Dear Editor,
On Wednesday August 6, we will be observing the twenty-ninth death anniversary of the late president, Mr Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham, who led this country for twenty-one years from 1964 until his death on August 6, 1985, at the age of 62 after undergoing a throat operation. LFS Burnham served our nation with distinction, wisdom and good leadership and made a huge contribution towards the development of this country during the time of his period as head of government then head of state.
In this light, I think that renaming Ogle Inter-
national Airport, which is located on the East Coast, after the late President LFS Burnham would be a good thing to do in remembrance of his contribution to the country.
‘We have to do this for our young people. We have betrayed our youths for far too long.
Let us give them a sense of hope and identity for the future. Let us bequeath to them the highest standards of good governance and good national leadership that will make it worth their while staying and living in this country.’
Let us demonstrate to future generations that LFS Burnham mattered, that he participated in the fight for our freedom during the anti-colonial struggle which brought us to independence, oversaw the achievement of eventual republican status, and had a major part in the establishment of Caricom.
Under LFS Burnham the network of coastal roads was constructed and the sea defences were maintained. The Soesdyke-Linden highway, bridges over the Canje and Demerara Rivers, the international airport at Timehri were also built. There were projects like the Mahaica-Mahaicony-Abary agricultural development scheme, the establishment of the National Insurance scheme (NIS) and the multilateral schools.
LFS Burnham also built working people’s housing schemes, provided free education as an entitlement and gave equal recognition to religious observances in the country.
Only recently the late President Dr Cheddi Jagan was honoured when the government renamed Timehri International Airport, the Cheddi Jagan International Airport. He was first elected Chief Minister in 1953 and later became Premier of British Guiana from 1961 to 1964, prior to independence, subsequently serving as the third President of Guyana from 1992 to 1997.
We should do for Mr LFS Burnham was done for the late Dr Cheddi Jagan and rename the Ogle International Airport after him.
Yours faithfully
Rayvonne P Bourne
