Granger calls for national renaissance

President David Granger last night called for 2016 to be the year of national renaissance and pledged to bolster national unity and security.

In his inaugural New Year’s Day address to the nation, Granger said:

“We encourage you to join us in ensuring that 2016 will be Guyana’s glorious year of ‘national renaissance.’

“Let us resolve, together, to grasp the opportunities that this year provides for us – to enjoy a ‘national renaissance,’ to recapture the spirit of Independence and to secure a good life for generations to come.”

David Granger
David Granger

Speaking at the dawn of the year of the country’s 50th independence anniversary, Granger in remarks prepared for delivery said while the country is proud of the achievements over the last 50 years “We shall be prouder if we use this special year of our ‘national renaissance’ to remove the remaining obstacles that still keep us disunited, underdeveloped and insecure.”

He underscored a number of areas where the APNU+AFC government will act and adverted to the change brought at the 2015 general elections.

“We, the Guyanese people, chose to change the country’s political culture when we elected a multi-party coalition in 2015.

It is now time for a ‘national renaissance.’ It is time for a new beginning. It is time to redouble our efforts to banish crime, disease, ignorance and poverty”, he stated.

On National Unity, he vowed   “We shall reinforce national unity. We can be one nation only if all sections of our population feel that they share in our country’s development. We must, in 2016, dispel hatred among individuals and groups.

We must move forward as a united nation, constantly reaffirming our national motto –‘One people, One nation, One destiny.’”

He said the government will extend the physical infrastructure in order to expand integration and promote development.

“We shall, at the same time, provide greater access to the resources of the hinterland which can be exploited for the benefit of all of our people. National infrastructure will provide the means to integrate the coastland with the hinterland”, he said.

He added “We shall fortify our national institutions which promote a sense of national identity and ensure a stable legal and constitutional environment. We shall defend the integrity and independence of our National Assembly, the judiciary and the autonomous agencies.

“We shall equip the enforcement arms of the state with the resources to enable them to serve our citizens and safeguard our independence. We shall ensure that local government elections are conducted this year to empower our people to better administer their communities.

We shall respect and preserve our national symbols and monuments, assert our identity and celebrate our achievements”.

Granger averred that national security will be bolstered to protect the country’s patrimony in the face of threats from neighbours to the east and west in a clear reference to Suriname and Venezuela.