— Minister Sukhai tells Mahdia

THE Golden Arrowhead was hoisted on Wednesday at the Mahdia Community Centre Ground, in celebration of Guyana’s 52nd anniversary as a Co-operative Republic.

Amerindian Affairs Minister Pauline Sukhai, who presided over the ceremony, underscored the importance of Republic Day and how it intertwines with the One Guyana vision of President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali.

“At this Republic Day, the 52nd anniversary of our republican status, we must take a united pledge to build One Guyana, so that our future will be secured. I want to once more say from our government, the PPP/C government and His Excellency, Happy Mashramani and please enjoy today and also let us work to enjoy the benefits of our beautiful country.”

Speaking at the ceremony, Regional Executive Officer of Region Eight, Peter Ramotar, noted that Guyana has persevered despite its long and challenging history.

He too urged Guyanese to continue standing in unity and ascribe to the One Guyana initiative, which seeks to break down barriers of polarisation.

“As a people, we have chosen to decide our own destiny by moving one more step away from colonialism and external dominance, the first step being independence. Over these 52 years, together we have encountered many challenges, which sometimes threaten to overwhelm us, but our fortitude and resilience saw us through those difficult periods of our history. The lessons we learned from those training days over the years was that we always overcame our tribulation, where we stood together as one people and find[sic] common ground to uplift ourselves and our nation.”

Guyana became a Co-operative Republic on February 23, 1970, meaning the last chain of the country’s former colonial masters, was shattered.

Now, a President is elected by the people and serves the entire population.

The activity was also attended by Permanent Secretary (ag) of the ministry, Ryan Toolsiram. (DPI)