we thought that we should join in the condemnation of the blatant attack on the character of our brother because of the Constitutional Office he holds.

These attacks, which are founded on lies, by some persons and in particular the recent attacks by Anthony Vieira seems to be designed to tarnish his character and has placed him, his family and us, his siblings and our family, in danger.

It is with much disgust and reluctance that I am forced by means of my conscience to expose myself and family to further abuse at the hands of these political opportunists and ignoramuses, who would say anything to get the less learned to catapult them into office so that they could achieve their own ends, while ignorantly accusing others of the sins that they are guilty of. 

I have known, lived and communicated with my brother all my life. My brother, on leaving secondary school, after a very brief sojourn as a pupil teacher, pursued studies at the Full Gospel Fellowship Bible School from the age of eighteen years. Him, being five years my senior, would have had to commit the crime Vieira is accusing him of and changed his name before I was born. (sic) His involvement and calling as a minister of religion was not  a result of some ‘great epiphany’ or a ‘turning away from your sinful ways’.

The accusations made by Vieira is malicious and calculated to discredit the character of my brother and for that he should be made to pay to the full extent of the law, in whatever way the law allows.  I have already expressed my views to my brother as to what action I believe should be taken by him.

I am in no way trying to defend my brother since I know that he is capable of defending himself, but I wish to point out to the general public that there is no basis for Vieira to claim ignorance as his reason for levelling these ridiculous accusations against my brother.

Our family is  well known  in both villages where we were nurtured in our formative years. We still, to this day, have relatives living there and do visit them whenever the opportunity presents itself.

Therefore, if Vieira believed that he was in receipt of some information, because of the nature of that information, he could have simply visited the area and asked anyone from that village where he claimed the incident took place.

School records could be perused to determine whether or not his name was indeed changed, as is claimed by Vieira. The fact that no effort was made to determine the accuracy of these accusations before they were published points to a deliberate and calculated attempt to smudge the character of my brother.

Vieira, as a one-time owner of one of the more established media houses and working with some of Guyana’s best journalists and editors, should have learnt something.

The fact that we (Juan and I)  both share the same parents and carry different last names is not unique in Guyana. Neither is the fact that my brother does not carry the last name of my father.

This anomaly is in fact a blessing and God, in whom we believe, may have in his wisdom and foresight caused this to happen. I say this because of the discrimination, ridicule and insults that I personally, my wife and children, and other relatives have had to endure from the few persons who know us to be related, as a result of the types of slander being propagated   by Vieira and others.

My brother has been in public life as a preacher and more recently as  holder of a constitutional office – that is, as the ERC Chairman. He has never been a politician and never held any political office. Were that so, the vulgar attacks by Vieira may have been understandable though not acceptable.
They are not equals! Their careers and interests have taken then up different paths. Why the hate then? Is it that preaching unity among Guyanese is unpalatable to some persons? My brother has been working to heal the differences in our society based on race long before the conceptualisation or formation of the Ethnic Relations Commission.

If he was criticized as a result of a decision he made or is thought to have made that may be understandable and that comes with holding public office, especially when decisions are made that affect the lives of people.

To ridicule a person for holding a constitutional office and to spread blatant lies that could cause physical harm to come to a person and/or designed to create mischief, as Vieira has done, is wicked  and unacceptable in any civilised society and should be condemned by all right-thinking individuals.

This ridiculous nonsense must stop at sometime. How could someone who aspires to hold political office think and behave in this way?

Are we to believe that the politics of one group of people in Guyana make them better or superior to all other Guyanese? This is the thinking that Bishop Edghill is trying to eradicate. Is that then the reason for the vilification by some? Am I to assume that they prefer that we live in a state that is constantly at war with itself?

I am convinced that some of the venom that is being spread by Vieira and others results from the frustration they feel from not achieving their own personal agenda within a political system that they had intentions of creating at the expense of some gullible citizens.

The work of the Ethnic Relations Commission in fostering unity, tolerance and understanding among Guyanese cannot be denied. I would encourage all Guyanese to follow the work of the ERC and educate themselves about the workings of all the Rights Commissions. This is important as there are a few out there who are seeking attention and will stop at nothing to achieve their goals.