Dear Editor,
I have the highest regard and deepest respect for your newspaper, and enjoy its informative contents. Your newspaper has always been fair to its opponents and well-balanced as it deals with different issues.
On November 17, 2005 myself, DDO Sampson Baird and Captain Johnny Simon, went to Matthews Ridge by aircraft to meet with President Bharrat Jagdeo at a face-the-community meeting. Mr Sampson Baird briefed the President about the challenges facing the Baramita community, and when he touched on education, the President was made aware that I was a non-resident of Baramita, but had returned to serve the community after the completion of my BEd at the University of Guyana.
The President was very much impressed and commended me for my course of action. He was so pleased that he invited me to visit his office for further discussions on how he could help me to continue serving the Baramita community.
In my mind, I thought the President was not serious but humourous, for I saw myself as too insignificant a person for his time, attention and assistance.
Thus in December, 2005, there I was, seated in the secretary’s office for a 1400 hrs appointment. Nervous with apprehension, I wondered about the kind of treatment I would receive. When the President came into the room, I was quite surprised that he remembered me. He assured me that he would meet with me. However, my appointment time passed by ten minutes, and then the President hurried into the room, apologized, and urged me to be patient, for he was in an important meeting. It was awesome! My goodness! Was I the ‘President,’ or was the President the ‘headmaster’?
What was to follow was the greatest act of empowerment and dignity I have ever experienced in my whole life. Soon the president came, and ushered me into the presence of Dr Roger Luncheon and Dr Ashni Singh. He introduced me to these gentlemen. There I was face-to-face with the President, as he discussed with me the tangible ways his government would assist in encouraging me to serve the Baramita community.
The President’s humility and large-heartedness have always been an inspiration to me, and I thank him for his care and concern for the people of Baramita. I thank him for the all-weather road to the community, the new health centre, for the renovation extension of the Baramita Primary School, and for the over 500,000 acres of titled land he has given to the people of Baramita. I thank him not as a ‘coastlander,’ but now as a resident of the village (under the Amerindian Act). Many ordinary Guyanese would support my testimony, for they themselves would have experienced his humaneness.
The beautiful description of his “outstanding legacy” written by Mr Vijay Kumar in the Kaieteur News letters column (January 28) is a masterpiece. In addition, I believe that a person’s outstanding legacy is measured not only in his achievements but in creating a change in some area. His simplicity has made it possible for ordinary, insignificant Guyanese to have access to the Office of the President. Also his interaction with the Guyanese public, without any pomp or arrogance, can fittingly give him the title of the People’s President.
Yours faithfully,
Bissoonauth Bacchus
