Dear Editor,
On behalf of his several close former GuySuCo colleagues, congratulations are extended to Narvon Persaud for being recognised, however belatedly, by the administration, as a competent professional worthy of chairing the Technical Team recently appointed to investigate the Linden power crisis.
Narvon Persaud is one of a number of high-flying technically qualified and experienced professionals who spent their whole careers managing and advising on the factory operations in the sugar industry, except that like colleague electrical engineer Lance Tyrell, he was seconded by GuySuCo to serve for a term as General Manager of the Guyana Electricity Corporation (GEC) as Guyana Power & Light was then known.
Other factory engineering professionals included Joseph Alfred, Mechanical Engineer who rose to become a Director; George James, Chemist, who became Factory Manager before rising to the position of Chief Process Engineer; Keith Williams, Process Chemist, who became a successful Estate General Manager.
He actually managed the Project Unit which processed the initial documentation relevant to the eventual construction of the Skeldon Factory.
The above list was tendered to the current and previous Minister of Agriculture, but did not appear to find the same favour as extended to expatriates.
However heartening it may be that the skills and competence of one of them is finally recognized, one is resigned to the administration’s perception that the others are not Chinese, Cubans, Indians or South Africans.
After all, the President was just recently reported as indicating at GAWU’s 20th Delegates’ Conference that he “is open to suggestion about management of GuySuCo” (Sunday Chronicle, August 26, 2012).
Yours faithfully,
E B John
