WHO REALLY RUNS THINGS IN GUYANA?

Nov 08, 2014 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

A great many people have been asking who is in charge of Guyana. One answer was provided recently. It stated that it is Queen’s College that runs things in Guyana? I am not so sure about that.
The first two political leaders of Guyana, Cheddi Jagan and Forbes Burnham, were from Queen’s College. Cheddi was Guyana’s first Premier and Burnham ousted him and took over as Prime Minister in 1964. Burnham later became Executive President in 1980.
After Burnham died a non-Queen’s College person, Desmond Hoyte, took over. He was a St Barnabas boy, like the Peeper. After Hoyte, Cheddi became President thus restoring a Queen’s College old boy to the seat of the Executive Presidency. When Cheddi died, Samuel Hinds, another Queen’s College graduate held the fort. But since then there have been three Presidents, none of whom went to Queen’s College. Janet Jagan, Bharrat Jagdeo and Donald Ramotar did not attend Queen’s College.
It is true though that within the Cabinet there are a number of Queen’s College graduates. Jennifer Webster, Roger Luncheon, Robeson Benn, Priya Manickchand, Anil Nandlall, Frank Anthony, Samuel Hinds and Ashni Singh are all from Queen’s. As such we have eight persons within the Cabinet that attended Queens.
Not even in Burnham’s day were so many Queen’s College alumni represented in Cabinet. It is highly unusual to find a single school being represented so disproportionately high in any government. You are not going to find that anywhere else in the world. No Cabinet in the world is likely to have so many graduates from one single school represented within its ranks. That says something about an education from Queen’s.
It says something about the life prospects of a student who was educated at the top secondary school in the country. It does also say something about the worth and prestige of graduating from Queen’s.
If you go around to the Government Ministries, agencies and departments, you will find graduates of Queen’s occupying the top echelons. There are many more Queen’s College graduates occupying important positions in public office.
Queen’s College graduates also play key roles in Guyana’s politics. Within APNU both, David Granger and Rupert Roopnaraine are from Queen’s. Many alumni from Queen’s have distinguished themselves locally and internationally. Walter Rodney was from Queens, so too was Vic Insanally, Lionel Luckhoo and Martin Carter.
Many Queen’s students are also playing leading roles in private sector organizations. Many of them are lawyers, doctors, accountants, bankers etc.
Queen’s College produced at least two Commissioners of Police, Laurie Lewis and Henry Greene. Many former students of Queen’s College such as Kaieteur News’s own Adam Harris, Nigel Mc Kenzie, Leonard Gildarie, Sunita Samaroo and Dale Andrews are in the media. The list of accomplishments by Queen’s College graduates is endless, too long for this short column. But Queen’s College students have excelled in all walks of life and professions.
The question however that needs to be asked is, whether the fact that so many former students of Queen’s College occupy top positions in society and in public life is sufficient to declare that Queen’s College runs things in Guyana.
I do not think that such an assessment can be made. Because in so far as Executive power is concerned, such authority is exclusively vested in the President. At the level of the government therefore, Queen’s College may have a large presence but it does not hold Executive authority at the moment. The PPP leadership is sparsely populated with former Queen’s students. And within the opposition parties while alumni of Queens may be well represented in the leadership of these parties, they do not dominate the leadership of these parties.. As such, politically Queen’s College does not run things.
The private sector is a mixed kettle of fish. There are many influential alumni from Queens holding down top positions, but the real power-brokers and corporate giants in Guyana are not at all from Queen’s. Indeed, there are many rich and powerful private sector persons who never went to Queen’s or never even dreamt of going there.
Going to Queen’s College may help one’s life chances. But to say that Guyana is run by Queen’s College is a case of false pride.

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WHO REALLY RUNS THINGS IN GUYANA?

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