“All hands needed to take Guyana forward”

May 29, 2016 AFC Column, Features / Columnists

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Prime Minister Moses Veerasammy Nagamootoo told Berbicians last Wednesday morning that every Guyanese, regardless of race, religion or political affiliation, should come together as a united people in order to move Guyana forward. He was at the time addressing hundreds of Berbicians gathered on the lawns of the State House of New Amsterdam for the Region Six flag raising ceremony.
Prime Minister Nagamootoo said that the celebrations, from the time that the plans began to take shape, have always been about showcasing the best of Guyana, who we are, where we’ve come from, the struggles we struggled and battles we waged to keep our freedoms, and the directions in which we are headed.
Guyana has had a rather colourful history under the colonial-era rule of the Dutch, French, Spanish and British. This perhaps cemented our lasting relationships, trade and otherwise, with Europe. Even before the Golden Arrowhead was unfurled for the first time in 1966, this country found synchrony with the West Indies that later (1972) become known as the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). Perhaps it was our shared histories and the ties developed between the 3 Guianas and the closeby islands. Perhaps it was the similarity of ambition among the leaders – Dr. Eric Williams (T&T), Errol Barrow (B’dos) and Forbes Burnham (Guyana) – that kept Guyana closely tied to the Caribbean.
But the direction of the winds changed around the turn of the century and we began to develop close economic relations with the countries that share the South American continental space. There really is much more for Guyanese to gain from interactions with our closest neighbours. One such is lingual dexterity.
According to the PM, “the Guyana ship will continue to sail on into a new 50-year cycle … and the generations to come will be speaking English, speaking Spanish, speaking French, speaking Portuguese and speaking Dutch because we have a continental destiny”.
The Prime Minister insisted that it was Guyanese of every hue who contributed to the struggles for Guyana’s Independence. This was the strength of his urging for everyone to come on board and help in the development of our country.
“I believe that all of our political leaders from our political parties must be commended for the roles they all played to bring us this far. If we are to move forward, we need every hand on deck of the Guyana ship. We need all hands on the paddles. It won’t do us any good to look at which paddle is red or green or yellow. We are a team – the Guyana team. We have to bat for Guyana, bowl for Guyana, run for Guyana and above all, we must win for Guyana.”
The PM was accompanied on stage by Regional Chairman, David Armogan who echoed the Prime Minister’s call for all Guyanese to learn to live together as one, and to work towards national development as we move into the next half century.
Berbicians and visitors were treated to a rich cultural programme that included dances, songs, dramatic poems and African and Tassa drumming. Also gracing the stage was the Mariachi Men, a Mexican performing troupe visiting Guyana under the auspices of the Mexican Embassy to participate in the Jubilee celebrations.
After the formal programme, the Golden Arrowhead was hoisted from the lawns of State House, New Amsterdam.
(GINA May 2016)
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SOME NOTABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN 50
* The 65-mile-long Linden/Soesdyke Highway, the first of its kind in the Caribbean. This engineering masterpiece will soon undergo massive rehabilitation

* The first floating bridge in the Caribbean, the Demerara Harbour Bridge, measuring 6,074’. It was designed by Guyanese Captain John Coghlan to last only 10 years, but 38 years later it is still serving its purpose.

* In the field of Education, Guyana has ALWAYS been known as the country with the most literate people. In the last 5 years or so, our students have been carving out a special niche at CXC and C-SEC. They have been winning regional awards left and right, and we are proud.

* The outstanding Guyanese in the field of medicine have not forgotten their roots. Every year without exception they trek back to their home communities in Berbice, West Demerara, Essequibo and Linden, bringing medicines, skills, equipment for health centres and training for nurses, doctors and auxiliary staff.

** Our children have benefitted from free education from nursery to University up to the 1990’s. Before, during and after this period, Guyana produced some outstanding people in various fields of endeavour:
* Former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Sir Shridath Ramphal
* Mme Desiree Bernard, First female Chief Justice in Guyana & one of the first Judges on the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ)
*Justice Mohamed Shahabuddeen (b 1931) who occupied many judicial and governmental positions in Guyana, including Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs who served as a Judge at the International Court of Justice from 1988 to 1997
* Professor Nigel Harris, previous Chancellor of the University of the West Indies, current Chancellor of the University of Guyana.
In the sporting arena, Guyana’s celebrities are boundless. The most successful era of West Indies Cricket was under the captaincy of Guyanese Clive Lloyd. The names of people such as Alvin Kallicharran, Romain Etwaroo, Carl Hooper, Lance Gibbs, Roger Harper and Farouk Bacchus will not be forgotten. Guyana has marked quite a few names in other international sporting disciplines.
The field of entertainment is also rife with people whose names still evoke a broad smile. And this is just a snapshot of Guyana from whence we came, pointing to where we’re going.

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