Public servants are the backbone to the labour market and job sector in Guyana. They keep the wheels of essential services turning on a daily basis. Whenever one of our own ( I say ‘our’ because I am a public servant) retires or comes to the end of his or her service in the public sector, we must celebrate and be extremely thankful, although I believe public servants have so much more to contribute after they have retired.

But I am quite disturbed about the seemingly overall bias generally, and in the media, whenever a specific type of public servant retires. I make specific reference to the lavish media coverage of the retirement of Assistant Commissioner of Police Mr. Paul Slowe. I thank him for the service he so courageously gave to our nation, don’t get me wrong. However, very often we have other classes of public servants retiring after giving sterling contributions and long years of their lives in service to their country and they do not get these kinds of publicity and gala celebrations. It irks me very much.  I don’t think the publicity is my purpose for writing here, because not many persons like that. However, who wouldn’t like to be showered with appreciation by their own and the sector in which they slaved?

Everyday, in some part of Guyana, there are teachers who complete their stints as educators to the nation’s children. Many men and women have laboured so tirelessly and have given the best years of their lives to the service of the Ministry of Education. And the nurses, they, too, retire everyday, giving many contributions to the nation’s health sector. I can go on and on and give more examples about other classes of public servants giving quality service. I don’t envy Mr. Slowe. I am sure he achieved much in his years as a member of the Guyana Police Force. But while some take centre stage and absorb the limelight and have huge galas and fetes thrown at taxpayers’ expense—and the media cannot seem to get enough of it—then we have a big problem, because when the retirement of other classes of public servants comes, they leave the scene quietly and humbly, often without much appreciation and thanks from their colleagues and even officials too. We need to fix this.