Those persons listed for National Awards by former President David Granger in 2020 have been told to uplift their awards from the Office of the President as there will be no ceremony or the customary conferral by the President.
The awardees were asked to individually pick up their award tokens from the Office of the President, awardee Lincoln Lewis said.
“There was no ceremony. They called my office and asked my secretary that I go pick up the award and certificate,” Lewis told the Stabroek News. “I have not gone as yet but I will go,” he added.
This newspaper was told by Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister, Kwame McCoy, that Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Gail Teixeira, was responsible for the decision and should be contacted for a response as to the reason.
However, several efforts to contact Teixeira were futile as calls to her numbers went unanswered.
In an announcement to mark Guyana’s 50th Republic Anniversary last year, former President Granger had announced that 66 persons would receive awards.
Among them are Guyanese singer Eddy Grant, activist Mark Benschop, and former First Lady Varshnie Singh.
Apart from Grant, Benschop and Singh, other awardees include: the Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Amor Mottley, who had in January of last year received her award from Granger, while in Guyana.
Other awardees included The Right Reverend Charles Davidson, who is an Anglican Bishop of the Diocese of Guyana; Dr Neville Gobin, an obstetrician and gynecologist; Drs Cecil Harricharan and Fawcett Jeffrey; Ambassador Charlene Phoenix, who had been named the administrative head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; retired judge William Ramlal, who is the Chairman of the Police Complaints Authority; Godfrey Statia, the Commissioner General of the Guyana Revenue Authority; Mavis Benn, the first executive Mayor of Georgetown; Charles Corbin, a commissioner at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM); former President of the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) Clinton Williams; and General Secretary of the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) Lewis. Granger’s former Public Relations Director Mark Archer and PNCR Executive Cheryl Sampson were also listed for awards.
Citizen Shamshun Mohamed had stated in a recent letter to the editor that the occasion should have been memorialised by President Irfaan Ali bestowing the awards on the recipients, given the honour that comes with it.
“While it is understood that Covid has had the final say to the usual pomp and ceremony and grandeur associated with the occasion, it would have be more befitting if a simple ceremony, with all Covid protocols in place, was arranged and the President conferred the awards instead of a clerk handing out the medals. In this way the event would have been memorialized,” Mohamed wrote.
“A National Award is the highest honour and distinction a country bestows on its deserving citizens for their service. Such an accolade should be afforded the dignity, decorum and stateliness associated with it. To do otherwise places insignificance and unimportance to the award and by extension the awardee,” the writer added.
The full list of 2020 Awardees are:
Order of Roraima
1. Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados
Cacique’s Crown of Honour 1.The Right Reverend Charles Alexander Davidson 2. Dr Abraham Augustus 3. Dr Neville Bhagwandeen Gobin 4. Edmond Montague Grant 5. Professor John Edward Greene 6. Dr Cecil Edward Harricharan 7. Dr Fawcett Anthony Jeffrey 8. Dr Dalgleish Joseph 9. Ambassador Charlene Alexis Phoenix 10. Justice William Rajendra Ramlall 11.Claude Augustus Saul 12. Dr. Nehaul Prashad Singh 13. Paul Esmond Slowe 14. Michael Orrin David Somersall 15. Godfrey Steve Statia
Golden Arrow of Achievement 1. Mark Anthony Archer 2. Mavis Anita Benn 3. Marlan Kwesi Cole 4. Charles Mitroy Corbin 5. Reverend Roshanna Gillis 6. Catherina Penda Guyan 7. Sheran Roxanna Harper 8. Troy Henry 9. Loris Emille Heywood 10. Ranald Andrew Jacobs 11. Pastor Richard Avert James 12.Edward Jameson 13. Zaida Joaquin 14. Lincoln Brandon Lewis 15.Frederick McWilfred 16. Cita Indranie Pilgrim 17. Cheryl Sampson 18. Olive Beverly Sampson 19. Varshnie Udho Singh 20. Clinton Murphy Williams 21. Apostle Jason Clifton Yorrick
Medal of Service 1.Wesley Adrian Benjamin 2. Mark Anthony Benschop 3. Paulette Patricia Bollers 4.Terrence Glenberth Boston 5. Donna Bowen 6. Lucille Elaine Cadogan 7. Beverly Clenkien 8. Jenny Benn-Daly 9. Ann Pamela Forde 10. Gregory Douglas Fraser 11. Claire Ann Goring 12. Virgil Harding 13. Phyllis Erica Jackson 14. Glenyss Barbara James 15. Jainarine Maraj 16. Leon Randolph Mc Donald 17. Doreen Evelyn Blackman Ng-A-Qui 18. Kissoon Dyal Persaud 19. Premnauth Prashad 20. Urica Yernesi Primus 21. Deserdeen Roberts 22. Kaylan Persaud Sharma 23. Beverly Ann Somerset
Military Service Medal 1.Colonel Raul Kenneth Jerrick 2. Lieutenant Colonel Denzil Walter Carmichael
Disciplined Services Star 1. Chief Fire Officer Marlon Anthony Gentle
Disciplined Services Medal 1. Assistant Commissioner of Police Kevin Adonis 2. Assistant Commissioner of Police Edgar Mortimer Thomas 3. Deputy Chief Fire Officer Jacqueline Bonita Greene
