Florida-based Guyanese bemoan consulate…Miami’s honorary consul employs wife, doesn’t know her salary

Nov 14, 2017 News, https://www.kaieteurnewsonline...snt-know-her-salary/

Several Guyanese residing overseas, particularly in Miami, Florida, have been complaining about the poor services being offered at the honorary consulate in that district.

The most recent complaint has been lodged by Harold Smith.

Smith said in a letter in today’s issue of the Kaieteur News, that mediocre service has been offered for years. “It was so under the last regime and I guess nobody thought to complain because we all know how business was conducted then.”

He explained that Guyanese living in Florida, specifically all of Southeast and Southwest, must travel to Miami to conduct business with the Consulate in relation to passport renewals, affidavits and life certificates.

“But it seems that the Government of Guyana has not seen it fit to set up a formal Consulate and maintain an Honorary Consul who is disinterested in the job.”

Smith said that his brother recently sought the services of the consulate. He called, got no response; left messages and his number, but was never contacted.

Smith said that after hours of driving he arrived “in the bowels of the ghetto” where the consulate is located to be greeted by a closed office. He said that there was no sign indicating whether the closing was temporary as in “out to lunch”.

Smith said that because it is such a long drive from where his brother resides, the citizen decided to wait. “After a long while, a car pulled up and a female exited and walked over to the door. He inquired and she told him that she ran the office which he noted was a part of a furniture store…The address was disingenuously displayed on the façade of a furniture store, protected by iron gates, and void of any symbol/ flag designating the location as a consulate representing a country, and in this case, Guyana.

“The entry door read Guyana Consulate; no Golden Arrowhead. On the inside, there was no Guyana flag; yet an American flag was proudly displayed. “

Based on his encounter, Smith’s brother was of the opinion that the honorary consul was a woman.

Smith’s brother recounted, “I spoke with the female honorary consul, and requested to be scheduled for an appointment the following week. The honorary consul bluntly stated that she “does not schedule” appointments, but the office is opened daily from 10am-4pm.

“I requested a business card, but was told that she does not have business cards. At no time during the exchange was I provided the honorary consul name/s. Hence, I refer to the honorary consul as she.”

On Sunday, this newspaper contacted Ramzan Roshanali who is supposed to be the Honorary Consul. The allegations were put to him. He vehemently denied that the services offered are beneath standards. He said it is must be “highly untrue” that “the young lady” would be anything but helpful and professional.

Roshanali said that the facility is open every weekday from 10:00am-4:00pm. He said that the only time the building is closed would be on weekends or holidays. Later in the conversation, he said that the office may be closed if errands need to be run.

Roshanali said that he receives absolutely no financial benefits from the Government of Guyana for the work that he does. Neither does he take a cent for the space in his building that is being utilised. “I receive absolutely no rent.”

He was asked about his staff and he said that the consulate was “fully staffed.”

He then explained that the only two people who operate at the facility are himself and a “young lady.”

However, he said that the “young lady” who works with him receives financial compensation.

The newspaper queried about the amount of money that is offered to the individual. Roshanali claimed ignorance. Roshanali said that he has no idea how much money is given to the worker. He said he doesn’t know how she is being paid.

He said, “I will find out from the young lady tomorrow.”

This newspaper found it strange that the honorary consul had no idea how much money is offered to the only other person operating in the honorary consulate office.

When this newspaper asked the name of the “young lady” Roshanali responded, “Her name is Churshid Roshanali. Questioned about his relations to the woman he previously referred to only as “the young lady”, the Honorary Consul said, “She is my wife, she is the boss.”

He said that he does not know how much money his wife is receiving and endeavoured to find out and feed the newspaper with that information.

One day passed and contact was made again with Mr Roshanali who told this publication that he hadn’t the chance to find out from his wife how much she receives, as most of his day was consumed by his engagement in construction duties.

When Roshanali spoke to this newspaper on Sunday, he said that he devotes much time and resources to the effective running of the consulate.

He said, “If I have to go to Orlando, I use my own car and everything. I go out of my way to please Guyanese. I have been doing this for 14 years and I do it for the love.”

The entrance to the office.

For the record, Ramzan is my first cousin and the woman is indeed his wife. Since he took over the consulate and moved it into his furniture store, he has been doing it free of charge as he always liked Jagan and by extension, Jagdeo and Ramotar. In fact, I asked him one day if the new government hadn't kicked him out and he said no. His wife told me that maybe it is because they do it for free. And yes, it is not her priority as her business is. My cousin Ram doesn't need that job but it looks like the government is fine since they don't pay for the service. If he says that he doesn't know what she makes it must be because the store doesn't really write a paycheck to either him or her from the furniture business.

Ksazma you should get your cousin a Guyana flag for Christmas.

ksazma posted:

For the record, Ramzan is my first cousin and the woman is indeed his wife. Since he took over the consulate and moved it into his furniture store, he has been doing it free of charge as he always liked Jagan and by extension, Jagdeo and Ramotar. In fact, I asked him one day if the new government hadn't kicked him out and he said no. His wife told me that maybe it is because they do it for free. And yes, it is not her priority as her business is. My cousin Ram doesn't need that job but it looks like the government is fine since they don't pay for the service.If he says that he doesn't know what she makes it must be because the store doesn't really write a paycheck to either him or her from the furniture business.

Suh they working for free in their own business.

Kudos to your cousin for offering free Consulate Service.

Django bai, you know self employed people don't discuss finances in public.

My cousin is a very strong PPP supporter so it is surprising that the current government still has him running their business but it is not easy to pass up free.

Mitwah posted:

Ksazma you should get your cousin a Guyana flag for Christmas.

Think of this for a moment. He is better off with the US flag than the Guyana one. 

Adam Harris (Burnham Man) from KN is up to it's usual Garbage of Lie articles. He is publishing the same crap that Mitwah was parroting during the last election campaign.

Glen Lall has turned KN into New Nation all because of a few ounces of soup.

Here you have an honest Guyanese providing services for free including a physical office all for free as per Kaz and you have the PNC targeting him after Granger's visit to the USA.

Translation:

"We the PNC want someone from Brooklyn to be paid for this job and the government should rent a posh building, after all the PNC is about sport, fete, wine down and wasting taxpayers monies."

Harold Smith is obviously a Black PNC supporter, 1. he was shocked to find an Indian Guyanese, more so a PPP supporter being the Consul, a representative of the government of Guyana 2. the man also had his wife working with him. Mr Ramzan stated he is working for FREE, providing office space for FREE, uses his own transportation for FREE. Well, don't you think Granjar has been looking for a Black replacement who can work for FREE, but the answer was "only a PPP would work for FREE"

For background, my cousin used to work for others in Canada before he moved to Florida. He was a VP Finance back then. At one point he had about 6 furniture stores but I don't know how many he has now. He is older now and not in the same need for money as when his kids were young. He likes cricket and the walls of his house is plastered with pictures of West Indian cricketers. He also have personal pictures with many of the stalwarts. If he sounded dismissive, it may be because at this point of his life he probably is.

ksazma posted:

For background, my cousin used to work for others in Canada before he moved to Florida. He was a VP Finance back then. At one point he had about 6 furniture stores but I don't know how many he has now. He is older now and not in the same need for money as when his kids were young. He likes cricket and the walls of his house is plastered with pictures of West Indian cricketers. He also have personal pictures with many of the stalwarts. If he sounded dismissive, it may be because at this point of his life he probably is.

Kaz, advise your cousin to give up that voluntary Consul wuk. It's an ungrateful job. Better he tends to his furniture business 100% and mek some Berbice chairs fo dem aging Guyanese in FL.

THis Simon do not see it fit to attack the Nincompoop Govt but freely ATTACK this Gentleman. Talk about ungrateful Bastards!!!1

Gilly, I may comment on what people do but I will never take it to the next level of telling them what to do. This dude is a grown man and will do what he feels like doing. My guess is that he doesn't really care one way or the other. He likes Guyana so that must be why he does it. In fact that is what he said.

Gilbakka posted:

ksazma posted:

For background, my cousin used to work for others in Canada before he moved to Florida. He was a VP Finance back then. At one point he had about 6 furniture stores but I don't know how many he has now. He is older now and not in the same need for money as when his kids were young. He likes cricket and the walls of his house is plastered with pictures of West Indian cricketers. He also have personal pictures with many of the stalwarts. If he sounded dismissive, it may be because at this point of his life he probably is.

Kaz, advise your cousin to give up that voluntary Consul wuk. It's an ungrateful job. Better he tends to his furniture business 100% and mek some Berbice chairs fo dem aging Guyanese in FL.

Something tell me that a good looking GDF soldier is getting ready to be the Consul General of Florida, hence the timely posting of this story in KNews.  But I will wait and see.

I wonder if Jordan will be able to provide the pay stubs for my cousin as well as this GDF soldier after he takes over the job?

Bibi Haniffa posted:

Something tell me that a good looking GDF soldier is getting ready to be the Consul General of Florida, hence the timely posting of this story in KNews.  But I will wait and see.

Let's wait and see.

yuji22 posted:

after all the PNC is about sport, fete, wine down and wasting taxpayers monies."

Hmmm. Barbara Atherly being a hard working woman, ensuring that even PPP supporters have access to Guyana consular services when she goes to RH and Schenectady on WEEKENDS.   Yes she knows that they cannot get to the consulate in Manhattan during the week so she has special events where they can access the consulate. And she keeps it open in Saturday a month.

Of course the Indo KKK that you are will peddle that stereotype of this woman and her team!  Just because she is a black woman she must be stereotyped.

kp posted:

Harold Smith is obviously a Black PNC supporter, 

 

 

Or maybe he is just a Guyanese who wants to know why a part of the USA with a large Guyanese population doesn't have better consular service.

Is Barbara Atherly paid for her work? Does the government pay for rent and other expenses?

ksazma posted:

Is Barbara Atherly paid for her work? Does the government pay for rent and other expenses?

Wait for words of wisdom. Well, first he has to get his head out his kakahole.

ksazma posted:

Is Barbara Atherly paid for her work? Does the government pay for rent and other expenses?

Yes.

Bibi, give Ian Smith a chance to answer. I love to read the sweet words of wisdom.

caribny posted:

yuji22 posted:

after all the PNC is about sport, fete, wine down and wasting taxpayers monies."

Hmmm. Barbara Atherly being a hard working woman, ensuring that even PPP supporters have access to Guyana consular services when she goes to RH and Schenectady on WEEKENDS.   Yes she knows that they cannot get to the consulate in Manhattan during the week so she has special events where they can access the consulate. And she keeps it open in Saturday a month.

Of course the Indo KKK that you are will peddle that stereotype of this woman and her team!  Just because she is a black woman she must be stereotyped.

No one is peddling anything about her.  Atherly is indeed a hardworking woman and a pleasant lady.

ksazma posted:

I wonder if Jordan will be able to provide the pay stubs for my cousin as well as this GDF soldier after he takes over the job?

As soon as he finds the $US 20 million he will check and see.

caribny posted:

yuji22 posted:

after all the PNC is about sport, fete, wine down and wasting taxpayers monies."

Hmmm. Barbara Atherly being a hard working woman, ensuring that even PPP supporters have access to Guyana consular services when she goes to RH and Schenectady on WEEKENDS.   Yes she knows that they cannot get to the consulate in Manhattan during the week so she has special events where they can access the consulate. And she keeps it open in Saturday a month.

Of course the Indo KKK that you are will peddle that stereotype of this woman and her team!  Just because she is a black woman she must be stereotyped.

Look at the delusional Kaffir KKK. He is now making up stuff at GNI.

How the hell we are speaking about Florida and you end up in Schenectady ?

Mr. Kaffir KKK is high on smoking something.

caribny posted:

kp posted:

Harold Smith is obviously a Black PNC supporter, 

 

 

Or maybe he is just a Guyanese who wants to know why a part of the USA with a large Guyanese population doesn't have better consular service.

 

You get what you PAY for.

ksazma posted:

Is Barbara Atherly paid for her work? Does the government pay for rent and other expenses?

I had nothing to say about your relative.  My response was to you and your fellow racists who screamed about "PNC sport, fete, wine down and wasting tax payers' money" when the topic was about a consulate.  Given that she is nominated by a PNC dominated regime she becomes a test case.  

She shows all your racists that she offers BETTER consular services EVEN TO PPP supporters than when the PPP was in power!  Yet the screams about "PNC sport, fete, wine down, and wasting tax payers' money" with the usual appeal to the racist stereotypes that you all hold of blacks.

You and your ilk imply that she does no work, parties and wines down.  Because this was a comment about consulates under this government.

Scream and cry and call me a racist because I will CONFRONT asinine jackasses like you who spend all day lambasting black people peddling the SAME stereotypes about us as the KKK does.

If you behave like a KKK I will call you one.  If you don't want me to call you a KKK then cease behaving like them!

kp posted:

 

You get what you PAY for.

any bets if this man was replaced you all would be screaming "blackman a kill ahbe?"

yuji22 posted:

 

Look at the delusional Kaffir KKK. .

I see. Now you are one of Gilly's new found friends.  What did you all do to welcome this naïve man into the Indo KKK?

I see that you are vexed because a "PNC appointed consul general" actually goes all the way to Schenectady to provide consulate services and not just to raise money for political campaigns.  

Yes this BLACK woman who isn't sporting, feting, wining down and wasting tax payers funds as you all claim that would happen if some PPP supporters wasn't the consul general.  Outreaching to Guyanese as Guyanese and not as supporters of some race based party.  A woman who goes out to celebrate Hindu events in RH even as PPP frauds ignored the large base of Guyanese in Brooklyn.

And this is the recognition that the Indo KKK give her, and then they scream when I call them Indo KKK.

caribny posted:

kp posted:

 

You get what you PAY for.

any bets if this man was replaced you all would be screaming "blackman a kill ahbe?"

You are a low life disgrace for a Blackman. You are trying to spread fear on Indians by repeating  that phrase over and over."Blackman a kill ahbe". In other words you want to say that blackman will kill Indians and that is your mantra. 

caribny posted:

ksazma posted:

Is Barbara Atherly paid for her work? Does the government pay for rent and other expenses?

I had nothing to say about your relative. 

I didn't say that you did. I was just trying to ascertain if she also work as a volunteer with no compensation for her time and other operating expenses.

caribny posted:

yuji22 posted:

 

Look at the delusional Kaffir KKK. .

I see. Now you are one of Gilly's new found friends.  What did you all do to welcome this naïve man into the Indo KKK?

 

Kaffir, here you go again with your personal attack on Gilbakka --- this naive man in the Indo KKK. And then you wonder why I call you out as an anti-Indian racist.

In a closed thread you wrote: "List what makes me anti Indian?  Because I aggressively confront Indian racism when it appears and call those who peddle it members of the Indo KKK. Because I call Civic what it is and that is a Bantustan that Cheddi set up for black "allies" who were immediately sidelined and ignored...."

FYI, Cheddi Jagan never set up any Bantustan for 'black "allies"'. You're twisting history to fit your racial viewfinder. The Civic that Jagan set up had more Indos than Afros. Shaik Baksh, Asgar Ally, Dr Hughley Hanoman, Dr Khemraj Rai, Mansoor Nadir, Dr Ramsammy, Kim Kissoon and Dr Dale Bisnauth are some Indo names in the Civic that come to my mind immediately. Sam Hinds, Dr Henry Jeffrey and the Portuguese lawyer Bernard Dos Santos were the few non-Indians. Bantustan you call that?

I am reminding you again: YOU started a racial war with me just because I stopped supporting APNU+AFC and resumed my support for the PPP.

Of all persons in this forum, Gilbakka has never been a racist or 'Indo KKK'. My non-racial approach to Guyanese politics has deep roots going way back to the period 1969-1992 when, as a PPP activist, class and class struggle mattered far above race.

As everyone here knows, ideologically I am still a socialist and race is not a consideration for me. After all, the PPP is still a Marxist-Leninist party according to its Constitution. But YOU CARIB wasted no time to attack me with racially charged terms like Indo KKK, Jagdeo slave, PPP plantation, PPP massa etc.

I'm branding you an anti-Indian racist and Kaffir KKK because of how YOU started this war against me. You have a chance to retreat honorably and I shall halt accordingly. The choice is yours. Ignore me and I shall ignore you.

A fowl coop and dog house are better looking than this place. Is this how the GOG wants to promote Tourism?

Mitwah posted:

A fowl coop and dog house are better looking than this place. Is this how the GOG wants to promote Tourism?

Perhaps, Carl Greenidge can rent a suitable office suite in Trump's Mar a Lago.

ksazma posted:

For the record, Ramzan is my first cousin and the woman is indeed his wife. Since he took over the consulate and moved it into his furniture store, he has been doing it free of charge as he always liked Jagan and by extension, Jagdeo and Ramotar. In fact, I asked him one day if the new government hadn't kicked him out and he said no. His wife told me that maybe it is because they do it for free. And yes, it is not her priority as her business is. My cousin Ram doesn't need that job but it looks like the government is fine since they don't pay for the service. If he says that he doesn't know what she makes it must be because the store doesn't really write a paycheck to either him or her from the furniture business.

So you get the service you pay for. I think this is a terrible representation of our nation.We should close it and have the service offered by mail or via Skype from DC or NY. It is terribly frustrating to individuals to drive from outflung regions on the happenstance that they will receive service.

Your cousin need to show some respect and paint the door and properly represent the nation with appropriate designation of symbols etc indicating it is a real place and not some little scam shop put up by some enterprising crook.

I think he should demand more respect also from the government and ask for an allocation of funds to properly pay staff and to conduct business in an appropriate space.Otherwise he should close the office because he will end up being the one seen as skulking on the job. No one knows if he was paid or not.

Florida is increasingly the place most guyanese end up. Almost all of my family are in the Tampa area.  I also wanted to move there this year.

kp posted:

caribny posted:

kp posted:

 

You get what you PAY for.

any bets if this man was replaced you all would be screaming "blackman a kill ahbe?"

You are a low life disgrace for a Blackman. You are trying to spread fear on Indians by repeating  that phrase over and over."Blackman a kill ahbe". In other words you want to say that blackman will kill Indians and that is your mantra. 

The dude is well paid for his work on GNI. He follows instructions from Granger and his team.

kp posted:

Harold Smith is obviously a Black PNC supporter, 1. he was shocked to find an Indian Guyanese, more so a PPP supporter being the Consul, a representative of the government of Guyana 2. the man also had his wife working with him. Mr Ramzan stated he is working for FREE, providing office space for FREE, uses his own transportation for FREE. Well, don't you think Granjar has been looking for a Black replacement who can work for FREE, but the answer was "only a PPP would work for FREE"

 

 

You folks resort to the same racial tribalism with every thing. The reality is that this is a furniture store offering up some space for free with a part-time help who receives no salary and so is not motivated to service however much they may say they do it for love of country. Paid employees are tasked to produce and they show more enthusiasm for the job. Sometimes you fools need to temper your innate reflexive resort to explain everything in terms of race and speak directly to the needs here. 

yuji22 posted:

caribny posted:

yuji22 posted:

after all the PNC is about sport, fete, wine down and wasting taxpayers monies."

Hmmm. Barbara Atherly being a hard working woman, ensuring that even PPP supporters have access to Guyana consular services when she goes to RH and Schenectady on WEEKENDS.   Yes she knows that they cannot get to the consulate in Manhattan during the week so she has special events where they can access the consulate. And she keeps it open in Saturday a month.

Of course the Indo KKK that you are will peddle that stereotype of this woman and her team!  Just because she is a black woman she must be stereotyped.

Look at the delusional Kaffir KKK. He is now making up stuff at GNI.

How the hell we are speaking about Florida and you end up in Schenectady ?

Mr. Kaffir KKK is high on smoking something.

Mal educated scumbags with no sense of decorum are among the reason I do not post here much. That fu.ck..ing low life like you can be enabled and allow to vend your bigoted wares here is an insult to all Guyanese.

D2 posted:

yuji22 posted:

caribny posted:

yuji22 posted:

after all the PNC is about sport, fete, wine down and wasting taxpayers monies."

Hmmm. Barbara Atherly being a hard working woman, ensuring that even PPP supporters have access to Guyana consular services when she goes to RH and Schenectady on WEEKENDS.   Yes she knows that they cannot get to the consulate in Manhattan during the week so she has special events where they can access the consulate. And she keeps it open in Saturday a month.

Of course the Indo KKK that you are will peddle that stereotype of this woman and her team!  Just because she is a black woman she must be stereotyped.

Look at the delusional Kaffir KKK. He is now making up stuff at GNI.

How the hell we are speaking about Florida and you end up in Schenectady ?

Mr. Kaffir KKK is high on smoking something.

Mal educated scumbags with no sense of decorum are among the reason I do not post here much. That fu.ck..ing low life like you can be enabled and allow to vend your bigoted wares here is an insult to all Guyanese.

You should continue to post exposing the bigots,don't allow them to vend their wares.