President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali has announced that the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) building will be renamed in honour of the late Dr. Roger Forbes Luncheon’s legacy.
President Ali made this announcement while delivering a heartfelt tribute at the funeral service of the late Dr. Luncheon, hosted at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC).
“We have decided at the defense board, in his honour, the NISA building will be properly renamed to recognise his contribution to Guyana and the security of this country,” he said.
Dr. Luncheon passed away on August 2, after an extended period of illness, at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) at the age of 74.
He received his education and training in the United States and became Guyana’s first Nephrologist, dedicating almost two decades of service at the GPHC.
Dr. Luncheon served as the Head of the Presidential Secretariat and Cabinet Secretary for five consecutive Presidents and Secretary to the Defence Board. Until his passing, he remained a member of the Cabinet, serving as a special advisor.
President Ali described Dr. Luncheon as a unique individual, transcending ordinary definitions. He was a man of many dimensions, possessing a caring and compassionate heart, along with remarkable intellect.
According to the President, Dr. Luncheon’s dedication to public service was exceptional, and he maintained high standards throughout his career. As a politician, he exhibited a strategic mindset, coupled with unwavering loyalty to both his party and government.
He said that Dr. Luncheon emerged from the womb of the working class and remained true to it.
“His decision to stay clear of the glamour, which was often associated with the famous, wasn’t an act of isolation. It was a conscious choice that he made to stand shoulder to shoulder with those whose lives mirrored his working-class origin,” the President emphasised.
President Ali also recognised Dr. Luncheon for his pivotal role in shaping the orientations of successive People’s Progressive Party/Civic Governments. He was not just a team player, the head of state said, but an indispensable figure in the party’s trajectory.
Vice President, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo was among those who also paid tribute to Dr Luncheon.
