Yesu Persaud once again promoting himself in the media
YESU Persaud has once again used his fading public profile to promote himself in the media. Some have said that the ailments associated with old age may be creeping up on him and therefore he may not be conscious of what he is saying.
I have often wondered about the honourary doctorate he received from Warwick University. How and why he was chosen? Notwithstanding the thoughtful intellectualism of Dr. David Dabydeen, who nominated Persaud, I have always believed that there is more to the awarding of the Honourary title to Persaud than what has been shared with the public. It’s a well-known fact that money influences all sorts of decisions, including the decision to award an honourary degree. Presumably this must have been the case with Persaud and Warwick University.
I recall a letter in the media a few years ago which asked the following question:
1. Has DDL or Demerara Bank ever made donations or any form of financial contributions to Warwick University and if so, how much in total, and over what period?
2. Were shareholders ever consulted, or informed of these donations?
3. Have these donations been treated as a tax deductible expense in the accounts of those companies?
If donations of any sort were made then the award should have been given to the source of the funds: the company which donated the money or the shareholders of those companies as it is their money that contributed to the University.
Moreso, if donations were made from the companies (or more precisely from shareholder funds of these companies), why was the Yesu Persaud Centre not named after the respective companies? After all it would help to promote Guyana on the international stage.
And if donations from either DDL or Demerara Bank were made to Warwick University, the obvious question is, why not donate the money at home to the University of Guyana?
Persaud has made many public presentations, and has contributed significantly towards his own self-promotion but it seems his patriotism and sense of accountability are lacking.
PAT HANUMAN.
