Prez Granger calls on Guyanese to return home

Prez Granger calls on Guyanese to return home
Photo by Tangerine Clarke

Stating that Guyana is the most bountiful country in the Caribbean, President David A. Granger called on the diaspora to return to their homeland, and said with their help, the country would overcome some of the challenges it faces.

President Granger, while addressed a gathering at the Guyana Mission in Manhattan, recently said, “I have no doubt at all that the course we are plotting would be beneficial to our entire nation. There is petroleum proceed that would be put into our sovereign fund so that your children would not have to worry about employment, economics and our environment. We are on the right course, tell ‘me when you want to come home”, quipped President Granger, who reminded the expatriates that Guyana is a great place to retire.

“Come home and invest in new industries,” he said while promising to address ‘safety concerns you have’, we are engaging the United Kingdom’s action plan that would see mounted police, and the Guyana Defence Force patrol at our border. Advanced training and discipline for police offices will enhance safety on the streets of Guyana,” said the president

“We are very happy and proud of the advances, and advancement of Guyanese in the United Nations and the United States, we are a nation divided, part in North America and South America, but we need to work together,” said President Granger who was proud to meet Guyanese-born TV actress CCH Pounder, and Valerie Amos, British politician, during the celebration of Guyana 50th Independence Anniversary in New York, as he looks to promote the country’s tourism product.

“We have some of the most blessed fauna and flora in the world. I call Guyana’s shield, the second Garden of Eden. We are part of the lungs of the earth. We have substantial fresh water reserves, 20 of the most unique animals, the biggest spider, largest toad, and hundreds of species of birds that tourist would pay to see.”

“We have a product that will be viewed by your children and grand children,” argues President Granger, who was the first head of state congratulated by United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon at a special “High-Level Event on Entry into Force of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.”

As such, the head-of-state emphasized the importance of environmental protection. “We are making sure our environment is protected. Our rivers and wetlands are protected. Every region will have a protected area, including our mountains and savannahs, while providing jobs for citizens in climate change.” said Granger.

Making education his top priority, Granger invited expatriates to join his three Bs — Buses, Bikes, Boats initiative — to enable students in remote areas to seek an education. “We are gradually getting children into schools in the Rupununi region by transporting them by boat while others bike or are bussed to school.

“Guyana is a better place for your children and grandchildren. I am confident we have turned the corner that may have caused you to leave your homeland,” he said to the expatriates.

He sees Guyana as a gateway between the Caribbean and the continent, and the heart of CARICOM, making Guyana the place to live.

After thanking the diaspora for attending the luncheon, Granger said he was happy to be in New York and applauded Under Secretary General, Guyanese-born Catherine Pollard for her advancement in the United Nations.

He also congratulated newly appointed Consul General Barbara Atherly, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Rudolph Ten-Pow and Guyana’s Ambassador to Venezuela Cheryl Miles.

President Granger’s delegation included Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge and former Commonwealth Secretary General Sir Shridath Ramphal. Deputy Consul General Jacquelyn Hamer, Neil Pierre, chief, Policy Coordination Branch, Office for ECOSOS and many other United Nations staff were in attendance.