Has anything changed since 5 years ago?

Jagdeo authorized radio licence for ‘Ghost Company’

 

Days before President Bharrat Jagdeo demitted office, he directed that a ‘Ghost Company’ be handed a radio licence with five frequencies. General Elections were held on November 28, 2011; Radio Guyana Inc., was incorporated on December 14, 2011, more than two weeks later. Ramroop was listed as the lone director.

A few days later, he appointed as Company Secretary, Lakshmiwatie Shiwnandan, an Attorney-at-Law, whose mailing address was listed as Queens Atlantic Industrial Estate, Industrial Site, Ruimveldt.

 

Two Radio Companies It has now since been revealed that Ramroop owns two separate radio companies— Radio Guyana Inc, and ‘One Guyana Radio Inc.’ One Guyana Radio Inc. was registered three days before the General Elections of 2011 and is still to receive a licence to operate. When this company was incorporated, Ramroop appointed himself as sole director. As is the case with his other radio company, Ramroop also appointed as Company Secretary, Lakshmiwatie Shiwnandan. One Guyana Radio Inc does not broadcast.

 

 

Airwaves     Other broadcast facilities had been approved for licences by Jagdeo before he left office, among them the New Guyana Company Limited, which publishes the Mirror newspaper, and belongs to the ruling People’s Progressive Party. That company was handed five radio frequencies and is yet to commence broadcasting. In addition, Telecor and Cultural Broadcasting Incorporated, was granted five radio frequencies. Telecor had at the time, Ruth Baljit, the sister of Robert Persaud, as its sole shareholder. Persaud’s wife, Kamini Persaud, who also happens to be Jagdeo’s niece, was the other director. Jagdeo gave one radio frequency each to other persons. These are NTN Radio (Anand Persaud), Rudy Grant, Wireless Connections (Maxwell Thom), Hits and Jams Entertainment (Rawle Ferguson), Alfro Alphonso and Sons Enterprise (Alfro Alphonso), Haslyn Graham and

Little Rock Television Station (Rockliffe Christie). There are other radio licences in the pipeline. A meeting to examine those applications will be held on Monday, December 16. In December 2010, Jagdeo had also granted two close associates of the PPP permission to broadcast television signals on the 2.5 GHz band, which allows for cable TV operations and internet-related services. These persons were Vishok Persaud, the son of longstanding PPP stalwart Reepu Daman Persaud, and Brian Yong, who mounted the PPP platform in 1996.

 

 

 

 

Radio licences revocations…Opposition moves to dismantle Broadcast Authority, revisit law

The Alliance For Change (AFC) yesterday announced that it is planning to raise several critical matters during the coming session of the Parliament, including revisiting the 2011 controversial allocation of radio and cable licences. The National Assembly is due to reconvene in October. According to Vice Chairman of the Alliance For Change (AFC), Moses Nagamootoo, his party remains convinced that the 2011 allocations of radio and cable licences, days before former President Bharrat Jagdeo stepped down, smacks of nepotism and corruption.

“…That your government can give away national assets to cronies and friends, is no equivocation to the fact that these should be recalled…be rescinded, cannot just be swept under the rug.” Nagamootoo had served as a former Minister of Information, before it was brought under the control of the Office of the President. AFC is not discounting revisiting the Broadcast Act and dismantling the current board. However, this will have to come hand-in-hand with the people raising their voices as part of the objections. Revelations that the licences, with multiple frequencies, went to mainly friends and for party members, sparked protests and calls for the allocations to be rescinded and the process reviewed. There was anger also that established media houses like Kaieteur News, Stabroek News and Capitol News, were all bypassed, raising questions about the fairness of the process. Under agreements with the Opposition, new radio and television licences could not be granted unless new broadcasts laws were passed and an authority established to overlook the process. Although the laws were passed when Jagdeo, as Minister of Information, approved the licences that among other things, included five frequencies to his personal friend, Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Jagdeo, the authority had not become functional until several months later, in 2012. Critics argued that the process was unfair and broke political trust, giving the Government a monopoly. “Here you have the Broadcast Authority headed by Bibi Shadick, a sitting Member of Parliament… a former Minister of the Jagdeo (President Donald) Ramotar Government. That shows clearly and betrays a conflict of interest.” “The authority should be shaken up. There is no room for a politician to head it. It needs independent experts who know how to deal with issues like the electromagnetic spectrum. We are saying that the there is no competence in the authority to deal with the allocations. We also have to come back to whether the authority is properly composed.”

That the licences were allocated to those especially “in bed” with the government, is not only immoral, but wrong. “This is wrong… this is unlawful… this violates all decencies and known principles of which you could judge fairness and equity and justice, because all you would have done is hive off national resources to your friends.” According to Nagamootoo, allocations of the licences are tantamount to the worst crime that a regime can commit. “It enjoys and promotes incestuous relationship, with its own friends and cronies.  This is not the way to go because there are many persons granted licences here and there… the question is do they have the capacity to invest?” So far, of the 11 radio licences granted, only three have started broadcasting. Licences. Five frequencies each also went to the PPP newspaper, The Mirror, and to an overseas-based sister of senior Government Minister, Robert Persaud. Licences, but with single frequencies, also went to some others. “Where there is a monopoly… there is no competition; where there is a no competition, there is no fairness and no fair playfield. It means the game is rigged. The mighty will strangle the small.” The AFC official added that the allocations went against the grain of what was originally envisioned. The idea, he explained, was to establish community radios, including one at the University of Guyana. “This is where the culture, way of life can be reflected in a homogenous facility. The monopolies of radio stations as reflected by the allocations take away from these intentions.” An overhaul and new regulations were also designed to benefit the “lowly” and the “mighty”. “That is what is called a quality democracy; not a cowboy, sheriff-come-to-town, wild-west tradition where the sheriff decided who gets the gun. That was the characteristic of the Jagdeo Government in the name of executive authority.” According to Nagamootoo, the fact that applicants with a certifiable track record were overlooked while “Johnny and Jennies-come-lately” were approved, compound the insult and strengthen the claim that there was executive lawlessness. Applicants who were not considered by the Jagdeo administration have been asked to reapply. However, there have not been any decisions as yet by the Broadcast Authority to address new applications for radio and television liences. A former executive of ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) who resigned after differences, Nagamootoo disclosed that the long overdue appointment of members of the Public Procurement Commission and a proper functioning Integrity Commission are also top priorities of the AFC.

I am totally convinced that Moses is a SHAMELESS, DESPERATE and WICKED man.  This is a man who was beaten and punched while selling the Mirror Newspaper. A man who was beaten like a dog and left to die, trying to rewrite his own History. This is a man who is well aware of the blatant denial of ink, paper and printing Press on every Press except the New Nation AND this DISGRACEFUL man will sit in a Conference and peddle his GARBAGE. He IS a DANGER to Society!!!!!!!!

Pavi, inject some sanity into your responses to serious matters.

What happen you cant handle the TRUTH. The man is a SHAMELESS Carpetbagger!!!

 

Do you even know what a carpetbagger is?

Nah tell meh nah.

The only people living in fear are the terrorist of Buxton, Agricola, Linden, etc.  There terrorists make up 2% of the population.  In the PNC days, 50+% lived in daily fear.  We will never allow that to return.

Nagamootoo, a practising attorney, and Member of Parliament for the ruling People’s Progressive Party (PPP), said that he is seeing in Guyana “large doses of fear” by the media in reporting stories that could be deemed offensive to the administration. He said he is sensing in Guyana an “unease” that has never experienced before.

Nagamootoo, who also once served as Minister of Information, posited that while there are costs that would be associated with the government enacting and implementing Freedom of Information Legislation, it is a cost that is necessary and important for Guyana.

I really don't care much for what Nagamottoo says, but the fact is there is indeed more fear now in Guyana than during the reign of the PNC. And I wasn't a fan of Burnhan either.

Can't you people see Nagamotoo is being used by the main opposition to smear the gov't.? His unpopularity is growing every time he opens  his mouth. Keep it up Naga. The PPP loves what you're doing - just hanging yourself.

That the licences were allocated to those especially “in bed” with the government, is not only immoral, but wrong. “This is wrong… this is unlawful… this violates all decencies and known principles of which you could judge fairness and equity and justice, because all you would have done is hive off national resources to your friends.” According to Nagamootoo, allocations of the licences are tantamount to the worst crime that a regime can commit. “It enjoys and promotes incestuous relationship, with its own friends and cronies.  This is not the way to go because there are many persons granted licences here and there… the question is do they have the capacity to invest?” So far, of the 11 radio licences granted, only three have started broadcasting. Licences. Five frequencies each also went to the PPP newspaper, The Mirror, and to an overseas-based sister of senior Government Minister, Robert Persaud. Licences, but with single frequencies, also went to some others. “Where there is a monopoly… there is no competition; where there is a no competition, there is no fairness and no fair playfield. It means the game is rigged. The mighty will strangle the small.”

The opposition has access to a number of TV stations to shower hate. How many more do you want? The opposition, assisted by a rogue member of the PPP is trying to fool the world that all radio and tv stations are control by the gov't. This is big lie!! TV stations such as Capitol News and CNS are anti-gov't.

When you promote drugs and money laundering as an industry as the PPP has done, then naturally crime and corruption comes along with it.

According to Vice Chairman of the Alliance For Change (AFC), Moses Nagamootoo, his party remains convinced that the 2011 allocations of radio and cable licences, days before former President Bharrat Jagdeo stepped down, smacks of nepotism and corruption.

I notice that you have disappeared from this thread after you were asked to define "carpetbagger". Are you still looking in the dictionary?

Mit, what date were the licence granted? What date did Mose leave the PPP? Just asking.

Why would that matter? In any event it was a week before Jagdeo left office. That he awarded a couple of licenses to his friend to a non existent company is criminal enough. Someone needs to test the constitutional immunity against criminal misuse of states assets by the executive since it speaks to rules for honest government. Moses has nothing to do with this big fat thieving queen deciding to treat the nations assets as his personal property. That is the essence of corruption...

You mentioned that "Someone needs to test the constitutional immunity against criminal misuse of states assets by the executive since it speaks to rules for honest government". Actually, that is a good idea. Be a leader - start testing the "constitutional immunity" notion. You have a lot of time on your hands. I have to work.

Jagdeo authorized radio licence for ‘Ghost Company’

 

Days before President Bharrat Jagdeo demitted office, he directed that a ‘Ghost Company’ be handed a radio licence with five frequencies. General Elections were held on November 28, 2011; Radio Guyana Inc., was incorporated on December 14, 2011, more than two weeks later. Ramroop was listed as the lone director.

A few days later, he appointed as Company Secretary, Lakshmiwatie Shiwnandan, an Attorney-at-Law, whose mailing address was listed as Queens Atlantic Industrial Estate, Industrial Site, Ruimveldt.

 

Two Radio Companies It has now since been revealed that Ramroop owns two separate radio companies— Radio Guyana Inc, and ‘One Guyana Radio Inc.’ One Guyana Radio Inc. was registered three days before the General Elections of 2011 and is still to receive a licence to operate. When this company was incorporated, Ramroop appointed himself as sole director. As is the case with his other radio company, Ramroop also appointed as Company Secretary, Lakshmiwatie Shiwnandan. One Guyana Radio Inc does not broadcast.

 

 

Airwaves     Other broadcast facilities had been approved for licences by Jagdeo before he left office, among them the New Guyana Company Limited, which publishes the Mirror newspaper, and belongs to the ruling People’s Progressive Party. That company was handed five radio frequencies and is yet to commence broadcasting. In addition, Telecor and Cultural Broadcasting Incorporated, was granted five radio frequencies. Telecor had at the time, Ruth Baljit, the sister of Robert Persaud, as its sole shareholder. Persaud’s wife, Kamini Persaud, who also happens to be Jagdeo’s niece, was the other director. Jagdeo gave one radio frequency each to other persons. These are NTN Radio (Anand Persaud), Rudy Grant, Wireless Connections (Maxwell Thom), Hits and Jams Entertainment (Rawle Ferguson), Alfro Alphonso and Sons Enterprise (Alfro Alphonso), Haslyn Graham and

Little Rock Television Station (Rockliffe Christie). There are other radio licences in the pipeline. A meeting to examine those applications will be held on Monday, December 16. In December 2010, Jagdeo had also granted two close associates of the PPP permission to broadcast television signals on the 2.5 GHz band, which allows for cable TV operations and internet-related services. These persons were Vishok Persaud, the son of longstanding PPP stalwart Reepu Daman Persaud, and Brian Yong, who mounted the PPP platform in 1996.

 

 

 

 

Whose truth Pavi?

 

The purpose of dialog is not to see who can and cannot handle truths. Raving and ranting about that is a distraction. Finding the truth is the key.

 

You hold the current PPP as Gods and when they have failings they are better than the alternative. To that end you use the language you use - doctrinaire, demagogic and hubristic. I  like the PPP as a party and Ii see a deviant form of it as it is currently constituted. I disliked the old PNC, and I  think the old PPP was one of its enabler (critical support).

 

 

But the new political landscape? That's what any sensible person wants to examine. You start with the notion that today's Guyana is bad - not that it is no good - but it is not maximizing its potential. So we look at the new force - AFC. We look at the new APNU. We look at the new PPP. You look backwards Ppavi., Look forward. Remove the old demagogues in your mind.

 

The truth?! You seem to ignore it, why railing that I can't handle it. That's weakness Pavi. You are a better man than that. Rise up to your potential as a human. That's your challenge - not whether I can handle the truth!

Base.....can you add something that makes sense, rather than regurgitating old discredited views? The world has moved pass you. Catch up with it. The future is bright and promising. Stop living in the past.

Don't you have some reading to do to a child?

Mit, thank you.

Dondadda, we all need to pay heed to what Moses is saying.

 

Moses parts from the PPP

…leaves guess open about political future

Moses Nagamootoo, yesterday, parted ways with the People’s Progressive Party

(PPP) Central Executive, saying that the current leadership has demonstrated the sort of pettiness, greed, corruption and arrogance that party founder, Dr Cheddi Jagan, fought against. However, Nagamootoo, 64, declined to say which political platform he would be standing on ahead of the November 28 polls. He was clear, though, that his political future would be with any movement that wants to get rid of the “winner takes all” system of governance. “I have always been committed to the formation in this country of broad coalitions that work for common goals and I believe someday this country will see and must see a government of national unity,” Nagamootoo said at the Georgetown office from which he runs his legal practice. The Alliance for Change (AFC) has offered certain “proposals” for the now former PPP executive to join its camp, but Nagamootoo would not be drawn into making any declarations of support for that party or any other. However, he said that his “trophy” for standing up for his principles was seeing that over 1,000 persons attended an AFC meeting at his paternal home village of Whim on the Corentyne Coast – an area that has traditionally been a stronghold of the PPP. Nagamootoo said the meeting was a convergence of villagers from nearby Afro and Indo-Guyanese villages and he was “rewarded” in that the people said they “wanted” him. “They came to show that race didn’t matter. What they want to show is support for someone they believe they know, they believe they can trust in, and who they believe had political integrity,” he declared. Nagamootoo said that the current elections should be about issues that appeal to people’s minds, and not a “bacchanal” that appeals to the emotions of people. The PPP said that Nagamootoo’s resignation was no surprise as he has not been participating in the party’s activities for a while. A release from Freedom House, the PPP headquarters, said that Nagamootoo’s dissatisfaction with the party was heightened after he failed to secure any support for his bid as the Presidential Candidate of the PPP/C for the 2011 elections. “Today’s action by Nagamootoo was predictable given his longstanding public dissatisfaction at not being supported by the membership and leadership for his bid as the Presidential Candidate, his efforts to secure a spot in Government in 2005 and the membership’s non-support for him to be a member of the Executive Committee following his withdrawal from the body in 2005,” the PPP stated. At his press conference, Nagamootoo said that he was “not bitter as a person” but rather that he had fought for a democratic process in the selection of the presidential candidate. He said that his support among the party base was strong, noting that at the 2008 party congress, when he was not even a serving

Government minister, he was among the Top Five vote getters. However, he said that it was the work of a cabal at the leadership level that sought to sledge-hammer him out of the party and throw him to the “dog hut.” “I am amazed, that we could have allowed the undermining of a democratic process in a glorious party to which I had belonged, the PPP, with a fine tradition of revolutionary and progressive behaviour to come to this,” he stated. Nagamootoo requested that the PPP refrain from further using speeches and interviews from previous campaigns, and distorting them to “fool his supporters and the Guyanese electorate that I am campaigning in 2011 for the PPP/C.” He said that his 2006 speech at Good Hope, when he gave the party another shot, was being shown on state-owned TV in Berbice. During 2004-2006, serious disagreements over corruption and national policies led to his withdrawal from the party leadership, but he returned to the 2006 elections platform to preserve party unity, “and to defend the gains we have made from struggles and sacrifices of our supporters.” Nagamootoo said that he called the PPP General Secretary Donald Ramotar to say that the airing of his 2006 rally speech was dishonest and obscene as it sought to create the impression that he was currently campaigning for the party. Nagamootoo became a member of the PPP back in October, 1964 and went through the ranks to become Vice-Chairman of the Progressive Youth Organisation (PYO), Secretary of the National Students Committee, Member of the PPP Central/Executive Committees and Secretariat; and Member of Parliament/Minister of Government. “The best years were those that I spent in struggle at the side of Cheddi Jagan, for which I feel pride. So, today, I walk with clean hands and a clear conscience,” Nagamootoo declared. Nagamootoo became a thorn in the flesh of the PPP when he started to take a consistent stand over “erosion of internal party democracy, corrupt practices, security lapses and arrogant, autocratic leadership.” “I stand by every single word that I had uttered in 2006 – that the PPP was my home; that we shared a vision for the future based on Cheddi Jagan’s core principles, which could be summarized in two words – ‘lean and ‘clean.’ “Unfortunately, the leadership has betrayed its promises as well as these values. “As much as I loved our ‘home,’ there was just no space for me to help make it accountable, responsible and free from corruption.” Nagamootoo said that he could no longer “in good conscience” remain on the Central Committee or serve as a party member. “I will not condone or be a part of any bullying, corruption and authoritarianism, more especially when these decaying practices emerged inside the organization to which I had dedicated all my life and to which I have given my finest efforts as activist, journalist and Government Minister,” he stated. Nagamootoo’s wife, Sita, a retired head teacher and lecturer at the Government teacher’s training college, sat in on the press conference.  She was also a longtime member of the PPP, and did not support his decision to return to the party for the 2006 elections. “Since I first entered politics in 1961, I am proud that I took the stand that I did, against dictatorship, for unity, democracy, press freedom and good governance. I am grateful to my parents, who endured the sacrifice; and to my wife and children, who suffered for it. “I promise to work with all patriots to bring healing, unity and lasting peace to our nation; to make our country grow, and to provide bread with equality and justice for all our people; to meaningfully help the poor, powerless and marginalized, and give hope and security to our new generation.”

I am not here to teach DUNCES like you!!!!

Can you address the OPPORTUNISTIC ploy of Moses, that is sticking to the topic. Can you address the disgraceful rewriting of one's history for political gains?? That is sticking to the Topic. THE MAN HAS NO BLOODY SHAME!!!!

Mits, I only trust, listen and believe in the truth.I don't think that the PPP, APNU/PNC or AFC understands that. If the truth walked up to them for a handshake they wouldn't recognize it. What they all want is to grab POWER or remain in POWER by using/lying to the ordinary guyanese people 

Stay with me here for a moment Pavi.

 

Enumerate the points of history that Moses is rewriting. "have no shame" and "opportunistic ploy" are opinions that follow from stating these points of history that Moses is rewriting. Here is a good moment to convince me of your opinion Pavi. Don't let it go to waste. State the points of history being rewritten. Go for it. Everyone on this Board will agree with you - you just have to state these.

The fact that he is fully aware and experienced the FEAR of the past Regime, the FEAR of the Press(Father Darke), the FEAR of living in Guyana(KICK DOWN DOOR) and many many more if you have the time I can list and for him to sit there and make RECKLESS Statements to TRY and gain Political Points IS SHAMEFUL and DISGRACEFUL.

Moses knows these things of which you speak - the past regime, Father D'Arke, etc. He uses these as exhibits of how that PPP fought against these. Where is he rewriting history? C'mon man, here's your opportunity to show all on this Board that you are right about this current iteration of the PPP.

He KNOWS of all this, then why is me making wild statements???

Fear today worse than in Burnhamite days – MP Moses Nagamootoo

Old Guyanese politicians are like maingy dogs-sad goofy eyes and marbled baltz.

 

Credability is a real test fuh dem.

 

Time for an unknown wid no known indiscretions. 

Now you are getting somewhere. Let's look at the fear under Burnham and look at what it is today. The fears of press freedom exists then and now, though today it is subtle, then it was by fiat. The fears of violence - then it was a few killings that stayed away from the general public, today it is more numerous and involves more of the public. Look at opportunities - then the illicit trading gave lots of openings; today there are lots of opportunities but they are for a select few (oligarchs). Back then the poor can get by with subsistence farming; today you need repatriated money from families. We can go on and on, but Moses is not rewriting history or making wild allegations.

 

That's right Uncle Mullah, heducate he s****!

If there is anyone who needs to learn ABC is you. Yuh head nah mek fuh Education.

Violent crimes are worse today than in the Burnham years.

Executions/deadly hits are worse today than in the Burnham years.

The narco trade is worse today than in the Burnham years.

Police killings and police brutality are worse today than in the Burnham years.

All these phenomena have generated a level of fear unprecedented in Guyana's post-colonial history.

All these phenomena are occurring under PPP rule.

The buck stops with the PPP government.