An important record of nationalisation has been restored

Dear Editor,

A nation’s institutional memory is important. In the 1970’s a wave of nationalisation swept across Guyana. The assets of Alcan, Jessel and Bookers were acquired by the State. The Canadian company Alcan operated in the bauxite sector. JesselSecurities had various holdings and assets, among them the iconic Sandbach Parker building on Water Street, which later housed the administrative offices of the Guyana National Trading Corporation (GNTC). Bookers was, of course, the behemoth; dominating the sugar industry through its estates and having its flagship store on Main Street.

My father played a key role in the nationalisations and he wrote a record of the negotiations with Bookers. At the time, it was meant to be a confidential government document and so, for decades, it was largely unknown. Moreover, what was available was a single copy, its pages faded and the text blurry, difficult to read. Earlier this year, through the initiative and industry of Mr. Christopher Ram and a small group of law students, the manuscript was reconstructed and reprinted in crisp, clear type. Nothing was changed in terms of the content.

On May 25 this year, at the University of Guyana, there was a Commemorative Service to mark the 50th year of Dr. Shahabuddeen’s “Nationalisation of Bookers: On the Legal Front”. I was invited to make some brief remarks at the event. Here is a link to a short video of my speech. It is self-explanatory and it tells you more:

At the UG event, four copies of the reconstructed record were donated; one to the University of Guyana Library, one to the National Library, one to the Walter Rodney National Archives and one to the Attorney General’s Chambers. On June 14 this year, Mr. Ram did an excellent review of the book on his blog. Here is the link: