Dear Editor,
I was most concerned when I listened to Minister Hamilton speaking in Parliament on NCN. He informed the House of the efforts taken by the departments of his ministry to improve their respective contributions.
However, all he could say of the Cooperatives Department is that he would shut down that which was not functioning.
His “fire and brimstone” caused me to hope that the “Offices of the President and Prime Minister would superintend this officer until he grows into a proper appreciation of his functions, and so save us from this model of destruction”.
Mr. Hamilton should be reminded of the fact that most of the schools had functioning cooperative savings societies, which were supervised by Officers of the Ministry of Cooperatives, and which in turn, had personnel assigned to each region.
You know, for me, it was a pity that the workers of the former Guyana Telecoms Corporation were not mobilised as a cooperative to assume ownership of that business.
I am certain that they were up to the challenge!
I would like to remind the Minister that the National Registration Offices on High Street; the NIS Building on Brickdam, and Congress Place, Sophia (where he once laboured) were all built by Cooperative workmanship.
Yesterday morning, I heard the President boasting of a predicted suite of buildings, specially designed to highlight certain features of Guyana.
I take this opportunity to urge him to employ cooperative labour so that the archives would evidence that the concept which underlines the name of our beloved country bears some meaning to our current leaders —
The Cooperative Republic of Guyana!!
Regards,
Yours,
Cde. Malcolm Parris, CCH
