Donald Ramotar: A great human being and one of the greatest leaders Guyana has ever produced.

Uncle Donald as he is fondly referred to by many is much more than a President, he is a leader; one whose present contribution and legacy will continue to inspire countless generations in the future. I’m confident that in time, Old Kai views will be vindicated.You see, in order for you to be a good Head of State, you must first have the ability to be a good leader. The internationally recognised Forbes Magazine lists 10 character traits which make a good leader and in each and every single one of them, Mr Ramotar scores high. These include: Honesty, Ability to Delegate, Communication, Sense of Humour, Confidence, Commitment, Positive Attitude, Creativity, Intuition and Ability to Inspire.
It is that last one which is the reason this column is dedicated to Uncle Donald today. Old Kai could be Donald’s uncle with all my years ahead of him but that’s the ability of the man, he inspires both the young and the old. Picking up the Chronicle on Sunday morning to begin my reading with a hot cup of Chai, an image of President Ramotar and the ever hard working Minister Robeson Benn wading through flood waters caught my attention. It was not the fact of what they were doing in inspecting the areas affected by flood waters in the City but more importantly, it was where.
South Ruimveldt, is a known opposition stronghold and obviously they would have known beforehand that the reception they would have received might have been a bit cold from some when one considers the years of the opposition feeding their supporters a diet of hate and misinformation about PPP leaders and the government. Never mind that the cause of these people’s plight is their very leaders from the opposition who relaxed in the Georgetown City Council and have done absolutely nothing to prevent flooding in Georgetown.
Yet, they went in there because that is what great leaders do; they look out for the interest of each and every single citizen irrespective of where their political loyalty lies. Donald could have been doing any other things at that very moment but he chose to be with the people affected in Ruimveldt. He wants to alleviate their suffering but they have to understand that they also have a role to play.
If for over 20 years, their leaders who they voted and placed to control their affairs in City Hall have ignored their concerns but only come around when its election time with words and laying blame elsewhere, when they are the ones ultimately entrusted with the responsibility of managing the affairs of Georgetown; then it is time to let APNU and Hammie know that GGG means: Go Green Go!
This is what inspired Old Kai. While I was relaxing in the comfort of my home, dry and warm, enjoying my tea; Donald and his Ministers were out in the cold, getting soaked by the rain, walking through flood waters, taking ‘lil’ cussing, meeting and greeting, listening to concerns and coming up with strategies to stop the flooding.
Boy, it is hard being a leader! That is what makes him so special, even in all that he still maintains a positive attitude, still committed to all his people, honest with them about the reality, confident enough to go anywhere and still be himself, never pretending but always clear in his communication about his vision for our country and people and ultimately, always maintaining that sense of humour even in the most trying of circumstances, which has been a hallmark of his character and has served to inspire so many to follow in his footsteps.
All this we get from a one single image, yet on any given day, Uncle Donald is out and about, travelling the length and breadth of this nation, interacting with our people, working with them to overcome their challenges. In economics, they teach you that resources are scarce and our wants are infinite which ultimately means that all our problems could never possibly be solved. Yet, President Ramotar and his government have been trying relentlessly to maximize their limited resources to deliver as much as they can to our people. It is important that this be contrasted with the fact that at every single turn, our political opposition has been waiting in the dark to sabotage those efforts. But surely as the old saying goes, ‘what is done in the dark must come to light’ our people are gradually beginning to see who genuinely have their concerns at heart. While the opposition talk about ‘calling for no peace’ and ‘collateral damage’; President Donald Ramotar and his team have been calling for ‘unity’ and ‘working together to overcome our challenges’. There is a clear line of distinction and you have to decide where you stand as it will ultimately determine what kind of future you want your children to grow up in.