Ramkarran, Shuman, Gouveia appointed government advisors

Aug 23, 2020 News

Capt. Gerald Gouveia- National Security Advisor to the President

Senior Counsel Ralph Ramkarran- Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs on Border Issues

The Irfaan Ali administration yesterday announced three new political appointments as advisors.
The Office of the President, in a release, announced that Chairman of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), Capt. Gerald Gouveia, was appointed National Security Advisor to the President while Leader of the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP) Lenox Shuman was appointed Advisor to the Minister of Public Works on Civil Aviation.
The third and final appointee was leader of A New And United Guyana (ANUG), Senior Counsel, Ralph Ramkarran, as the Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs on Border Issues.
While Shuman and Ramkarran were unreachable for comments, Gouveia told Kaieteur News that the task at hand will not be easy since there is a lot of work to be done. He added that immediately on the agenda would be reforming the security sector along with boosting border security.
Background on new appointees
Captain Gerry Gouveia is a veteran airline transport rated pilot with 40 years of service in the aviation, security and tourism sectors in Guyana.

Lenox Shuman- Advisor to the Minister of Public Works on Civil Aviation

He is a former military officer with an excess of a decade of service in the Guyana Defence Force where he served as the Chief Pilot of the Army Aircorps.
Gouveia graduated from the Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida and is the current Chairman of the Private Sector Commission.
In addition to his wealth of knowledge and expertise, he has formal training from institutions such as the NTSB Academy in Washington DC in Aircraft Accident Investigations, George Washington University in Virginia USA in Aviation Safety and Security and the Center for Hemispheric Defence Studies in the National Defence University all in Washington DC, in areas of National Defence and Security.
He is a fellow of the Center for Hemispheric Defence Studies in the National Defence University in Washington DC.
Lenox Shuman, Leader of the Liberty & Justice Party, is a licensed pilot with a wealth of aviation experience.
An old student of the North Georgetown Secondary School, Shuman furthered his studies in Canada where he gained his piloting qualifications and experience.
His 8,000 hours of flight experience was garnered through his flying of the following types of Aircrafts – Pa-31; NMK-II: C-172, 180, 185, 206; Pa-34; Beech Baron: DHC-2, 3; Be-18, 100, 200, 1900D; DHC-8Q400; B738, 757,767.
He is the holder of Canadian and US Airline Transport Pilot License with Single and Multi-Engine Land and Sea Aircraft ratings. No stranger to service, Shuman served as Toshao for Pakuri from 2015 to 2018 and Vice Chairman of the National Toshao Council.
Ramkarran, a founding member of ANUG, is no stranger to the Guyana/Venezuela territorial dispute.
From 1994, Mr. Ramkarran was appointed Guyana’s facilitator in Guyana/Venezuela Border UN Good Officer process.
He also continued to serve on the Ministerial Team for the Guyana/Venezuela Border Dispute from 1994 to present. Mr. Ramkarran also served as Speaker of the National Assembly.