THE government dealt a fatal blow to the so called U.S. 12-member group that claimed to be here on a fact-finding mission last week. The government said that it would not hold discussions with the team on matters that it claimed to be investigating.

This led to the Dr Irfaan Ali administration shunning the group after an investigation was done by the government on its funding and real motives which turned out to be political.
This led to the group hosting a press conference where it was pleading to the public about its so-called transparency and the history of its work, both in the U.S. and further afield.

The group, which was led by Dee Dawkins-Haigler and co-led by John King, proved that they are a sham and a part of the opposition covert political activity here to give credence to the idea that there is widespread discrimination and racism by the PPP government to minorities, especially Afro-Guyanese.

It is a wolf in sheep’s clothing and a sham. No descent and upstanding Guyanese citizen would want to be part and parcel of their plan. These are the facts of the alleged fact-finding mission that they were trying to weave and twist the government’s arm into. We must consider the political timeline and the groups they have met before over the last few days.

From the onset, the group could not be serious about its fact-finding mission in Guyana. They held a media conference at the Critchlow Labour College which is used mostly by groups and individuals that are considered to be anti-government like Lincoln Lewis, biased TUC officials, and other opposition persons.

Surely, the independent media and bonafied press members also were in poor attendance. This was compacted by the poor PC audio system. It appeared rushed and poorly planned.
This was made even more embarrassing for the group when one considers the amount of African-Guyanese present at the event, to make up numbers and fool the Guyanese public.

It was disgraceful and disappointing to see a group of U.S. representatives conduct their first conference like this. Surely, they are still not fooling anyone who watched the press conference.
Additionally, the delegation could not say what number of reports and allegations they were here to find out; about the facts relating to discrimination and racism. Surely, Hailger and King know that the public is smarter than that. They did not give any empirical data or analysis as a basis of where they want to go to find facts. Their attempt was weak and distasteful to any intellectual mind. How is one going to find facts if one doesn’t know where to look?

The group resorted to sharing opposition individuals and groups that want to tarnish the government. They did their deeds under the covers of night and held several poorly and short notice meetings in the communities which are part of the opposition enclave.

Also, the government was right not to engage them. They are not state actors in the U.S. political system nor the world. This is true because Hailger could not say and give examples of where in the world the group has had successful fact-finding missions. Her tone and circulation around the issue when asked is telling. They do not know how to find facts and solutions to the issues in the U.S. brewing at the level of the state but want to find out facts at the National level about discrimination and racism? Who does that in the 21st century or anywhere in this hemisphere?
Additionally, from the time the government knew for certain there was a plot afoot and something was all but right with the group, they started digging deep. We, the public, want the group to come out and denounce knowing the opposition politicians Roysdale Forde, Catherine Hughes, David Patterson and others.

It is now not wise for the group to mention that it has not links to Rickford Burke and Mark Benschop when they have had several meetings in the U.S. and have made appearances on the Social Media platforms to discuss their trip to Guyana. Burke and Benschop are seen daily defending the group and invoking all manner of racist sentiments in the society.

The operation of this group seems questionable and its modus-operandi was clear for all to see. Any group closely funded by dubious means and has a criminal backing is not the ideal group to find facts here.

It seems that even though Norton has shied away from stating his support of their work, it was all a part of the plan.

Politically and evidentially, the group cannot prove anything without the government. The truth is, successively the PPP governments have shown the facts and truth about state policies which impact the lives of all Guyanese. It has thrown scorn on the allegations of corruption, racism, discrimination and poor governance. When will Forde, Burke, Benschop, and this recent failed team realize that one has to have the evidence both empirical and factual of these things which exist but are not widespread in Guyana.

Also, everybody has opinion which one is entitled to but governments around the world do not operate on senseless and baseless allegations unless one brings facts to the table or debate to support one’s arguments.

They are clutching at straws because the public may not always agree with what the government does but they know that they have are equal and equitable access to the wealth of Guyana’s natural resources and patrimony.

What Forde, learned as he claims to be, and the opposition will not come to grips with is state of the Afro-Guyanese population can only be better advanced if they are seizing every single opportunity that presents itself for their enrichment that the government presents in the form of public policies. They must document how much public contracts were awarded that were done to discriminate against the Afro-Guyanese population and minorities. Instead by coming up with these hoax, scandals and allegations, the opposition parties should focus on learning how to count, do proper research and analysis of the situation in a factual, non-political and unbiased way. They must stop trying to be champions of African-Guyanese interest, and begin pointing out the projects and programmes which can help them to become empowered. In anyways, the government must focus its attention on much more pressing issues and leave the opposition all the way in a corner with their game of Russian roulette.

No serious institution in the US Government or legislative will take the reports of this group with a once of creditability and importance.

In the end, the truth wears neither clothes or hides from the light. The opposition is growing more and more desperate with these groups, names, and outfits.