– Minister Broomes charges Lindeners

MINISTER within the Ministry of Natural Resources Simona Broomes has assured Lindeners that the mining town “will not be oppressed anymore,” at the annual flag-raising ceremony in the mining town Thursday evening.

As Guyana celebrated 48 years as a republic, Broomes gave a message of social cohesion, unity, peace and prosperity to the residents of Linden.
“Linden, your government has recognised that you a few years ago were forgotten, we recognised that you were oppressed, we recognised also that within your struggles you stood your grounds and because you stood your grounds we are here and I am here as a minister of government,” she noted.

Broomes highlighted that since the change of government, Region 10 has been given the largest budgets ever in 25 years.
“You don’t only have beautiful black water creeks and vines and sand and springs, but you have talented people, you have the people in Linden that will take this country to the 50th and the 60th and the 70th and the 100th year of a Cooperative Republic of Guyana,” she stated.

She added that a few years ago, Linden had moved from a balata settlement to a township headed by Burnham.
“It took 23 years before a government came back to continue what had started then. I say that the Linden Highway that was built then will be resurfaced now under this government…Linden before 2020, everything that was promised by your government and His Excellency will be delivered to the people of Linden, Broomes added.

She added that the town’s bridge will be rebuilt. “The kind of development and infrastructure I am talking about was the kind of development that took place under the right government…,” she said.

“As we celebrate 48 years, let it be a turning point for Linden. United we stand, divided we all fall. We must stand and we must stand together. We cannot preach unity outside and we are not united inside. Don’t embrace the Honourable Minister who comes from far, you must first embrace your brother, your neighbour who lives next door,” Broomes charged.
The Linden flag-raising ceremony, which was held at the Linden-Georgetown Bus Park, also heard brief remarks from the Chairman of PNCR Region 10, Deron Adams, Mayor Carwyn Holland and Region 10 Chairman Renis Morian.

Morian reflected on 1970 when the Jaycees Republic Celebrations Committee was led by Basil Butcher, but due to him being selected to tour Australia with the West Indies cricket team, Jim Blackman was appointed the deputy to carry on. “Right within Linden we thought long and hard to come up with a name for a particular programme that we will celebrate in Linden and in extension, the entire Guyana.

We contacted Mr Allan Feidtkou who went and had discussion with his grandfather for a fitting name that would bring people together and his grandfather gave him that name — Mashramani,” Morian recalled.
Cultural performances were also done at the ceremony which ended with the raising of the Golden Arrowhead.