President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali has taken governance to a new and higher level by his proactive leadership style which has seen thousands of issues addressed on the spot.

During his recent presidential outreach at the Leonora Track and Field Facility, Region Three, over 5,000 issues were addressed and almost 2,000 resolved among which were those pertaining to housing, public assistance and National Insurance.

A similar outreach was held a few weeks ago in Region Six during which thousands of issues affecting residents were addressed, some on the spot.

This down-to-earth approach by President Ali has been highly praised by residents from all walks of life. Many of the issues were festering for months, if not years, due to unnecessary bureaucratic delays.

And while there are some opposition elements who are critical of the hands-on approach to problem-solving by President Ali, the fact of the matter is that the President is the chief accounting officer when it comes to the delivery of public goods and services and as such, has a vested interest in the removal of red-tape and bottlenecks whenever or wherever they manifest themselves.

In any case, the solution to issues raised by members of the public is not done arbitrarily. These are resolved in an inter-agency manner with the full involvement of officials from the relevant sector agencies.

But the approach by the President goes beyond that of problem solving. It is also about touching base with the masses, listening to their concerns and viewpoints on matters affecting them and the communities in which they live. It is also a form of accountability framework in which government officials are made to answer to the people on matters affecting their personal or collective lives.

This is the true essence of ‘grassroots’ democracy where ordinary people not only have a voice in the management of their affairs but are the rightful beneficiaries of public policies and interventions.

President Ali, during his inaugural speech, promised that he will be a President for all of Guyana. The President has remained faithful to that promise and has visited and interacted with residents from the diverse communities of Guyana, including those that traditionally supported the opposition PNC.

As noted by the President, no region or community is off-limit when it comes to his interface with the Guyanese people and he has displayed a remarkable ability to interface with citizens and come up with practical solutions to issues of concern.

This approach is in sharp contrast to that of the previous PNC administrations when the President and Cabinet ministers were for all practical purposes beyond the reach of ordinary people including their own supporters.

Of significance to note is the fact that President Ali and his team are warmly embraced by citizens all across the country including known PNC strongholds which could be seen as a slap in the face of those who continue to spread the false and misleading narrative of political and racial discrimination in the country.

The evidence is there for all to see that Guyanese are tired and resentful of the politics of race and are much more accommodating to the politics of inclusion along the ‘One Guyana’ lines as envisioned by President Ali.

President Ali must be commended for, as it were, taking the development bull by its horns and leading from the front. His leadership style has now become ingrained in the governance structure of the country; one characterized by high levels of commitment and dedication to the cause of a united, peaceful and prosperous Guyana.