‘President Jagdeo deserved the tributes’ — patrons

By Tiffny Rhodius 

It was a day of national pride as people from across Guyana flocked the Providence Stadium to show their appreciation for the leadership of President Bharrat Jagdeo.

Organisers said an estimated 28,000 persons flocked the East Bank Demerara venue, filling up the stands and spilling over onto the ground, where chairs were provided to accommodate them.

This is the first time in the history of Guyana that any president has been appreciated on such a national level, and many persons who attended the event believed that President Jagdeo deserved the tributes.

Titled “A World of Thanks, President Jagdeo”, the day of tributes began with songs, dances, and sports personalities, educators and government officials recollecting their personal interaction with the president and the indelible mark he has left on their lives.

As the programme progressed, members of the audience at the National Stadium were put on the edges of their seats when a thrilling air show was staged by the Guyana Defence Force’s parachute team, Harpy Eagles, led by Lieutenant Colonel Enoch Gaskin.

There were also presentations of tokens of appreciation from numerous groups and communities.

As the celebration waned into the night, the highpoint of the occasion arrived: the president’s address.

Accompanied by his Cabinet and with much fanfare, President Jagdeo made his way to the centre of the field, from where he delivered his feature address. As he made his way to the podium, the audience as one rose to its feet, everyone reverently applauding their president and proudly waving small Guyana flags.

The speech that followed was humble and stirring. Rather than reflect on the many achievements and accomplishments during his tenure at the helm of government, President Jagdeo encouraged Guyanese to work hard and cultivate a patriotic spirit that would one day see an end to racial division in this country.

“His speech was very touching in the sense of when he said for everybody to go home and to, you know, think about how you could better yourself and the country, help others; and the fact that we are Guyanese and we should stand for our country,” Indira Sriram, one of the attendees, said at the end of the president’s speech.

Also finding inspiration in the president’s address was Merlyn Lawrence. “He was talking about thanking the people of the country and his supporters; and if they didn’t have supporters, there would have been no success. He was very open in his speech.”

“The part about his childhood, that was really touching. I think he is a really nice person, he is a really understanding person, very outspoken and very approachable,” Nadia Hossein, who was enthralled by the day’s events, said.

The president praised

At the end of the day, there was nothing but praise for the work the president had done over the years. “Tonight was excellent. I appreciate my president. He is good, kind and loving; and I work with him. He knows exactly what he is doing, and he is very careful what he is doing; and he thinks before he does something. So I admire him for that,” Carol, from Timehri, said.

Despite factions of the society decrying the event before it was even hosted, many persons who attended the event believed that Jagdeo deserved the tributes.

“He has done an excellent job, and deserves to be honoured,” one patron of the event said. A Chinese national in passing pointed out that Jagdeo’s policy towards Chinese (three-year working visas and citizenship after seven years’ residency) was unlike any he had seen. “It is very good for Chinese, and more and more Chinese will move to your country; and they will do their efforts to move the economy forward.”

From pioneering the Low Carbon Development Strategy to upgrading major infrastructure throughout the country, tributes for the president were nothing but positive.

“I like what the president has done for the country. I just came back from the United States and I’m impressed with what I’m seeing,” an overseas-based Guyanese said on his way into the National Stadium.