I WISH to extend my support and thanks to the President and Cabinet on the measures that they are taking to bring justice to the Rodney family, and to Dr. Rodney’s supporters here in Guyana and abroad.

This is also very important to the moral health of our nation as well. It is vital that the truth and the whole truth be made available to our people, both those who lived through those traumatic days and our young people who must have all the facts to build on what previous generations have achieved and to avoid the mistakes and pitfalls that were made and encountered.

At this time I recall my first conversation with Dr. Patricia Rodney which led to the establishment of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the circumstances of his assassination. I am sure that she would see these latest acts by the government as major advances in the pursuit of justice and for the truth to be known to all.
The consistency of her and her children’s struggles for this day is a true example of love and determination. Today too I wish to recall and recognise all those who played important roles in getting the CoI going.

However, I wish to take this opportunity to recognise the tremendous efforts of two of my colleagues in that period, Anil Nandlall and Dr. Roger Luncheon. These two men worked tirelessly with me to get things moving and to allow us to arrive at the stage we are today.

As we move to another anniversary of Dr. Rodney’s assassination, let us once more recognise that he was killed because he opposed the Burnham- led PNC dictatorship and because he was convinced that democracy was indispensable for a society to achieve real national and social liberation.

I once more salute all those struggling to defend, uphold and advance peace, justice and social progress.