Nominees for national awards may just have to wait

Uncertainty looms over whether there will be a national awards ceremony this year. Some 66 persons have been nominated for national awards. A ceremony is usually held in the last quarter of the year. President Irfaan Ali said he has not given “serious consideration” to the awards when this publication queried, “I know there are a number of names, when you go into communities people would mention names to you,” the President said, “but at my level I have not given it any serious consideration at this time”.

President Ali said that his government has been busy working on the 2021 national budget and working on implementing the current budget.

Nominations for these awards were made between 2019 and 2020. The names were announced earlier this year in keeping with Guyana’s 50th Republic anniversary. Among the nominees for this year’s awards were Former First Lady Varsahnie Singh, pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh, Justice William Ramlall, Commissioner General of the GRA Godfrey Statia and several other persons.