Latest update April 23rd, 2024 12:59 AM
Aug 08, 2009 News
As the first Executive President of Guyana, Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham, was able to leave an indelible mark in terms of his contribution to the development of Guyana.
This notion was emphasised Thursday evening by Member of Parliament, Ms Cheryl Sampson, when a ceremony was held at the National Congress of Women’s (NCW) Public Road, Kitty, Georgetown, headquarters.
The ceremony intended to mark the 24th death anniversary of the former president was held under the theme ‘Burnham – the Nation Builder’ and attracted a sizeable gathering, including Leader of the People’s National Congress Reform, Robert Corbin, and other members of the party.
Sampson, who also serves as National Chairperson of the NCW, accentuated her convictions by noting that “We are gathered here today at a period when Guyana is being featured regularly in the news. At a time when those elected to govern us are being far from truthful to this nation.”
She however noted that solace can be found in the fact that during his lifetime, Burnham was a President for all of Guyana.
And according to her, discrimination had no place in the Executive President’s administration. In fact, she underscored, “If by chance one of his officers did not toe the line he dealt with them.”
He was known to remove Ministers who went foul of his policies, Sampson articulated. She further highlighted that both Burnham and Desmond Hoyte upheld the rule of law, even as she questioned, “Why can’t these who profess to govern this country of ours do likewise?”
“I ask that they lead by example; step aside so that we could facilitate investigations into unfolding evidence,” urged a passionate Sampson.
In his quest to justify Burnham’s status as a nation-builder, City Mayor Hamilton Green stressed the notion that the former Executive President succeeded in building an effective Security Service led by professional and competent officers.
“Under Burnham, there could not be a Roger Khan, there could not have been 200-odd young men slaughtered and no inquests.”
“There could be no barbaric acts of torture, now styled ‘roughing-up’. There could be no phantom squads. There could be no spy equipment imported by a phantom – the ghost who walks.”
According to Green, Burnham was a nation-builder by earning the respect and admiration of both rich and poor nations, and even strengthened relations with many leaders and states.
He highlighted his opinion that the President was ahead of his time and suffered from the reality.
Green emphasised that Burnham in actuality did not appreciate that ordinary mortals needed time and reorientation to keep pace with his ideas, dynamism and ideals of nation-building.
“In retrospect, this proved to be a serious impediment. Some may contend a near flaw in his makeup,” said the City Mayor.
Nevertheless, the Mayor noted that Burnham was a “stout protective oak” that some did not recognise and therefore tried to destroy; others were simply mesmerised by his pace, passion and acuity.
According to Green, “his anxiety to transform a typical colonial structure, the supplier of raw materials, into a modern self-reliant state in a single generation was by itself a mighty undertaking.”
Burnham who was the founder/leader of the People’s National Congress departed this life on August 6, 1985.
LISTEN HOW JAGDEO WILL MAKE ALL GUYANESE RICH!!!
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