Dear Editor,
A recurring topic of public discourse in Guyana concerns the principles guiding appointments and promotions within our public service. An observable pattern suggests that advancement is not always aligned with demonstrated technical expertise or a proven record of institutional leadership, but may disproportionately reward other attributes like loyalty to the PPP and being a close friend of the serving President. This trend, some argue, has historical roots but appears to have been accentuated in recent years under President Irfaan Ali.
The central concern is that the state apparatus may be incentivizing conformity and perceived political safety over visionary leadership and managerial competence. This creates a systemic bias where the most capable candidates, whose strength and independence might inadvertently highlight shortcomings elsewhere, are often overlooked for key roles that match their competence.
Several ministerial portfolios serve as focal points for this debate.
For instance, the Ministry of Agriculture faces complex challenges requiring deep sectoral knowledge and strategic planning for decades now, but since the departure of Minister Leslie Ramsammy, the broad vision seems to be totally missing, Former Minister Noel Holder was clueless as to his role and his successor from the PPP is even worse. Public questioning arises not from a place of malice, but from a genuine inquiry: are we optimally deploying our most experienced and qualified human resources in this critical field?
For example, why was a strong PPP candidate and central committee member, with years of critical strategic experience in agriculture, like Mr. Dharamkumar Seeraj or Mr. Mandanlall Ramraj not elevated to the Minister of Agriculture? Guyana is stuck with people who are totally clueless at how to dig this country out of the agriculture morass we find ourselves in today. Mr. Vikash Ramkissoon, Mr. Zulfikar Mustapha and a labour officer Mr. Dhaneshwar Deonarine cannot help the system right now and next year and the year after, what I am saying will prove itself once these people remain in place, since the track record of these people are already established.
Similarly, the Ministry of Home Affairs, with its vast mandate encompassing national security, immigration, and public safety, demands operational expertise and strategic foresight. The public perception that these roles are not always held by individuals with the most directly relevant technical or command backgrounds fuels concerns about institutional capacity. Why could a trained military officer like Mr. Peter Ramsaroop or Mr. Hugh Todd or a former Police Commissioner like Mr. Seelal Persaud or even a serving senior GDF Officer not have been promoted as a technocrat Minister? Again the people are saddled with a glitz and glamour Minister trying to project action like if the Ministry is a tourist attraction, but the society is fully aware that paralysis has started to set in, since September 2025.
While no one will object to Mr. Robeson Benn moving on, at least he should have been replaced by better and greater competence. Unfortunately the public evidence has already established that Minister Oneidge Walrond has been promoted above her maximum competence level and is way out of her league at the Ministry and the word among the senior ranks within the police service is that ‘we are in charge, not her and if she give us problems, we going to the President.’ So the people will have to endure this incompetence for the next five years in the Home Affairs portfolio because of this fear of competence.
And these are just but two of the many similar cases in the Irfaan Ali’s cabinet. And there are more.
The consequence of a system that prioritizes compliance over exceptional capability is a gradual erosion of strategic talent. When merit is not the primary currency for advancement, a quiet exodus of skilled professionals often occurs. This “brain drain” is particularly detrimental for a nation at Guyana’s pivotal developmental stage.
The issue transcends any single administration; it is a structural and historical challenge and to his benefit, President Irfaan Ali did not start this practice, but he perpetuated it and deepened its usage. However, the current period of unprecedented economic opportunity and geopolitical shift makes resolving it more urgent than ever. But can the Guyanese people count on President Irfaan Ali having the testicular fortitude to solve this critical leadership challenge? To navigate the next decade successfully—especially in a transformed regional energy landscape—Guyana requires its best minds in positions of executive authority, not sidelined or seeking opportunity abroad in New York and other capitals where the colour of their skin is now an issue.
The solution lies in championing meritocratic transparency. This involves establishing clear, competency-based criteria for senior appointments, empowering independent and talented public service commissions, and creating pathways for technical experts to lead in their fields of mastery. A nation’s greatest resource is its human capital. For Guyana to fully realize its potential, its governance structures must be designed to identify, promote, and retain its strongest performers, ensuring that leadership is synonymous with both competence and vision.
Now that this Venezuelan situation will change the global oil dynamics for the next 10 years and to the detriment of Guyana with expected lower oil prices, this country and its political leadership has to urgently implement an agriculture strategy that will expand the production of lower cost foods, complete the systems to deliver low cost and more reliable energy to industry and the people and build out a private sector-led light manufacturing sector that can compete internationally.
Unfortunately, I have little confidence it can be done with this group in the National Assembly (Parliament) and their band of supporting singers in the public service since from all appearances the focus from the senior leadership is not service to the people. In such a situation, continue to check the lines at the US Embassy as our brightest and best continue to seek their fortune in other jurisdictions rather than at home in Guyana. This is the greatest retardant to our economic and societal development in Guyana.