…President recommits to his efforts in achieving economic independence

FORMER President Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham was remembered as a visionary on the occasion of his 33rd death anniversary, where President David Granger recommitted to the late leader’s vision of economic independence for Guyana.

A wreath-laying ceremony was held at the Mausoleum at the Seven Ponds in the Botanical Gardens, where the former President was laid to rest. Here, President Granger detailed many of the efforts taken by Burnham to free the country from economic dependence. Granger stressed, “Political independence ended 300 years of colonial rule in Guyana [but] it did not bring economic independence.” He continued to explain that economic independence required eradicating poverty, eliminating inequalities, expanding employment, empowering the poor and reshaping the education system. And as he said, these were tenets that Burnham strived for.

He reminded that Burnham forged ahead to give free education to all through the establishment of community high schools, technical institutes, multilateral institutions and even Guyana’s university. This according to him was all in an attempt to provide the best education to the post-independence generation and to foster self-reliance, to stimulate economic independence and to generate employment.

The promotion of agro-processing and small and medium enterprises was tapped to empower poor households and to boost village economies. “The leader’s policy of economic independence, resulted in the expansion and renovation of aerodromes, bridges, highways and stellings to ensure greater access to markets and to boost riverine rural and hinterland agro production,” Granger noted as well. This policy also formed the basis for establishing utilities to previously unserved communities and to improve the productivity and quality of people’s lives.

Scenes from the Commemorative Ceremony in honour of the 33rd Death Anniversary of the First Prime Minister and First Executive President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana – Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham. #LFSBurnham#Georgetown#Guyana pic.twitter.com/FvDJPpT9st

— MOTP Guyana (@MOTPGuyana) August 6, 2018

Cognisant of the efforts made and their impact, President Granger affirmed: “We recommit to continuing his efforts to achieve his goals of economic independence which he pursued so passionately.”
Adding to Granger’s remarks was Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams who said, “LFS Burnham was a colossus of a man from the day that he was born to his death.”

Williams stressed that Burnham was indeed a visionary and detailed his distinctive policies and programmes, some of which were designed to protect the fragile economy, dependent upon exporting raw materials from extortion from the multilateral corporations of the industrial economy. Burnham’s ‘Feed, Clothe and House’ policy alongside his strides in reforming education and laying the foundation for social cohesion were other notable policies.

And Williams also reminded, “Burnham banned canned items and refined wheat flour [and] encouraged the Guyanese population to eat what they had planted: fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and buy local.” This was done due to keep diabetes and hypertension in check, according to the minister. Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham served as Prime Minister of Guyana from 1964 and as President from 1980 until the time of his death in 1985 at age 62. He was a lawyer, a politician, a fierce freedom fighter and a father of six children.

The event was attended by other ministers of the government, members of the diplomatic corps, as well as representatives from the 10 administrative regions.