The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has criticised the government’s appointees to the boards of the State media, even as it ignores while it was in office these bodies were packed with its activists.
In a statement the PPP accused Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo of backpedaling on his promise to make these boards free of political activists, saying that it is not surprised at the recently-named state media boards.
The GNNL Board is chaired by Amerindian activist and Programme Manager of the Amerindian Peoples Association (APA) Jean La Rose. The other members are Karen Davis, Imran Khan, Scherazade Ishoof-Khan, Ruel Johnson, Bert Wilkinson, Tabitha Sarabo, Patricia Woolford, and Sohan Poonai.

The board for the electronic State media is headed by prominent businessman Bishwa Panday, and the other members are Mark Archer, Dr Paloma Mohamed, Margaret Lawrence, Kojo McPherson, Dhanwanti Sukhdeo, Carolyn Walcott, Imran Khan and Colin Thompson.
According to the Opposition party, the new boards of the Guyana National Newspaper Limited (GNNL) and the National Communications Network Inc (NCN) are dominated by political appointees of the APNU+AFC coalition. The PPP in support of its contention quoted a statement appearing in sections of the media, reportedly made by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister, the Opposition party alleged said: “I am not going to be a minister responsible for information and who puts party hacks into these boards, to just draw stipends for not working, but to do party propaganda.”
Alleged backpedaling
Accusing the Prime Minister of straying from his word, the PPP said Director of Public Information Imran Khan was a APNU+AFC Candidate in the May 11th General and Regional Elections; new GNNL Chair Jean La Rose was an APNU+AFC Candidate; Tabitha Sarabo was an APNU+AFC Candidate for the May 11th General and Regional Elections; and Patricia Woolford, a member of the PNC/APNU.
According to the PPP, Ruel Johnson is an open supporter of the APNU+AFC as well as Scheherazade Ishoof Khan. “Khan again found himself on the NCN Board of Directors, which includes Director of Public Communications Mark Archer, an APNU+AFC Candidate for the May 11th General and Regional Elections; [and] Kojo McPherson, a known supporter of the APNU+AFC who was part of the election campaign,” the PPP/C said, even accusing new NCN Chair Bishwa Panday of being a known financier of APNU+AFC Elections Campaign and relative of Alliance For Change (AFC) leader and Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan.
Panday under the former administration served as Chairman of GNNL. He also served as Chair of the then Guyana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) and as a member of the board of the then GTV. GBC and GTV were merged to form NCN. Panday, a businessman was chosen to head the NCN Board largely because of his success as a business man. Key on his agenda will be to turnaround the woeful financial fortunes of the State broadcaster.
Old board
Meanwhile, despite its criticisms of “party hacks” the old board of the GNNL was chaired by Marcia Nadir Sharma, daughter of former PPP MP, Manzoor Nadir. It also included, controversial PPP activist, Kwame McKoy, PPP executive, Hydar Ally, Jason Abdulla and Vidya Looknauth- all bosom members of the former administration. The other members of the old board were Tota Mangar (University of Guyana lecturer), Pat Dyal (consumer advocate), Tracy Gipson (Bank of Guyana analyst) and Jawhar Persaud (Accountant General, Ministry of Finance).
Prime Minister Nagamootoo speaking at the appointments of the boards of NCN and GNNL maintained that the new members have been tasked with professionalising the state media, ending years of abuse by politicians and returning both entities to being viable and competitive. “The Chronicle newspaper, which is the primary source of income of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited, has been one of the most abused newspapers in any part of the world politically speaking. It was allowed to be reduced to the status of a political rag or a political broadsheet where views, except those of the ruling party/government were allowed. And therefore, there is a credibility problem that the members of the board will have to confront. And the credibility problem is being able to tell the people of Guyana that this is your property, this is reflective of all of us, all of our views,” the Prime Minister said. Nagamootoo said while GNNL and NCN are State entities, they have to fend for themselves, be able to sell goods that are saleable and at the same time make profits to keep itself viable.
By Tajeram Mohabir