Dear Editor,
Prime Minister Mark Phillips is heading a high-level Government team to the United States of America, showcasing Guyana as an economic destination area that investors can invest in. As an emerging Third World developing state, Guyana welcomes those who would like to come onstream and make their contribution towards our country’s development. On this note, I must say the Prime Minister and his team, have done us proud.
Among some of the more important engagements of the team were visits to churches and temples where the congregants, who are mainly Guyanese, meet to worship. They were warmly welcomed by the worshippers there. Here, again, the call was made to the diaspora to get involved in our developmental thrust.
Thank you, Mr Prime Minister, for a job well done.
Now, I pause here to take note of the political posturing of the PNC rabble- rouser Rickford Burke. His aim was to disrupt the proceedings and score some cheap political points. In fact, he first tried to influence one of the church leaders, Pastor Dr Reynold Howell, to turn down the Government team’s engagement at his church, but that attempt failed miserably. The highly esteemed minister in question, who is a cousin of mine, would have none of that illiteracy, and promptly shunned Burke’s request, so Burke took the opportunity to turn up himself.
I don’t know if Burke thought that his presence there would have conjured up rancor and protest, but what actually took place was a sheepishly- looking Burke trying desperately to make a point. I guess in the face of the statesmanlike response by Prime Minister Phillips, Burke was smothered. The Prime Minister made it very clear that his Government is not in the business of partitioning Guyana into racial factions, but when he speaks it is for all of Guyana.
So, once again, Burke and his forces playing that tribalism role were left disgracefully on the sidelines; Guyana has no place for racial politics.
Respectfully,
Neil Adams
