I SIMPLY don’t care what people say and think of me. I feel mentally comfortable in old age that I have been successful in having my only child heed that important lesson of life. You bother with the negative and nasty things people say about you and you are heading straight to the madhouse. People are what they are. The sooner you understand that golden rule of human existence, the better off you will be as a person.

I don’t care how people view what I am about to write below about AFC bigwig Cathy Hughes. Mrs Hughes is not of acceptable political material and I offer here my reason for disliking Mrs Hughes. You can call me stupid or ignorant or pompous or narcissistic for the reason I will now cite. I don’t care how you describe me and you can be assured I won’t sue.

No one can tell another person that they cannot express their dislike for another person. I do not like Mrs Hughes and I am being honest now by giving my reason. A friend of mine arrived in Guyana to spend three days at the Georgetown Club which sits right next to Colgrain House where Mrs Hughes’ ministry was.

My friend wanted to swim at the Colgrain Pool for two mornings before he left. I contacted the pool management and they told me I have to get permission from Mrs Hughes’ ministry, because my friend is not a member of the pool so security may be an issue. I knew Mrs Hughes and I know she would trust me with whoever I am bringing to the pool.

I called her. She sent back a text telling me she was busy and will get back to me. I reminded her the next day. She made contact 10 days after. By then my friend was long gone. At the height of my career as a Kaieteur News columnist when I was critical of the PPP government, I made contact with the secretary of four PPP presidents.
I was invited the same day to their office. Dr Jagan saw me at his official residence. I went to him to ask that I do my UG sabbatical with the government. I saw Mr President Hinds at his office to secure something for a friend. I met President Jagdeo in his office to request a change in my UG duty-free car. I met President Ramotar in his office to request a house lot.

I was not surprised when then AFC executive and government employee in the APNU+AFC government, Trevor Williams, publicly said that Mrs Hughes refused to give him the cell number of then minister Volda Lawrence.
Mr Williams is a dark-skinned African Guyanese who is from the upper working class stratum. In doing a column (Friday, August 9, 2024) of how she reacted to Mr Williams, I stated that her attitude was driven by class and colour.
Now Mrs Hughes is embroiled in a scandal which, if she does not remove herself from the functionalism of the AFC, she will destroy the AFC’s chances of even getting 100 votes, much less more. In fact, the scandal may have already destroyed whatever is left of the credibility of the AFC.

In a libel writ brought by Mrs Hughes against Vice-President Jagdeo, embarrassing deportment of Mrs Hughes has been revealed. I cannot discuss an ongoing court case except for material in the trial that is in the public domain. First, all over the world, politicians have been held to a level of tolerance above all other categories of humans. It is an established fact in the past and in the world that politicians as a requirement for being in politics must have thicker skins that their fellow humans.

It is beyond comprehension that in the arena of battle, a politician would sue for being called a “low-life.” That word and millions of other words similar to it are known to be thrown about in the coliseum of politics in all countries of the world. Surely, if called a thief, a molester, a politician would need protection from evil persons who intend to destroy their career, but not words like “low-life.”

As the trial continues, a scandal has now engulfed Mrs Hughes. It was brought up and confirmed in court that her company was given work by her ministry when she was the subject minister. Mrs Hughes admitted in court that she has no evidence to corroborate her assertion that M. Jagdeo offered a sea route to Venezuela as a solution to the border dispute. If there is more to come, then Mrs Hughes is going to become a footnote in politics if she isn’t that already.

DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited.