PRESIDENT Bharrat Jagdeo’s tenure as President of our country saw unparalleled and unprecedented socio-economic development; the benefits of which were spread and shared among Guyanese of all races, religions, political preferences and economic standing. The tremendous improvements in the areas of education and primary health care; the expansion in the housing and water sectors and infrastructure such as roads, bridges, transportation to name but a few allowed for a rapid expansion of our country’s economy and for the benefits of this expansion to be passed on to Guyanese in the urban, rural and hinterland areas; in fact, to the most remote areas of our country.
The esteem with which he is held not only by Guyanese but also by our CARICOM brothers and sisters, by the Diaspora and indeed the footprints he has left on the international scene with his innovative ideas for development, viz:- the Low Carbon DevelopmentStrategy, the Solar Panel and the One Lap Top Per family Projects  would be  as difficult to equal let alone surpass.
He epitomizes the type of leadership by example that the Caribbean so craves. President Bharrat Jagdeo must surely go down in Caribbean history as the Usain Bolt of Caribbean politics.
As Regional Chairman of Region 1, I found our President approachable and accommodating. I recall meeting with him on several occasions at the Office of the President, at my request, to discuss and to seek his guidance and support in getting additional resources to do additional infrastructural works in our region.
And I learnt very early that with President Jagdeo you had to be prepared: you had to have your facts. And he would explore alternatives and opportunity costs with you.
He is a fair person and that is why allegations of racism being levelled against him by jealous, envious and nefarious elements I deem to be wicked and malicious.
Resources were allocated to our entire sub-regions  on the basis of need and capacity to absorb the resources.
Even now I can still recall and review pictures of our President’s visits to the Mabaruma, the Moruca and Matarkai sub-regions, where significant numbers of Amerindians and Africans live and the way they endeared themselves to him and he to them.
Indeed, his Excellency has always endeared himself to our Amerindian and African peoples; empathizing with them as he reflected no doubt on their centuries of neglect under the Colonial Masters and the period of PNC misrule. He consciously worked overtime to provide additional resources for their development.