HIS Excellency Brigadier (rtd) David Granger yesterday administered the Oath of Office to 15 Cabinet Members to serve in the Executive Government’s Council of Ministers with appointed Ministerial Portfolios at the helm of a number of the Government Ministries.The modest swearing in ceremony was held at the renamed Ministry of the Presidency, formerly the complex known as Office of the President (OP), where Moses Nagamootoo, was sworn in as Prime Minister and First Vice President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.
Head of State, President Granger, as had intimated earlier, also indicated a number of sweeping name changes and a consolidation of portfolios coming under the various ministries of government.
Former Finance Minister Carl Greenidge was sworn in officially as Minister with responsibility for Foreign Affairs with a special focus on economic diplomacy, according to Head of State Granger, while Economist and Former Budget Director, Winston Jordon, was sworn in as Finance Minister.
Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett held the post with Ministerial responsibility for Foreign Affairs, while Dr. Ashni Singh served as Finance Minister under the previous Administration.
Many speculated that Dr. Rupert Roopnarine would be appointed Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment (MNRE), but this portfolio has been subsumed under Ministry of the Presidency (formerly OP), with Lieutenant Colonel (rtd), Joseph Harmon, sworn in as Minister of State.
The Presidential Secretariat and its functions will also be subsumed under the Ministry of the Presidency, under the political control of the Minister of State.
Dr. Rupert Roopnarine, has since been sworn in as Minister of Education, with Nicolette Odella Henry, being appointed and sworn Minister within the Ministry of Education.
Among some of the surprise announcements by His Excellency President Granger, Volda Lawrence has been sworn in as Minister of Social Protection with the posts of Human Services and Social Security being incorporated under this Ministry.
Internationally recognised Women Miners’ activist, Simona Broomes, has been appointed and sworn to serve as Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection.
David Patterson has been sworn in as Minister of Public Infrastructure while Annette Ferguson will serve, having been appointed and sworn as the Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure.
Dr. George Norton, who has held the post of Shadow Minister with responsibility for the Health Sector, was yesterday sworn in by His Excellence, President Granger, as the Substantive Minister appointed to the post.
Dr. Karen Cummings, has also been appointed to serve as Minister within the now renamed Ministry of Public Health.
Having held the portfolio with Shadow responsibility for Local Government and Regional Development, while in Opposition, Ronald Bulkan, was yesterday appointed Minister of Communities.
The Guyana Chronicle understands that the Ministries of Local Government and Regional Development as well as Housing and Water, will all be subsumed under the Ministry of Communities.
Former Deputy Speaker, Basil Williams, who would have also held the shadow portfolio for the legal sector for a number of years, was yesterday sworn in by His Excellency President Granger, as Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs. He now assumes the portfolio formerly held by Mr. Anil Nandlall.
Amna Ally has been appointed and sworn as Minister of Social Cohesion.
President Granger further called on his ministers to work towards ensuring Guyana becomes less divided and less a poor country. He added that their main aim should be to deliver on the promises of ‘change’ that were made leading up to the May 11 General and Regional Elections.
Meanwhile, others Members of the new Cabinet are expected to be sworn in at a later date.
The President told reporters the other appointees are expected to take their oath of office in the near future.
These posts will include a renamed Ministry of Amerindian Affairs to that of Ministry of Indigenous People, a post to be assumed by Sydney Allicock.
Other posts still vacant include the Ministry of Agriculture and two other Vice Presidents, one of which would be Khemraj Ramjattan.
Ramjattan, is also named to be sworn in as Minister of National Security.
The Ministry of Commerce & Industry has been renamed to the Ministry of Investment and Business; this will be headed by AFC’s Dominic Gaskin while Cathy Hughes has been appointed as the Substantive Minister of Tourism, a portfolio held by Irfaan Ali, under the previous Administration.