Burnham’s positive impact cannot be erased
Dear Editor,
My attention was drawn to an angry response to my letter to the Editor, published in your letter column by one Dr. Randolph Persaud on Tuesday, February 28, 2023, captioned `MP Ferguson’s relationship with truth about Burnham is obviously strained.’
My research has revealed that Dr. Randolph Persaud, a former Professor from American University, USA, is currently employed in the office of the President, serving as an “Advisor” to Mr. Ifraan Ali, receiving millions of taxpayers’ dollars in salary and allowances. From his response it appears he is bent on oiling the PPP/C’s propaganda machinery.
Editor, I will reinforce what I stated in my letter published by you on Sunday February 26, 2023. The sterling achievements of the great late, LFS Burnham, cannot be disputed and are recorded in the annals of world history, despite efforts by the PPP/C to erase such.
The late Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham, O.E, S.C., was highly respected by renowned world Leaders, as the “Caribbean man of the Century,” and one whose achievements in Guyana are unparalleled.
Burnham did not only speak of “ideology.” His vision for Guyana as One People, in this nation with one destiny was actualized by his national development policies and programmes, that’s a historical fact. President Burnham’s number one priority was to make Guyana truly an independent nation. His policies and programmes sought to maximise the use of our national patrimony for the benefit of ALL Guyanese and he is on record as staving off exploitation by more developed countries and international companies.
Dr. Persaud would do well to remind his masters to take a leaf out of Mr. Burnham’s book and focus on national development for the benefit of all Guyanese. The PPP/C’s strategy of ensuring the development of friends, family and favourites who benefit from deals with socalled investment partners is crippling the development of our nation. I therefore invite Dr. Persaud to sever his love relationship, with the PPP/C’s much publicised revisionist history and propaganda and study the well documented historical evidence available to all serious Guyanese. LFS Burnham was focused on moulding Guyana’s destiny with other patriots of like-mind and that’s a fact.
Editor, I am reminding Dr. Persaud, and the other PPP/C officials, that Mr. Burnham did not have the benefit of oil and gas funds. In recent months letter writers and other Guyanese patriots have used the various media platforms to highlight Burnham’s vision and accomplishments as he resolutely moved Guyana forward, despite his reference to feeling like “a bridge over troubled waters.” I will therefore refrain from repeating his welldocumented policies and programmes across sectors which put Guyana on a positive development trajectory. As mentioned, ad nauseam, on different social media platforms, Burnham’s initiatives in health, education, agriculture (including sugar and rice) and agro processing, bauxite, natural resources, foreign service, to name a few, gave Guyana international respect and recognition. Many saw Guyana as a leader in foreign affairs and as the potential food basket of the Caribbean which they hope will still materialise. I wish President Ali every good success as he continues to lift ideas from President Burnham’s agricultural development playbook.
Finally, Editor, while Dr. Persaud and others will continue to attempt to discredit the name “Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham, O.E., S.C.,” Burnham’s positive impact on national, regional, and international development cannot be erased.
Sincerely,
Annette Ferguson
Member of Parliament