no stone will be left unturned, says Minister Parag

By Cindy Parkinson

MINISTER of the Public Service and proud Essequibian, Sonia Parag, has reassured the 424 young Guyanese scholarship recipients and their parents that President Dr. Irfaan Ali and his administration are working to ensure the safety and well-being of all citizens.

She was at the time making an address at an orientation ceremony which was held on Saturday at the National Cultural Centre. Most of the recipients are from Region Two and other communities located in the area that Venezuela is brazenly laying claim to.

Reflecting on President Ali and his team’s hoisting of the Golden Arrowhead at the summit of the Pakaraima Mountain last week, Minister Parag asked the nation to remember his words: “Do not burden your hearts because the government is standing and will stand with you.”

Further, she said: “I say to you today, especially those of you from Essequibo, anything that affects any part of Guyana affects all of us, and I say to you, don’t burden your hearts because we are leaving no stone unturned in protecting our country and in protecting our territorial sovereignty and integrity.”

Minister Parag, who spoke on behalf of the Government of Guyana, said that now is the ideal time for all Guyanese to remember the thought, ‘United we stand, divided we fall.’

“Today, on the 25th of November, that quote means a whole lot more for Guyana than ever before. We ask people to stand united in our country; we have to stand against adversity, and we have to stand and face many types of threats. We are one people, one nation, and one destiny under [the] One Guyana umbrella,” Minister Parag stated.

Minister Parag explained to the young people that President Ali did not just create the phrase ‘One Guyana’ because it sounded catchy or ‘nice,’ but rather he produced it because he genuinely believes that ‘we’ are all one, regardless of our cultural or ethnic differences.
“When I look at this crowd here — and it will probably be reflected in all of the photographs that will be taken today — what I see is a reflection of Guyana and it is a reflection of the programmes and policies that this government wants to and is putting forward in this country,” she added.

She further said: “I am proud to know that I am standing in front of people of all ethnicities, and I am addressing you to say that Guyana has taken a position and will always take the position of peace, of diplomacy and of the Rule of Law to resolve any issue, and we will continue to do that. Make no mistake that we believe that Guyana is in the right, and that Essequibo belongs to us.”

Dr. Irfaan Ali hoisted Guyana’s national flag for the first time on November 23, 2023, at the top of the Pakaraima Mountain. Situated approximately 2,200 feet above sea level, the mountain is situated close to the Guyana-Venezuela border. Brigadier Omar Khan, Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), and other high-ranking officials were part of the momentous occasion.