By Shawnette Fiedtkou
The largest cooperative in Guyana, the Linden Utility Services Co-op Society Limited (LUSCSL), elected a new management team over the weekend, concluding over two years of oversight by an Interim Management Committee (IMC).
The new management committee includes Hugh Stephens, Alfred Julian, Carol Benjamin, Joseph John, Royston Hutson, William Issacs, Claude Williams, Vaughn Fernandes, and Perlma Griffith. Sydney James, Eusi McFarlene, and Viviane Duggan were elected as the supervisory body.
The elections took place at the New Silvercity Secondary School Auditorium on Sunday, with approximately 60 Co-op members casting their ballots—a notable improvement from the previous election’s turnout.
The newly elected members have appointed Hugh Stephens as Chairman, Alfred Julian as Treasurer, and Carol Benjamin as Secretary. Joseph John, a board member, mentioned that the management committee will work on updating the members’ register to ensure transparency and efficiency.
The IMC will officially hand over the co-op society’s affairs to the new committee on Thursday, May 30, 2024.
The first management meeting is scheduled for Thursday, June 13, 2024.
Enid Joquin, a Wismar resident and Co-op member, expressed her satisfaction with the election of the new body and is hopeful for positive changes within the cooperative.
She highlighted the importance of effective management for the benefit of the residents of Wismar.
The IMC was appointed to manage the co-op in April 2022 after the Chief Co-operative Development Officer intervened due to issues of mismanagement and lack of transparency.
The new management body is expected to bring effective governance to the cooperative for the benefit of its members and the wider community.