Dear Editor,
It has come to my attention that Mr Beni Sankar, from the famous agricultural family on the Essequibo Coast qualified in agricultural engineering at a UK university in Bedfordshire. GuySuCo is in desperate need of a professional agricultural engineer on its board, yet we have all kinds of unsuitable people on the board, some of whom piloted the failed GuySuCo turnaround plan. Why are they still are on the board? Why is there is no space for a well-trained agricultural engineer like Mr Beni Sankar who can help this company with its mechanization plan?
What is the failed CEO of CLICO Ms Geeta Knight still doing on the board? What business or technical skill does Mr Keith Burrowes bring to the GuySuCo Board? Worst of all, what business does a resident of New Jersey have being on the board? Information has come to my attention that the Chairman, Mr Raj Singh, Chairman of the PPP New York Group visits Guyana periodically to chair the GuySuCo Board. How can this government be so cavalier with the future of so many people who directly or indirectly depend on GuySuCo?
It is time for a change; time to rebuild GuySuCo; time for a new board with a full-time qualified Guyanese resident Chairman who lives and works in Guyana. We call on the President to recognize Dr Yesu Persaud as the next Chairman of GuySuCo or Dr Peter DeGroot from the John Fernandes Group. These are tried and tested professionals who have turned around failed organisations into successful businesses. Time for Raj Singh to pack up and get back to politics.
There is also a retired soil scientist Dr Nazeer Ahmad who is available for GuySuCo. Why not utilize his professional services? There is Dr Mahendra Persaud, the Chief Scientist at the Burma Research Station who also could help GuySuCo. We could even ask the FAO and IICA to provide sugar technology specialists for the duration of three years to support GuySuCo. Of course, Mr Komal Chand as the workers’ representative should also return to the board.
Fixing GuySuCo can be done, but all the hangers-on and politicians must go. Finally, when will the majority opposition get to nominate a professional or two to the board? Mr Chris Ram who appears to be working closely with the AFC is also a former auditor of GuySuCo; why can’t this man be recognized for his technical skills?’
Come on Mr President, we have all got to save GuySuCo.
Yours faithfully,
Christopher Samuels
