Dear Editor
OF COURSE, Peter Joseph is right in his letter titled, “Kaieteur News must do the honourable thing,” Guyana Chronicle of November 20, 2019. But, it is now almost two weeks since the highly mischievous article has been published; designed not only to cause ‘’the government and Mr Hollingsworth incredible embarrassment,’’ as correctly stated by Joseph, but also intended to create the perception of an Afro-Guyanese-led administration fortifying the interests of ethnic Afro-Guyanese, while serving the fake news strategy of the PPP/C, as also underlined by Joseph.

Any such apology that should have been made by Kaieteur News, ought to have been, from the time the erroneous publication of injustice had been realised. The fact that none has been forthcoming undeniably concludes that such dangerous mischief had been deliberate in its contrivance, for the larger template and purpose of the political opposition and its orchestrated plan of national mischief.

There could not have been any mistake of that published, attempted piece of political bullyism from the GCCI, which made such an obnoxious and absurd request that, “GCCI calls for transparency in land allocation process … a more transparent way to ensure equitable distribution of state resource… They are not giving it in an equitable manner; it’s going out in large chunks to people who we’ve never seen in Guyana; people who never paid tax in Guyana; people who just show up just off the plane, and are getting massive tracts of land.” Since when is that lot interested in the national patrimony, and how it is distributed? Editor, without any apology, for there is none to be offered to this vested-interest organisation, which has been playing a pivotal role on Jagdeo’s political bandwagon of creating social tension – Its grouse, patently selfish, is based on entirely selfish and prejudicial reasons, that are entirely in accordance with the Jagdeo PPP/C’s ideology as regards land ownership by Afro-Guyanese. Only months ago, this was manifested in slanderous allegations made against some very prominent African Guyanese, accusing them of being part of a land-grabbing scheme.

However, these selfish anti-nationals from the business sector must be reminded, by our fair-minded President David Granger’s statement that Guyana’s development opportunities are for all, and not for the favoured few, as represented by the GCCI. In fact, this particular sector’s chairperson and his selfish band should first publish all the names of those friends and cronies of the PPP/C, inclusive of Edward Boyer and Baishan Lin, who have benefitted from vast land acquisitions, many of which are known to be derived from ancestral lands, a fact that has been raised often during sittings of the Land Commission of Enquiry.

But to return to the extant matter, proper: Joseph has described Kaieteur News as an ‘’experienced newspaper’’; absolutely true, since it has been in circulation for a bit past two decades. On this premise it should know better, in terms of proper research and reporting rules. Thus, it cannot be an ‘’immature mistake’’ for what has clearly been libellous to Mr Hollingsworth in its pages. Not when this and other similar patterns of reporting have continued to be its norms, beginning post-2015.

For, this is a media that is part of a pre-meditated strategy of fake news, misinformation and distortions, all in the name of the PPP/C, that are not, and cannot be, a part of proper journalism. Certainly, its publishers owe Mr Hollingsworth and the government, by extension, apologies for such wilful perfidy.

Regards
Troy Garraway