Labour Minister says he “jumped at the opportunity” when President Ali invited him to serve in Cabinet

Minister of Labour and Manpower Planning Keoma Griffith says he readily accepted the opportunity to serve in government after being personally invited by President Dr. Irfaan Ali.

Speaking on Sunday on the Starting Point podcast, Griffith recalled the moment he was contacted by the Head of State and asked to join the Cabinet.

“When His Excellency contacted me and invited me to serve in his cabinet, I don’t want to say it was a no-brainer, but of course, I jumped at the opportunity to be able to serve at this policymaking level,” he said.

Griffith, an attorney-at-law and one of the youngest members of the Cabinet, explained that his professional background in law had already drawn him toward policy work.

“In my previous profession as an attorney at law, I’ve always been attracted to policy and policymaking,” he noted.

He said the chance to contribute to national development through policy was a major motivating factor behind his decision.

“Knowing very well that there would be significant impacts in communities and in the lives of young people, the elderly, and so on,” he said.

According to Griffith, the role allows him to work directly on initiatives that affect citizens across the country.

“And so, I was happy to take the opportunity to be a part of His Excellency’s cabinet and serve the people of Guyana,” he added.