The hosting of the investiture ceremony for national awards has now been shifted to some time after Republic Day 2008.
President Bharrat Jagdeo was questioned about the event at a discourse he held with the media on Monday and in response said, “We will have the national awards ceremony. We will do it some time after Republic Day.”
Government spokesman Dr Roger Luncheon had told reporters in June that the administration remained committed to the hosting of the investiture ceremony. No announcement about the national awards had been made on May 26, Independence Day, as expected.
At a press briefing on March 29, Cabinet Secretary Dr Luncheon had said that the awards would have been announced on May 26 and the relevant committee was in the process of soliciting nominations for each award. In June, he said the names of the awardees would be announced later and the investiture ceremony would have been held in October this year.
Office of the President Chief of Protocol Vic Persaud heads the commission while Chief Justice Carl Singh is the Chancellor of the Orders. For the last four years, there has been no investiture ceremony, which had become traditional ever since Guyana became a Republic in 1970.
The awards are presented to Guyanese who have made outstanding contributions to the country’s development, worked beyond the call of duty and for other exceptional achievements.
