PRESIDENT David Granger yesterday commissioned two 24-seater buses which will be used to transport children in Region 5 (Mahaica/Berbice) to and from school free of charge.

The President said he saw the vehicles as essential links

between qualifications for employment, economic advancement,
and a good life for beneficiaries.

At a well-attended commissioning ceremony at the Headquarters of the Regional Development Council (RDC) at Fort Wellington, President Granger said he was disappointed that the Chairman of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) of Region 5, which is controlled by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), had been instructed to boycott the ceremony.

“I heard that the Regional Chairman was not permitted to come. He is not here. Some people in this country don’t seem to realize that the traffic lights have changed from red to green. I am not President of Region 4 or President of Region 5, I am President of Guyana.”

He said the Minister of Communities should chide the Regional Chairman who did not have the common courtesy to be present when the President of the country is officiating at a function within his Region.

The two 24-seater buses, David G1 and David G2, were handed over to the Regional Education Department of the RDC. This Department will work out the modalities of the use of the buses, which are expected to start picking up school children and taking them to and from school free of charge from early next week.

Initial information suggests that the buses will play a major role in getting school children who attend school on the other side of the Berbice River to the water boats in the mornings and back home in the evenings.

The buses were gifted to the Regional Administration via the President, who also was gifted the buses from businesses and from prominent members of the corporate community.

Minister of Social Cohesion, Ms Amna Ally, said that those who contributed included Mr. Brian Tiwari of BK International, who coordinated the monetary supply group; Mr. Nasrudeen Mohamed, known as ‘Jumbo Jet’; Mr. Eddie Boyer, National Hardware Limited; and individuals: Mr. Eton Chester of Georgetown and Mr Gordon Winter and Mr R.B. Ricknauth of Canada.

SCHOOL DROPOUT
In a half-hour-long address before the commissioning, President Granger said statistics showed that 400 students dropped out of school every month, mainly due to the inability of their parents to find money to meet their transportation costs to and from school.

He stressed: “Education is the key to development of a community and of a country, and no child should be deprived of an education because he or she lives far away from school and parents cannot afford travelling expenses. Every child must go to school.”

He noted that the Government had, between July last and the present time, provided school children in riverine areas with six boats, which were now taking them to school and back without any charge.

He said that Government appreciated that Region 5 had the potential to become an economic powerhouse.

NO EXCURSION
He said: “These buses are not here for excursion. We want these children who will be using these buses to become scientists, to become engineers who can help us to generate cheap energy and help us to deal with the challenges of climate change. We are looking for education; for employment; we are looking for enterprise and cheap energy.”

He said it was his view that the buses were the first event in a chain reaction leading to improved access to education, leading to qualifications for employment, and ending with enterprise, economic independence and a good life for all.

The President also urged residents of the villages in Region 5 to stop using their villages as dormitories – as places where they just come home and sleep after a hard day’s work elsewhere.”

“Do something; plant something; process something, so that your villages can become economic powerhouses in their own right,” he admonished his audience.

He pledged that his administration would support micro loans for productive activities.

The programme, chaired by Region 5 Councillor Ms. Carol Joseph, included presentations by school children and cultural artistes, and a stirring presentation by Ms. Amna Ally, Minister of Social Cohesion.

Minister Ally, who hails from Region 5, reminded the gathering that President Granger had promised support for school children to get to and from school, and by this means benefit from a level playing field in pursuit of their dreams.

She said: “Therefore, today is a red letter day for Region 5, since this is the first Region to receive buses for free transportation for school children. You are the first Region to receive this very tangible and meaningful support for education.”

She promised that the two buses were just the beginning of gifts for Region 5, and disclosed that the Government would, in keeping with its commitment, provide free riverine transportation for the children of Moraikobai in the upper reaches of the Mahaicony River before the end of this month.

By Clifford Stanley