Sir Howard Fergus In Week of Honors
Professor Sir
Howard Fergus
Professor Sir Howard Fergus has joined the ranks
of those who have defied the proverb, "a prophet is never honored in his
own country."
A week of activities in his honor has placed "The Little Black Boy from
Long Ground," as he is often recalled, firmly on center stage as his many
achievements and contributions to the island are relayed by his peers, students,
and the man on the street.
Among activities planned this week honoring Sir Howard were an appreciation service; an exhibition of his literary works, at the National Trust and the Public Library; the launching of his most recent book, "Montserrat in the Twentieth Century - Trials and Triumphs"; a local Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) reception and award; cultural celebrations and, last night, radio panel discussions. The panel comprised Mr. DRV Edwards, Professor George Irish, Dr. Ermina Oshoba, resident tutor of Antigua and Mr. C.T. John, with Keith 'Stone' Greaves as the moderator.
Governor
and Ministers view Professor Sir Howard Fergus' literary work on exhibit at the
public library
Tomorrow evening at 7:30 there will be an Awards
Banquet in Sir Howard's honor at the Vue Pointe Hotel to culminate the week of
activities.
Described as a prolific writer, a humble and soft-spoken gentleman, Sir Howard has only recently voluntarily left the Speaker’s Chair of the Legislative Council, where he served for 26 years.
Professor
Sir Howard Fergus meets the Queen
On Monday October 15, he was officially knighted
by His Royal Highness Prince Charles with the traditional sword.
One of ten knights and dames, and one of 120 persons who were award recipients at the investiture, Sir Howard was accompanied to Buckingham Palace by his wife Lady Eudora Fergus, his sister Ann Murrain, and his nephew Denville Murrain of Birmingham.
Professor Sir Howard Fergus' awards on show
Books by Professor
Sir Howard Fergus on display
Former CM Brandt Applauds Accord For New Housing
By
Helena Durand
Former Chief Minister David Brandt has
congratulated the Government of Montserrat for reaching an agreement with the
British Government on the Housing Programme here.
His congratulations came shortly after Chief
Minister John Osborne announced that his Government had reached an agreement
with the British Government in London for a £10 million Housing Project, the
main components of which are developing a further 200 Serviced Lots at Lookout.
Mr. Brandt said while in Office, his
Administration had acquired 200 acres of land at Lookout, but that an agreement
could not be reached between his Government and the British Government because
London had stipulated, that no housing would be provided for Montserratians
overseas who wished to return home.
He said he could not have agreed to that
position, since “it was the British Government who had encouraged
Montserratians to go overseas, because there was insufficient shelter for them
here at the time. I hope that Mr. Osborne did not fall in that trap when he
accepted the funds.”
Mr. Brandt said everyone from every level has
concluded that the population needs to increase for the island to begin
attaining some semblance of economic viability; but that the “British refusal
to provide housing for Montserratians willing to return here retards the
progress of the island and has the population stagnant.”
Mr. Brandt said he has always known the
importance of providing housing for Montserratians since the crisis, but particularly now. He
said his Government had undertaken an exercise which revealed that over 1,100
houses were needed.
“The British sent one of their own, the Housing
Officer; they got the same number, yet
the British wrote to say, despite the figure,
they would only give 200-500 houses. I could not agree with that,” Mr. Brandt
said.
A letter to Mr. Brandt from Mike C. Wood, former Head, Overseas Territories Unit, on February 6, 2001, states, “I mentioned when we last spoke that the Secretary of State was prepared to include up to £10.7 million ….for various forms of housing assistance and efforts to generally restructure the sector. …We are prepared to examine what is required to put right the Davy Hill houses. We acknowledge, [that] these were not built to a satisfactory standard by Brown and Root. We are taking legal advice on whether there is a case for recovering funds from the company under the Latent Damages Act.”
Davy Hill housing project, already in
need of repairs
In response to Mr. Wood’s letter, (March 22,
2001,) Mr. Brandt said in part: “The Government of Montserrat appreciates the
allocation of £10 million sterling to the Montserrat Housing programme for the
next five years, and is grateful for the effort of the DFID team in preparing
and presenting the case to the Secretary of State for International
Development.”
Another snag with the housing project, Mr. Brandt
said, was that while his Government had been seeking to have concrete (block)
houses provided for the people at Davy Hill, this Government “has now agreed
only for repairs to the houses.”
In his letter to Mr Wood, he had written that
there were “55 dilapidated, rapidly deteriorating houses at Davy Hill and
Shinn that are not expected to last much longer.”
Dr. Lowell Lewis, Minister for Communications and
Works has lamented the fact that Government has acquired land at Lookout, which
it cannot sell unless the Court decides on a price.
Mr. Brandt said it is the Government that is
holding up the selling of the land, since they were the ones who appealed the
tribunal’s valuation.
He said the owner was not satisfied with the
first valuation made of the land and appealed, but then the Government was not
pleased with the tribunal’s valuation and had appealed. The appeal is to be
heard on Monday.
The ball is in Government’s court, he said,
because they can withdraw the appeal.
Mr. Brandt also said the land was vested in the
Crown and therefore nothing can stop the Government from transferring the title
to anyone.
Meanwhile Mr. Osborne has been unavailable for
further comment on what the new terms of the agreement are.
"Professor
Sir Howard Fergus Looks Ahead Even as We Honour His Past"
It is certainly far from usual and to some extent
surprising when any country puts on a long week of celebration to honour not
just the achievement, but the service and usefulness of any individual to that
country, the region and the world. It is usual for activities be staged for some
heroic event and even more normal for honours to be given after someone has
died, when it is left to his family and relatives to enjoy the recognition.
Professor Sir Howard Fergus has this week been
the guest of honour in week-long celebrations, at a time when he remains well
able to add another long set of achievements. From all appearances he is not
done yet.
When he retired after 25 years from the
speakership of our Legislative Council, he little knew that he could have to
continue well into the 26th year when the island was forced into
early General Elections held in April this year. Once more he filled the role of
educator, which has been perhaps the hallmark of his long career, as teacher,
headteacher, education officer and still resident tutor for the University of
the West Indies (UWI).
For all of us who could not or did not know of
his long and outstanding achievements, all were spelt out by an eminent panel on
Thursday night on ZJB Radio Montserrat, and it will no doubt be re-broadcast.
Professor Sir Howard Fergus was presented and
remembered from his school days, as humble, God-fearing, an educator, being
involved in community activities, cultural and political, "distinguished
character to the well being in general," of everyone, living in integrity
and honesty.
A writer and poet he is said to have lived the
experience of the Montserrat culture, understanding its language, its music and
values and thus qualified to comment upon them. The quality of his contributions
is yet unsurpassed and known to come from his heart.
With an ongoing and distinguished career as
resident tutor with UWI here in Montserrat,
it was no mean achievement when he received the UWI Vice Chancellor Award
for Excellence, being one of the first to receive the award. He also enjoys the
distinction of being the oldest and longest serving resident tutor.
Another area Sir Howard has served Montserrat
with distinction for many years is as Supervisor of Elections, especially having
successfully crafted and managed our most recent general election, conducted
under a new voting at large system.
Never to be forgotten, and not just for passing
mention, is his wife Lady Eudora Fergus, an educator in her own right who has
served a long career in that field. There is no time that Sir Howard fails to
remind that it was her encouragement, support and understanding that have seen
him through his almost brief life of achievements.
The man honoured this past week, as said before,
is not through achieving, who,0 according to C.T. John, has already held for
many years a "dormant" warrant as Acting Governor of this dependent
territory, which has not yet been rescinded. Someone has already referred to his
most recent book, which really celebrates deserving people, as being too
serious. As it might well be, since the title of the book, due to have been
released last December, is "Montserrat in the Twentieth Century - Trials
and Triumphs." Professor Fergus could not have known that he would have
been celebrated at this time and so the release of his latest book, joining the
many previous works he has done on the history of this island
"Alliouagana," is really most timely.
Very easily misunderstood, we hope the quietness
and modesty and service of this man will not be a deterrent to others to strive
for the success he has achieved, and that this week's activity will serve to
highlight him as a shining example to others in their quest to serve and achieve
in what ever area they so choose.
Finally and very simply we offer congratulations
and wish him and his God's continued blessings.
Except
for the editorial, opinion articles expressed in these pages are not necessarily
those of the Montserrat Reporter editors, employees or advisers.
Readers are encouraged to submit commentary articles.
All viewpoints, unless libelous, in poor taste, or anonymous, are
welcome. Send your contributions to
The Editor, P.O. Box 306, Olveston, Montserrat, W. I., e-mail: editor@montserratreporter.org
or monrep@candw.ag. Manuscripts
will not be returned unless accompanied by a return stamped envelope.
The Montserrat Reporter is a privately owned independent newspaper.
Jus
Wonderin items may be called in at telephone 491-4715 or Fax 491-2430
Incarnating
The Love Of God
…whoever
believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than
these…John 14:12
Jesus is the love of God incarnate. His works
reveal the compassionate heart of God. We also are called to reveal God, to
incarnate, to "enflesh" God's love in our own time and place.
Just as Jesus did in simple ways as well as the
more dramatic miracles of his ministry, we, too, can work simple miracles of
love when we consent to let God use us as fully as possible. While some among us
experience God's dramatic healing power flowing through their hands, eyes and
prayerful words, all of us can heal and console in less dramatic ways through
our own hands, eyes and prayerful words. We reveal the love of God to each other
every time we set aside our own priorities and focus intently on the needs of
others. With fully attuned eyes, ears and heart, we incarnate the love of God
for others, including our family members, neighbors, coworkers, as well as
anyone whose needs we strive to meet.
Jesus, help
us yield to God's Spirit as you did and to become the channels of God's love and
peace that each of us uniquely can be.
James McGinnis
What if They All
Have Tickets But the Helicopter Doesn't Fly?
Dear Editor,
My wife and I do not travel to Antigua
frequently, because we have no desire to deprive Montserrat's struggling economy
of money it desperately needs.
But when we do go for specific medical reasons,
we take the opportunity to shop for those items that one can rarely if ever find
in one of Montserrat's markets. In most cases that involves significant amounts
of frozen items.
We plan such trips only when we can secure
prepaid round-trip tickets on the helicopter, since its speed and convenience
limit the time and discomfort we have to endure in transit. Tuesday of this week
was such an occasion.
After filling mutual medical appointments, we
lunched at our favorite restaurant in St. John's and then went to the
supermarket at which we invariably shop. We came away with three generously
packed carriers of goods, one of frozen, the sorts of things we had not enjoyed
for months, and took a taxi to V.C. Bird International Airport.
On our arrival, we were promptly and efficiently
checked in at the Carib Aviation desk for our return helicopter flight, went
through Antigua Immigration and relaxed in the departure lounge awaiting our
4:30 p.m. boarding call.
At 4:25 p.m. those of us expecting to return
shortly to Montserrat were called back to the Carib Aviation desk, where we were
told only that the helicopter would not be flying. At that time of day, of
course, the ferry was already almost halfway to Montserrat. It was also obvious
that we were stuck for the night in Antigua and we were reminded that we would
not be able to return by helicopter the following morning because it was
Wednesday, a day on which the helicopter does not fly.
Each angry, dejected non-passenger knew he or she
was left to find and pay for overnight lodging, unexpected meals and the
additional EC$75 fare for the Wednesday morning return on the ferry.
All of this was very distressing and in our case
resulted in an unanticipated outlay of US$150 for meals and lodging.
Fortunately, our hotel room contained a refrigerator in the freezer of which we
could store our frozen items and avoid additional unanticipated loss.
It was even more distressing to learn on
Wednesday, when we picked up our helicopter ticket refund at the MAS office in
Nixons, that they were aware at 3:30 p.m. that the helicopter was unable to fly.
That cast everything in a new light.
At 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, the Opale Express was still
at the dock in Heritage Quay. Had we been called back to the desk at Carib
Aviation at that time and told even that the helicopter might not be able to
fly, we might have been able to catch the ferry before its departure, surely the
case if Percy Arthurton had been called and alerted to the problem.
If we had been given that option, any additional
costs of an overnight stay would then have been our personal responsibility.
The additional costs, while infuriating, turned
out in our case to be no great problem. I had withdrawn the day before my week's
walking around money, so we had sufficient funds for the return ferry tickets
and a credit card on which we could charge meals and lodging.
But perhaps not all our fellow passengers were
quite that financially prepared for those additional costs. There was no one to
whom they could turn, unless they were fortunate enough to have friends in
Antigua.
I do not suggest that any of us should be
unwilling to deal with and understand delays or cancellations caused by
mechanical failures. But I insist that a few sensible judgments, exercised
promptly during such an emergency, could prevent turning a simple trip to
Antigua into the day trip from hell.
J. Donald Brandt
Old Towne
Cable &
Wireless is Lead Sponsor of Special CMC Programmes from New York
Cable & Wireless (West Indies Limited) in a
demonstration of its support for the many Caribbean and American families who
have suffered the loss of loved ones due to the tragic attacks on the World
Trade Centre and the Pentagon, in the September 11 terrorist attacks, has agreed
to be the main sponsor of special Caribbean Media Corporation programming from
New York this Sunday, October 28.
The programming will include live coverage of a commemorative
church service for Caribbean nationals who died, or have been missing as a
result of the attack.
This service, organized by diplomatic
representatives of 14 Caribbean states in New York, will be held at the
Riverside Church in New York.
Several political leaders from the region are expected to join
Caribbean Nationals residing in the United States in attending the service,
which will be aired on radio and television at 2:00 p.m. in Jamaica (3:00 p.m.,
Eastern Caribbean Time).
At 8:00 p.m. (9:00 p.m.ECT) a special 90-minute edition of
'Talk Caribbean' will feature reflections from Caribbean people on the events of
September 11.
Vice President Strategy and Transformation with
responsibility for Corporate Communications Mr. Winston Butler said, “We are
all still coming to grips with the devastation and the massive loss of life
resulting from the September 11 tragedy. As corporate citizens with operations
all across the Caribbean, Cable & Wireless felt it important to demonstrate
in a real way, our continued support of the Caribbean in good times and bad. We
again extend our sincere condolences to the families who lost loved ones."
Errant Crane
Injures Two By Roadside in St. Johns
Police have reported that two of three men from
St. Johns had to be transported to Antigua yesterday afternoon after being
involved in a road accident about 4:20pm.
The two men, Thomas Ogarro, and Victor Fergus,
both in their sixties, were reportedly sitting at the side of the road when the
driver of an approaching crane, owned by the Montserrat Port Authority,
allegedly lost control of the vehicle, which hit the two men,
seriously injuring their legs.
Another man, William Howe, also in his sixties,
who was standing at the side of the road, was squeezed between the crane and an
adjacent wall but escaped injury.
Some residents of St. Johns who witnessed the
accident could it have been avoided.
One person said, “It’s a habit they have,
always sitting by the road, and don’t want to give vehicles room to pass on
the road.”
Another said people called out to the men to move
away from where they were to allow the crane to pass, but they refused.
Up until press time, there had been no update on
the conditions of the men in Antigua.
Marsha
Meade Earns Diploma and Degree
Miss
Marsha Meade is yet another young Montserratian to have excelled.
She attended the Kingston University (KU) in London between September
1998 and June 2001. This University
is renowned to be one of the top business schools in the United Kingdom.
In June 2000, Miss
Meade gained eight distinctions in the final year on the Higher National Diploma
in Business and Finance, a course which lasted two years, hence gaining an
overall distinction. At her
graduation from this course in January 2001, she was awarded the Sam Thevathasan
Memorial Prize for overall excellence.
In November 2000, Miss
Meade won a £1,000 scholarship from KU after submitting a winning entry essay
beginning “Receiving a scholarship from KU will assist me in my
aspirations.”
In October 2001, she
received a BA (Honours) Business Administration - Upper Second Class Degree.
Miss Meade, who has recently returned home from the UK, said, “It was
very challenging but I came through with the grace of the Almighty God and the
support and encouragement of my family and close friends.
To the one who is now extremely proud of me, Mrs. Frances Baker, and who
also made sure I stuck it out, I say love you Mom and thank you.”
Prior to and during
her time at Kingston University, Miss Meade pursued part-time courses and gained
First Class Passes in Administration, Integrated Business Technology and
Computerized Accounts at Lambeth College, Brixton Centre.
The Montserrat Reporter says congratulations to another aspiring Montserratian.
Stock Exchange
Launched To International Standards
At the official launch of the Eastern Caribbean
Exchange (ECSE) in Basseterre, St. Kitts, last Friday, Bank of Nevis Ltd, and
the St. Lucia based Caribbean Finance Holdings Ltd., were the two companies
listed.
Bank of Nevis Ltd. traded in excess of 2,000
shares on the Exchange. The shares,
which were traded at EC$5.00 each, placed Bank of Nevis’ market capitalization
at EC$37,390,750.
Governor
of the East Caribbean Central Bank and Chairman of the ECSE Sir
Dwight K. Venner (pictured left) delivered the feature address in
which he stressed that education of the public is key to the success of the
bank, and asked the media to assist in the process.
"The
journalism profession is critical in the dissemination and analysis of the
political economic and social developments in our sub-region," he said.
"Journalism in the OECS needs to emerge from the strictly island
orientation which is its present mode to cross the borders to all of the
Currency Union. The unit of analysis must be enlarged to meet the development
imperatives of the times."
He
took time to explain the usefulness and the merits of the ECSE. "The ECSE
is a means to an end in what is and must be a carefully planned approach to our
fundamental economic and social problems. The ECSE is being predicated on the
basis of inclusiveness," he said.
In
attendance were His Excellency Sir Cuthbert Sebastian, Governor General of St.
Kitts and Nevis, and Prime Minister Dr. Denzil Douglas, who gave the welcome
address. While boasting of the solid foundation of the ECSE, Dr. Douglas said
the event was not just about the opening of an Exchange. "We are initiating
an upgraded regulatory mechanism, through the East Caribbean Securities
Regulatory Commission, that would complement the Central Bank Regulatory
functions and provide enhanced protection for persons investing in all forms of
financial securities and instruments in the OECS…our people have not had much
experience in conducting transactions on stock exchanges," and so he
warned, "we must be vigilant in protecting them from the guile of
sophisticated financial enterprises."
Intermediaries placing bids on the ECSE were the
Antigua-Barbuda Investment Bank, National Commercial Bank SVG LTD, Bank of St.
Lucia LTD, and Bank of Nevis Ltd.
Chairman of the OECS Authority, Dominica’s
Minister of Finance Ambrose George, said in the opening address that this
initiative by the ECCB would map a new course for the OECS financial sector.
He said the main objective of the wider Caribbean
Securities Market, was to foster growth and development for Caribbean economies
and businesses through the creation of alternative sources of capital with the
flexibility required for financing economic development.
He believes that, “For most of our
school-leavers, this initiative represents a ray of new hope in the creation of
new jobs, new careers, and for us it gives new investment opportunities.”
Mr. George said the infrastructure of the ECSM is
on par with some of the international markets, and even surpasses those which
currently exist in some more developed countries.
“When I look at other CARICOM neighbors who
have long left us in this financial race, I am excited and pleased to say, that
we took our time, developed our securities market, but we studieD well and camE
up with the best. As I speak today, other Exchanges are trying to adopt some of
our methods in moving to a T-Plus One settlement time. Our colleagues in Canada
have started the process of consultation with the financial sector in
determining their readiness to adopt to these changes and to a more efficient
environment.”
With the passage of the Securities Act in the
last sitting of Parliament, Montserrat joins six other territories in putting in
place the legal framework to govern the Eastern Caribbean Securities Market. The
launch also allows Montserratian companies and or individuals to participate in
buying or selling shares in companies listed on the Market.
The Bank of Montserrat is the only public company
on the island, eligible for listing on the Exchange.
Persons
attending the ECSE launching from Montserrat were; the Manager of the Bank of
Montserrat, Mr. Anton Doldron (pictured left);
the President of the St. Patricks Co-operative Credit Union, Mr. Bennette Roach;
ZJB acting manager Mr. Herman Sergeant, Mr. Denzil Edgecombe of People's
Television,. and ECCB local agency boss Mr. CT John.
Included on the schedule of activities to mark the official launch of the market was a media workshop attended by journalists from across the OECS states, a symposium of 'The Development, Integration and Regulation of the Financial System and a cocktail reception ending the day's proceedings.
HIV/AIDS
Discussed By MAWU Delegate
At the recently held HIV/AIDS conference in
Trinidad, the Caribbean Congress of Labour (CCL) said it recognized that
worker’s privacy had not been safeguarded in the workplace.
In
a paper presented by Eslyn Samuel of the Montserrat Allied Workers Union (MAWU)
on the theme "HIV/AIDS in the workplace," it was noted that in some
countries it is mandatory as part of medical for workers in certain occupations
to take an HIV/AIDS test without adequate counseling.
She stated that a comprehensive HIV/AIDS
programme should include workplace policy; training for managers, supervisors,
and union leaders; employee education; family education, and community
involvement.
A copy of the draft CCL HIV/AIDS Policy stated
that the rationale for the draft was that CCL is cognizant of the fact that
HIV/AIDS has reached pandemic proportions and that a great percentage of the
workforce is being, and will continue to be, affected. Also that for Trade
Unionist, measures had to be devised to address issues of victimization and
stigmatization of HIV/AIDS victims in the workplace.
The objective of the Policy, it said, is to
provide a set guideline which, when applied consistently, will address the
HIV/AIDS epidemic in the workplace. Additionally, the policy will aid
management, workers and the Unions in developing a framework for the promotion
of a secure work environment.
Policy guidelines note that AIDS is a workplace
issue, and should be treated like any other serious illness/condition in the
workplace. This is necessary, it states, “not only because it affects the
workforce, but also because the workplace, being part of the local community,
has a role to play in the wider struggle to limit the spread and effects of the
epidemic.”
The main focus of the conference was to develop a
Human Resource Policy to deal with HIV/AIDS in the workplace.
Montserrat
Meets PAHO Guidelines
The Environmental Health Department, which has
responsibility for food safety here, has developed a training manual for food
handlers.
Minister for Health Idabelle Meade has proudly
announced that the document has met 85 percent of the guidelines proposed by the
Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO).
She said that the thrust for the future is to
train all persons in the food handling industry about sanitation practices and
techniques.
On another food-related issue, officials of the
Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Housing and the Environment say Montserrat is
well on its way to becoming self-sufficient in egg production, with 1,962 dozen
eggs produced up to August. This was 70 percent of local consumption.
This rate of success, officials said, is the work
of poultry farmers and an egg marketing promotion project engineered by the
Department of Agriculture.
Under the programme, egg producers are being
assisted to expand their chicken houses, procure chickens, and to get drugs and
other veterinary supplies.
The Department of Agriculture also provides
technical assistance to poultry farmers.
procure chickens, and to get drugs and other
veterinary supplies.
The Department of Agriculture also provides
technical assistance to poultry farmers.
Firearms Amnesty Results Please Police
By Helena
Durand
Deputy Commissioner of Police Simon Morson said
he is happy with the results to the firearm amnesty so far.
He said members of the public are responding
favorably, and that if it continues, the firearm amnesty, which began on
September 6 and ends on December 6 will have been a success.
Mr. Morson did not elaborate on the amounts of
firearms, ammunition or other weapons submitted to the police. He did say that
he did not agree with comments that the amnesty period was too long, “because
90 days' notice is reasonable.”
He reminded the public that during this period,
anyone in possession of an unlicensed firearm, ammunition or flick knives should
submit them to the police, which would assure the owners of no prosecution.
After the amnesty period, however, those persons
found with such weapons in their possession are liable to fines and or
imprisonment.
In related police news, Mr. Morson said plans for
the Police/Fire& Rescue week of activities, which will run from October 28
to November 3, are well under way, and that “everything is going according to
plan. There are no major obstacles, and no changes in the programme.” The
highlight of the week, he said, is the Sports Day on November 3.
He expressed the hope that this event would
involve much of the population, particularly as “it will be a time of fun and
excitement. There are exciting prizes and we are catering for just about
everybody.”
The Sports Day will conclude with a tug-of-war
between the Police/Fire& Rescue, and teams from the various communities.
Dominica Firms
Near Single Phone Network
Dominica's two telecoms companies say they are on
the verge of connecting their domestic telephone networks.
Cable & Wireless Dominica Limited and Marpin Telecoms and Broadcasting
Company Limited say, however, there is still disagreement over international
interconnection.
In a joint statement released Wednesday, the two sides reported that progress
was being made on domestic interconnection, to allow telephone customers on the
separate networks to talk with each other, possibly by the end of the month.
Prior to this, calling from a Marpin telephone to a C&W was similar to
making an overseas call.
Economic Outlook
Called Crisis by ILO
“This is probably the most severe crisis of
modern aviation industry” said the Director-General of the International
Labour Organisation (ILO), Juan Somavia, in a press release referring to the
September 11 terrorist attacks on America.
The attacks against New York and Washington and
their aftermath, he said, “have hit tourism and aviation sectors especially
hard at a time when they were already weakened by the ongoing global economic
downturn.”
These concerns, the fact that there have been
hundreds of thousands of layoffs, and an anticipated long-term crisis in jobs
and enterprises, have forced a crisis meeting on tourism and aviation industries
by the ILO in Geneva next week.
This week, however, Government, employer and
worker representatives met to assess the tourism crisis and address means for
easing the impact.
According to the ILO release, with security
concerns at high pitch, the ILO has already registered a decline of 5 to 20
percent in the sector as compared to last year.
Based on previous experiences such as the
1990-1991 Gulf War, ILO officials said recovery could be slow. Particularly hard
hit will be tourism in the Caribbean, where it is a main source of income.
National
Insurance Boards View Public Pension Reform
Identifying different forms of social security
financing and investment strategies to protect public insurance schemes in the
new globalized environment was the main objective of an International Labour
Organisation (ILO) Caribbean Regional Tripartite meeting this week in Barbados.
A release from the ILO Caribbean office said that
with the surge in public pension reforms occurring in Latin America and
globally, “it was felt that it was timely for the Caribbean to address this
issue, as new trends in public reform involve complex modifications to the
financial arrangements underlying social security.”
Grenada Commemorates 18th Invasion Anniversary
Grenada, CMC - Grenada marked the 18th
anniversary on Thursday of a U.S.-led military invasion, with Prime Minister Dr.
Keith Mitchell calling for a prayer for the victims of violence across the
globe.
"Whether it is in the West Bank, Northern Ireland, Afghanistan, Pakistan or
any other part of the world, we must remember to pray for the people who are the
victims of any form of violence," the Grenadian leader said during a
national commemorative service - one of the highlights of the anniversary.
American Marines and soldiers from a number of Caribbean countries invaded
Grenada Oct. 25, 1983, to topple a military junta that had slain leftist Prime
Minister Maurice Bishop and overthrown his Revolutionary Government.
Some ministers in the Bishop
Cabinet, including Jacqueline Creft, were killed during the counter-coup, said
to have been masterminded by a group including Bishop's deputy, Bernard Coard.
Coard, his wife Phyllis, and several other key People's Revolutionary Government
(PRG) and People's Revolutionary Army (PRA) officers were sentenced to death for
the killings.
The sentences were commuted to life imprisonment.
Dr. Mitchell, who became head of government in
1999, has been calling for reconciliation between supporters of Bishop and those
seeking a better deal for the group of 17 jailed for his killing. Two months
ago, he set up a National Truth and Reconciliation Commission headed by retired
Guyanese Judge, Sir Donald Trotman.
Barbados Minister Assails Media and Her Colleagues
BARBADOS, CMC - Caribbean Information Ministers
and media entities have been lambasted by the new Barbadian minister with
responsibility for broadcasting, Ms. Mia Mottley, for abdicating their
responsibilities to the people of the region.
In her first address on broadcasting policy issues in the Caribbean, Ms. Mottley
told media practitioners that they have operated like co-conspirators with the
leaders of the region in not living up to their responsibilities.
She chided the media industry for failing to put the issues squarely before
those who are charged with the responsibility of maintaining the sovereignty of
the region for specific decision-making.
But her harshest words seemed to fall upon her political colleagues, as she
declared: "It is a crying shame that the CARICOM Ministers of Information
have not met for almost a decade. It is a matter which we should hang our heads
in shame and offer the greatest of apology to the people of the region."
She argued that there is no other sector that has advanced more in the last 10
years than the technological capacity and support for the information sector.
Declaring that in every Caribbean countries national broadcasters have
monopolies or influence as pervasive as monopolies, to be able to influence the
outlook of every citizen. Ms. Mottley advocated creation of a sustainable fund
to finance and share programming across the region. She said both the regional
public and private sectors have now to be called upon to establish a regional
programming fund to repair some of the damage done.
She linked the problems of crime, AIDS, drug abuse and all the major social and
economic issues that are confronting governments, as emanating from personal
behaviour patterns and attitudes of Caribbean citizens that flow from a sense of
a void as to who they are and what responsibilities they have to themselves.
She said while the education system must accept responsibility for a part of
this, the media has a share to take, and it must take it with a sense of
urgency.
New
York Fireman Has Free Nevis Visit
Nevis--Daniel Caruso, a New York City fireman,
and his family paid a one-day visit to Nevis as part of his vacation package,
all expenses paid, by the Ministry of Tourism in the Federation of St Kitts and
Nevis.
Mr.Caruso was one of the United States rescue
workers in the World Trade Center, which was attacked by terrorists Sept. 11.
Mr. Daniel, his wife and their three children
were taken on an island tour, visiting sites such as the Botanical Garden,
Golden Rock Hotel and the Museum of Nevis History.
Their complimentary lunch was at Unella’s By the Sea, followed by his beach
fun at Pinneys.
A brief ceremony was held at the Nevis Tourism
Authority office to officially welcome the first family to accept the offer made
by both Tourism Departments in Nevis and St Kitts. Helen Kidd, CEO, Nevis
Tourism Authority. welcomed the family to the island.
Premier of Nevis the Honourable Vance Amory
presented Mr. Caruso. a book of condolences that was signed by the Nevis Island
Government and the people of Nevis in general, in respect to the tragedy of
September 11.
Upon accepting the book, Mr. Caruso said, "I
just want to say thanks to everyone on behalf of myself and my family. It was
said, if I ever would come back, but my oldest daughter just said to me before
we got here, that before she goes away to college she would like to come back
here."
Industry Spokesman Sees Stronger Banana Results
St. Lucia, CMC - A senior official of the
Windward Islands Banana Development and Exporting Company (WIBDECO) official in
St. Lucia said on Tuesday he foresees a more sustainable industry in the islands
in the next 18 months.
Dr. Errol Reid, Director of Technical Services, was commenting on the company's
ongoing restructuring plans, the latest being the decision by WIBDECO to take
over full control of the production chain from the farm right through to the
market in Dominica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada.
The WIBDECO official recalled that
in the past the industry had lost millions of dollars for failing to mesh market
requirements with what was actually produced in the field.
Dr Reid said WIBDECO has already taken over banana reception operations in
Dominica and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, while discussions in St. Lucia had
proved "more challenging" because of the liberalized market there,
with as many as four banana companies operating.
Trinidad Opposition Blasts Government in Oil Blowout
Trinidad, CMC - Trinidad and Tobago's opposition
party wants government to declare a village where an oil blow out occurred last
Friday as a disaster area and to implement emergency measures.
Opposition Leader Patrick Manning said more than 50 homes and 200 persons in
Techier village in the southern Borough of Point Fortin were severely affected
as a result of the eruption. He said no one from the government had visited the
area since the catastrophe and that delays in dealing with it would result in
untold medical problems.
The explosion on the state-owned well which was
leased to Tracmac sent crude oil spewing 300 feet into the air. The cause is not
yet known.
Villagers estimate that apart from destroying
their personal belongings, 100 acres of agriculture lands were soaked with the
black oil.
Two Nevis Win $200 Prizes In Cruise Poster Competition
Nevis
-- Minister of Tourism Malcolm Guishard presented Juline Williams of the
Charlestown Secondary School and Kelron Liburd of the Gingerland Secondary
School each with a cheque in the value of US$200 for participating in the
Florida Caribbean Cruise Association Poster Competition 2001.
The
cheques were handed over to each student at the schools they represented during
the competition. Kelron Liburd received his award at Gingerland Primary School
to show the other children what they can achieve at their level. On the other
hand, Juline Williams received hers’ at her present school.
Ten
countries were in the finals. Nevis’ winners were Kelron in the Junior
category and Juline in the Senior. According to Ms Yvette Jackman of the
Department of Tourism, the students who took part in the poster competition
submitted a poster depicting three ways in which each individual can make a
difference to the environment be it, positively, negatively, or both.
U.S. Tells
Guyana Roster Of Deportees Has Grown
Guyana, CMC - The United States has handed Guyana
another list of 100 to 150 more would-be deportees, in addition to the original
list of 141 persons, Cabinet Secretary Dr Roger Luncheon said on Wednesday.
Dr. Luncheon could not say how soon the U.S. might lift a non-immigrant visa ban
imposed on government employees and their immediate families after Guyana missed
an October 10 deadline to begin accepting the deportees.
President Bharrat Jagdeo recently
blamed a number of state agencies for Guyana's failure to meet the deadline for
accepting the deportees. He has since taken over responsibility for resolving
the deportee issue.
The government is very meticulous
in accepting would-be deportees ever since the United States last year deported
a Jamaican to Guyana because he claimed he was Guyanese.
After an extensive probe, the man was returned to the U.S., where he was jailed
for making a false declaration and then deported to Jamaica.
Analysis Foresees Gloom For Caribbean Economies
Trinidad, CMC - An economic analysis says
Caribbean economies face an uncertain economic future with tourism looking grim
and other areas in distress, such as a decline in foreign direct investment and
the inability to raise international finance.
The study on the impact on the Caribbean of the September 11 terrorist attacks
was done by Trinidadian professor Anthony Bryan, director of the Caribbean
Studies program
at the North South Center, University of Miami, and Stephen E Flynn, a senior
fellow at the Council on Foreign Affairs and a Commander in the U.S. Coast
Guard.
"In the wake of the September 11 attacks, turning off the transportation
spigot that carries travelers and cargo to and from the United States has
jeopardized the future of already fragile Caribbean economies and added to
potential scenarios for regional instability," they said in a joint paper
released Wednesday.
They said major sectors of Caribbean economies such as air transport, tourism,
agricultural commodity exports, manufacturing, mining, and capital markets
depend on ready access to the U.S. economy.
Tourism, which is the single largest earner of foreign exchange in 16 of 28
countries in the wider Caribbean region, had already been in decline as a result
of the downturn in the global economy. Tourism directly or indirectly employs
one in four Caribbean citizens and generates income for the region in excess of
US$2 billion per year.
"Weeks after the tragic loss of over 5,000 innocent civilians, including at
least 160 nationals from 15 Caribbean countries, the short-term outlook for
Caribbean tourism is grim."
They said as countries worldwide
position themselves to combat "terrorism with a global reach" the
Caribbean region will experience economic distress in other areas as well.
A decline in foreign direct investment, regional inability to raise
international finance, increased costs for the shipment of agricultural and
manufactured exports, additional costs for insurance and reinsurance, a decline
in remittances to the region, now valued at approximately US$3 billion, because
of job losses among Caribbean nationals in the United States and Canada, and
higher energy costs, are all expected as short- and medium-term impacts of the
recent tragedy, they said.
Financial Action
Task Force Calls Emergency Meetings
Washington, D.C. -- The Financial Action Task
Force (FATF) Plenary Session will be opened Monday by U.S. Treasury Secretary
Paul O'Neill, who has invited journalists to attend the opening of the
meeting at 9.30 a.m. in the Omni Shoreham Hotel. The rest of the meeting will be
held in closed session.
Following the FATF Plenary, Ms. Clarie Lo, FATF President, and Patrick Moulette,
FATF Executive Secretary, will hold a news conference at the National Press Club
at 10.00 a.m. Wednesday to announce the outcome of the discussions and the
measures adopted at the meeting.
Addressing the financing of terrorism will be a new focus for the FATF and is a
natural complement to its mandate to fight all aspects of money laundering.
At this meeting, the FATF will discuss the immediate actions it can take to
foster the tracing and blocking of funds to terrorists, particularly in the area
of counter-measures to deal with the funding of terrorism.
Bahamas Powder Tests Negative for Anthrax
The Bahamas - A white powdery substance found
spilling from an envelope in a Nassau post office Oct. 16 has tested negative
for anthrax, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Merceline Dahl-Regis announced Wednesday.
The tests were done at the Department of Health Bureau of Labs, working in
collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in
Atlanta, Ga., she said.
The Chief Medical Officer also said 10 persons who had come in contact with the
white powder and were treated presumptively with Cipro for anthrax exposure may
discontinue taking the antibiotic.
The Ministry of Health, she said, is grateful for "the excellent work"
of the microbiologist in detecting the organism that resembled bacillus
anthracis (the bacterium that causes anthrax).
"We have been informed by the Centers for Disease Control," she said,
"that a similar situation occurred in Nairobi, Kenya, Brazil and Trinidad
and Tobago, where preliminary studies identified a bacillus and proved negative
for anthrax.
Panday-Maharaj War Heightens in Trinidad
Compiled
from CMC dispatches
Trinidad -- Trinidad and Tobago's political
turmoil continued this week with Opposition Leader Patrick Manning calling Prime
Minister Basdeo Panday's pledge to set up a permanent commission to investigate
corruption as a "blatant and outrageous political gimmick," and Mr.
Panday fighting to retain control of his ruling United National Congress (UNC)
Party against three dissident former govenrment ministers.
Mr. Panday told thousands of supporters last
weekend that if the party is returned to power in the December 10 general
election he intended to establish the commission.to investigate, prosecute and
punish corrupt persons in public life and their accomplices in the private
sector.
Mr. Manning, the leader of the People's National Movement, dismissed the
proposed commission was another false promise. He said Mr. Panday had
"turned a deaf ear" even to demands from his own Cabinet members for
investigations into corruption.
Meanwhile, in the struggle for control of the
UNC, the contending factions both invited nomination
of candidates to contest the December 10 general elections.
The faction led by Prime Minister Panday met Tuesday in a national executive
meeting. The faction led by deputy political leader and sacked attorney general,
Ramesh Maharaj, held an executive meeting at the same time but at a different
venue.
At the Port of Spain venue of their meeting, Mr. Maharaj insisted that the
national executive meeting which he held was constitutional, while he dismissed
Mr. Panday's session as a "social gathering."
But Chairman Wade Mark, a Panday loyalist, said their meeting at the party's
headquarters in Couva in the central region was constitutional.
Mr. Maharaj, who failed to draw crowd support in his elections campaign launch
last weekend, commands the support of 12 out of the 23-member UNC executive.
"The constitution (of the party) clearly states that 12 members form a
quorum," he said.
Mr. Mark said, however, that the Maharaj faction
has not been calling any meetings and as such a national executive meeting can
be convened with any number of members.
The Panday faction also adopted resolutions at their meeting Sunday, which was
attended by over 5,000 supporters, to establish a disciplinary committee to take
action against Mr/ Maharaj, former Food Production Minister Trevor Sudama and
former Information Technology Minister Ralph Maraj, for expulsion from the party
for their failure to support the government on three bills and forming an
accommodation with the opposition party with the intention of having a new
government led by Opposition Leader Manning.
OECS Secretariat Tightens Its Belt
St. Lucia, CMC - Management and staff of the
Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Secretariat have agreed to
freeze increments and new hiring as part of a voluntary austerity package for
the organisation, it was announced Wednesday.
Acting Director General George Goodwin, in a letter to OECS Chairman, Prime
Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell of Grenada, said the decision was taken in
recognition of the current economic and fiscal situation facing member states.
He also referred to the negative impact of a declining world economy which has
been compounded by last month's terrorist attacks on the United States and the
fact that some member governments have already implemented their own
cost-reduction measures.
The Secretariat's management, heads of units and general staff met this week and
agreed that all increments due from December 2001 will be suspended for one year
in the first instance, the Secretariat said on Wednesday.
The directors, ambassadors and heads of units also decided to immediately review
all operational areas with a view to identifying and implementing costs-cutting
measures.
Goodwin's said this is the second occasion within the past three years that the
body of staff of the OECS has willingly adopted such measures.
The OECS comprises Anguilla,
Antigua and Barbuda, the British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat,
St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Caribbean Star Chairman Warm to Running Airport
Antigua, CMC - Prime Minister Lester Bird acknowledged Monday
that Caribbean Star Chairman Allen Stanford was interested in managing the V.C.
Bird International Airport as government moves to privatize the island's sea and
air ports.
"There is no formal proposal as yet. But the truth is that Mr. Stanford has
expressed an interest because he sees this as part of the whole process of the
development of the airport in trying to manage it," Mr. Bird said.
The Prime Minister said the Antigua Hotel Association was in favour of placing
the airport under the control of the Stanford Group of Companies, which the
Caribbean Star chairman controls, together with the Bank of Antigua and the
Antigua Sun newspaper.
The move could have implications for the other Antigua-based carrier, LIAT
(1974) Ltd., in which the Antigua government has a stake.
Caribbean Star competes head to head with LIAT on close to a dozen
intra-regional routes, which LIAT Chief Executive Officer Gary Cullen calls
senseless competition for market share.
Mr. Bird said the U.S. businessman, who now makes his home in Antigua, wanted to
ensure that the airport operated at maximum efficiency and to assist the
government in putting together the financing for the expansion of the airport.
"We are building a new arrivals centre. We are putting in place a passenger
facility -- a charge of US$10 per head for people travelling into Antigua. And
that should go towards the amortization of the loan which we require towards the
building of the new arrivals centre," Mr. Bird said.
Since the government needed to have Stanford's input on the project, the prime
minister said, it has had talks with Mr. Stanford in this regard.
Antigua's Janill Williams Lauded for 2 Gold Medals
Compiled
from dispatches
Antigua
-- Antigua and Barbuda's star middle-and-long distance runner Janill Williams
was given a heroine's welcoming party Tuesday night after winning double gold
medals at the Junior Pan Am Games in Argentina last weekend.
The 16-year-old was met on the tarmac of the V. C. Bird International Airport by
a delegation that included Minister of Sports, Senator Guy Yearwood,
Commissioner of Sports E.P. Chet Greene, her coach LeRoy Williams (no relation),
and her mother Gretna "Mama" Francis and father Trevor
"Wambe" Williams.
She was honoured with a VIP reception, a public recognition ceremony inside the
car park of the airport, and hugs and kisses from the crowd as she moved from
the terminal building to the car park. It was also announced that a national
motorcade will be held tomorrow from 10 a.m.
Coach Williams, who on one of the rare occasions did not accompany her to Santa
Fe, said her self discipline was evident.
"It only goes to show the discipline and maturity she has that she can go
to a meet without her coach and win two gold medals," he said with a
measure of pride.
Newly appointed manager Barbadian Tony Marshall regretted the lack of support
prior to her exploits in South America. "I was aggrieved to learn that
Janill could not go to Guatemala (to take part in the Central American &
Caribbean Games in July)," he said.
"I would like to ask the people and the government to assist not only
Janill but the others. The public must not cheer only when medals are won,"
Mr. Marshall said.
He promised to work hard in seeking funding for her upcoming meets.
He thanked Barbadian construction company, C. O. Williams, for funding her trip
to Argentina, and announced that the company will be assisting her up to the
2004 Olympics in Athens.
Meanwhile, a Janill Williams Development Fund, with an initial start-up capital
of between US$15,000 and $20,000 has been set up to take care of the teenage
distance runner's future engagements.
The fund, initiated by businessman Philbert Mason, at the Antigua Barbuda
Investment Bank (ABIB), is separate from the government-administered trust fund
which is taking care of Williams' educational needs.
Mr. Mason, who is the main mover behind the fund to assist Janill in her
preparation to take part in overseas meets, said support has been positive.
"We are hoping that this effort will grow more elaborate for all athletes
in Antigua. So far the response has been overwhelming," he said.
A local company has also offered her a full computer system with a replacement
every three years.
"What we are witnessing is the humblest can produce the finest. It proves
ordinary people from Antigua can achieve extra ordinary heights. In saluting
Janill we are saluting an extraordinary athlete," historian and newspaper
editor Tim Hector said of Williams.
He also called on the public and the government to ensure that Janill's family
"live comfortably" for the rest of their lives.
Director of Sports Pat Whyte, who also attended the welcoming party at the V.C.
Bird International Airport, said Janill has demonstrated that a lack of proper
facilities is not a barrier to achieve greatness.
"We know the facilities in Antigua are not the best but if you have the
guts and determination you will succeed," he said to aspiring athletes.
Speaking on behalf of the Athletics Association, Everton Cornelius, a coach and
administrator, chronicled Janill's rise through the youth programme to point
that she is the number one junior middle-and-long distance runners in the
Caribbean, CAC and Pan American.
"This shows the calibre of athletes we have here," Cornelius said.
He said Janill displayed a never-say-die attitude from the beginning. "She
never will give up. She will pursue it with all her heart."
By
Peter Adrien
The future lies in promising! The fortune of the
Caribbean islands depends on the development of our young generation. The
creative energies of our youngsters, rightly harnessed, rightly nurtured, could
transform our decaying societies, and create a competitive productive sector.
The West Indies cricket administration must be
given credit for its foresight. The WICB has invested much in our young batters
-- Daren Ganga, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Marlon Samuels, Wavell Hinds, Chris Gayle and
Leon Garrick -- as well as in our reserves -- Narsingh Deonarine, Ryan Hinds,
Devon Smith, Romel Currency, Tonito Willett and the graduates of the West Indies
Cricket Academy. Even if the
gestation period for our young bowlers is painfully long, the fruits of the
investment are somewhat discernible in Dave Mohammad, I. Bradshaw, Kenroy
Peters, Shane Shillingford and Omari Banks.
Yes, there has been massive injection of funds in
the youth development programme. One area of concentration has been coaching.
And the development of the coaching capability of the cricketing countries is
evident. This is reflected in an increasing interest in cricket among young
athletes; the development of cricket curricula; the enhanced quality of coaching
at the schools and clubs level; the establishment of cricket academies or
similar-type facilities; and the encouraging performances of the young
cricketers at the Under-13, Under-15 and Under-19 levels.
St. Kitts and Nevis, the home of Elquemedo
Willett, Derek Parry, Keith Arthurton and Stuart Williams – all former Test
players – is a front runner in the youth development programme. With the
recent developments in the programme, organised, funded and sustained by the
Ministry of Sports and the private sector, St. Kitts may very well be on the
verge of an international breakthrough in cricket. The local cricketing public
was encouraged by the excellent performance of Gareth Matthew, who was voted the
most valuable wicket-keeper in the 2001 Under-19 tournament.
What we have on the 68-square mile Sugar City is
a functional working partnership between the private sector and the government
agency responsible for the development of sports. While the government through
its budgetary allocations sustains the technical support, infrastructural
development and curriculum development, the private sector sponsors the events,
the competitions, the clothing of some of the players, the equipment and all
other activities related to the efficient hosting and running of organised
meets.
The financing of cricket in St. Kitts and Nevis
is sufficiently important to merit our attention in this column. The degree of
sponsorship must be appreciated in the context of the narrowness of the economy,
the limited resource endowment, and the competing interests for the available
resources in a society with only 32,000 people and only five medium to large
private sector firms. Why are they doing it?
There is an unspoken shared vision that motivates
the stakeholders – a vision that drives the participating firms to allocate a
significant portion of their much needed financial resources to youth cricket
every year, even if the cricket has not yet produced a West Indian Test player,
although it has produced legendary local cricketers like Austin Eddy, Lennard
Harris, Victor Eddy, Edgar Gilbert and others.
The small private sector, even in difficult
economic circumstances, has been the motor that powers sports development in the
Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis. The local private sector financing is
particularly significant, as the country does not benefit from the WICB
development programme in the same way as the other Test playing countries. St.
Kitts is not a beneficiary of the Scotia Bank Kiddies Cricket (a WICB youth
cricket development programme sponsored by the foreign bank, Bank of Nova
Scotia). The development programme is a popular programme in the Test-playing
venues.
The thrust of the cricket development programme
in St. Kitts and Nevis is at the primary school level. The coaching psychology
is to nurture the youngsters when they are pliable – when they are young. The
coaches or mentors or fathers, to some of the youngsters, nurture the potential
professionals, while they are still babies. And they are getting it right.
Twelve cricket coaches on both islands have taken
the programme to all public and private schools, and have indeed begun a revival
in West Indies youth cricket development on the twin-island state in the Eastern
Caribbean. The financiers behind the school programme (who are ably supported
and facilitated by the Ministry of Education) comprise four small to
medium-sized firms – Coury’s Wholesale, Walls Deluxe, Sun Island Clothes
Limited and Ram's. They provide an estimated US$10,000 annually for the
sustenance of the programme, the development of the young athletes and towards
the vision of making a Test player in the New Millennium.
The major investor for the tournaments, the St.
Kitts Nevis Breweries/Giant Malt, has been the sponsor for the Under-15 and
Under-19 schools competition for more than six years.
But even with the financing, the infrastructural
support, and the parental involvement, the youth cricket development in St.
Kitts and Nevis would have languished without the resilience, the struggles and
motivation of the qualified and committed coaches, among whom Vernon Springer
and Noel Guishard (St. Kitts) and Elquemedo Willett and Livingstone Lawrence
(Nevis), stand as sentinels and role models.
The coaching team is really a total package, made
up of athletes who have shown guts and dedication. Among them Elquemedo Willet
stands out. He is the first small island cricketer to make it onto the West
Indies Test team. Lawrence represented the West Indies “B” team; Guishard
made a name for himself as an off-spinning all-rounder in regional cricket and
played several years of league cricket in England; Springer excelled in
coaching, having trained at the West Indies advance level and having coached the
West Indies Under-19 in 1996.
What a combination! It seems a matter of time
before the fruit is ready for harvest. Just as we look forward to Tonito Willett
(Nevis), Narsingh Deonarine (Guyana), Brenton Parchment (Jamaica), we look
forward to Elsroy Powell (St. Kitts) and Gareth Matthew (St. Kitts), who have
been through the coaching programme, through the West Indies cricket Academy in
Grenada, and have made their debut in the 2001 Red Stripe Bowl.
The people of the Federation wait; the sponsors
are expectant; the coaches are hopeful; the youngsters are determined; the
Caribbean public is desirous.
Peter
Adrien is an author, a syndicated sports analyst and freelance photographer. He
can be contacted via telephone (869) 465-4813 or E-mail:
Adriens@caribsurf.com
PHOTO CAPTION: Elsroy Powell, a product of the youth programme (Photo: provided)
By C.T. John
The man whom we know as Dr. Howard Fergus has
been made a Professor at the University of the West Indies (UWI) and has
received a knighthood from Her Majesty the Queen.
Many persons are uncertain of the proper form of addressing him on formal
occasions, and I will attempt to explain those forms.
When a person holds a Ph.D, that person is
referred to as “Doctor” – Hence Dr. Fergus.
However,, if that person becomes a Professor, the reference to
“Doctor” ceases, and the person is addressed as “Professor,” followed
usually by the surname – hence Professor Fergus.
As a Knight, he would be addressed as “Sir” followed by his first
name, and that would be “Sir Howard.” However
he is both a Knight and a Professor, and has to be addressed with both titles.
In doing so “Professor” comes before
“Sir” and both the first and last names are used. His
proper form of address is therefore “Professor Sir Howard Fergus”. That is
the form to be used in recognizing him at functions and in addressing envelopes.
Now, in addressing a letter to him, what does one
write in the salutation? One does
not write “Dear Professor Sir Howard Fergus,” for that is rather bulky and
has an air of being overdone. It
has to be shortened, and in shortening it, the Queen's honour must take
precedence. Therefore the
salutation will be “Dear Sir Howard.” It
is possible that for a strictly academic matter, the salutation could read,
“Dear Professor Fergus.” However,
that takes much judgment, but “Dear Sir Howard” is always correct.
In the case of a formal letter which has to begin
with his address at the top, the address will be the same:
The Resident Tutor
UWI School of Continuing Studies
P O Box 256
Manjack
Montserrat
For those entities that insist on having the
person’s name above the address, the name will be “Professor Sir Howard
Fergus”.
A close friend and associate writing to him must
have the envelope properly addressed. However,
in the salutation, that friend can address him the way he or she usually does.
Thus it can be “Dear Howard,” or even by a nickname if that close
friend is accustomed to using such.
Letters from all but close friends should end
I
remain, Sir,
Yours
faithfully,
(name)
Letters from close friends can end in the usual
manner.
There are several other aspects to this matter,
but the last one I wish to deal with here is where Sir Howard is placed in the
order of precedence, when he is being recognized at a function.
He comes immediately after the members of Executive Council.
In the order of precedence for Montserrat, he would be recognized just
after the Honourable Financial Secretary, and before the Bishops.
In all this, Mrs Fergus is not to be forgotten.
Her official title is now “Lady Fergus”.
In private her close friends and associates can continue to call her by
whatever name they are accustomed to, but all public references to her whether
by close friends or others, should be “Lady Fergus”
Further, when recognition is made of Sir Howard
and Lady Fergus at a function, the correct form of address is “Professor Sir
Howard Fergus and Lady Fergus”. If he were a knight only, and not a professor as well, it
would have been “Sir Howard and Lady Fergus”.
However in adding “Professor” before “Sir”, the last name has to
be included before referring to Lady Fergus.
Thus it becomes “Professor Sir Howard Fergus and Lady Fergus”.
In the case of letters to Lady Fergus, all
envelopes addressed to her will read “Lady Eudora Fergus”, etc,.
The salutation will be “Dear Lady Fergus” and
the ending will be
I remain, Dear Lady Fergus,
Yours sincerely,
(name)
If her name and address are placed at the top of
the letter, the salutation will be “Madam” and the ending will be
I remain, Madam
Yours Sincerely
(name)
Salutations and endings of letters by close
friends of Lady Fergus, can continue to be what they have always been.
In concluding, I wish to make two points.
The first is that there are many shades of difference between the
strictly formal at one end, and the close friend at the other end, but it is
difficult to capture the many shades in a presentation of this sort.
My second concluding point is that it is
necessary for us to get it right. The fact that Sir Howard has received these honours is a sign
that our community is maturing. A
further sign of our maturing community is that we deal with it correctly.
Sir Howard is Montserrat’s first Knight and so it is understandable if
we stumble a bit initially. However,
that should not continue for too long, because not getting it right is in bad
taste, and borders on the disrespectful.
23 October 2001
Mr C T John was Principal of the Montserrat
Secondary School, Permanent Secretary and Financial Secretary to the Government
of Montserrat. He also served for nine (9) years as an Examiner in Geography
for Caribbean Examinations Council. He
is currently the Resident Representative in Montserrat for the Eastern Caribbean
Central Bank.
Whither Goeth the Public Service on Montserrat?
By
Claude Gerald
The Government of Montserrat is telegraphing the
right signals through its advertised intention to lift the requirements for the
job of Permanent Secretary, Administration (PSA) to an impressively high level.
This is in light of the final imminent departure of Ms. Claudia Roach, who has
had a six-year turbulent ride on an administrative flagship that is rudderless
and disaster prone.
The job is pivotal to a great many functions of
Government. The remit of the PSA includes: administration of the prison;
administration of the defense force, and some correlation with the Police; of
personnel matters, including who gets Queen birthday honours; the Public Service
Commission, training, disciplinary matters and, of course, intimate working
relations with the Governor and a bevy of British officials.
Stature and presence are prerequisites to effective functioning in that
job and much credit to government for recognizing the scope of the task and its
requirements.
Public Service historians watching the dynamics
in this sector in the last 20 years have lamented the shameful standards that
have evolved. Standards are to management as a glove is to a hand and
standardlessness makes a mockery of standards. It is, however, difficult for
even the immovable not to question the state of affairs at the Department of
Administration, where its present woman-headed management has had an unpopular
two-year post-retirement extension in office.
That extension is as roundly condemned as her
coming in the first place. Governor Abbott, the declared "friend and family
supporter" (PSA’s quote at Abbott’s farewell) of Ms. Roach approved
solely, after the Public Service Commission and the Government of the day
frowned at the request to extend. Word is that at this eleventh hour another
"stay on" is submitted. In
the words of a super-senior official, she was not the "material: for that
position after an eternity of "stamp licking" at the General Post
Office, and hence could not have enhanced the posting to any degree. Her
meteoric rise is not meritorious, given her background, and her legacy is a
further demoralized public service floundering into the abyss. She therefore
symbolizes both the power and pitfalls of thoughtless policies coupled with
godfatherism.
True, key individuals knew of her
inappropriateness but remained silent because it suited their manipulative
tendencies. The silence sharpened as the passport scandal, wedded deeply in the
heart of Administration, mushroomed into a pervasive stench for which there have
been no satisfactory answers or conclusion. The sacred passport is made unsacred
through greed and incompetence, whilst lesser mortals are scapegoated. That
poorly handled scene continues to bite like a wayward bug and reflects our
preparation to stomach the well-connected no matter if there is the most
grotesque transgression of the public trust.
Given the central and varied importance of the
Department of Administration to the manpower needs, especially among other key
responsibilities, it is crucial that the persons who man that branch must
themselves be soundly trained. How does one employ or recommend employment when
one is incapable of conceptualizing the rudiments of a job and its
representation? Training is a minimum requirement that speaks to relevant and
successful exposure through high school and university, along with other life
skills that give credit to the undertaking. Such skills are individual and one
cannot legislate for them in an advertisement.
One expects basic human principles, and values that center on dignity and
decency, candour and fair-mindedness, selflessness, exemplary high standards,
and credit to oneself and the nation as qualities that are not advertisable but
are inherent to the holder of such a position.
Well-rounded individuals do not say what others
want them to say or seek to befriend the "higher-ups" in society to
get along. They stand on their own, confident and esteemed, defining and
propping themselves despite others, so that they could independently make
decisions for the society they are sworn to serve without the dubious benefit of
a godfather, advisor or scriptwriter. They are ambitious, industrious and
fearless in their pursuit of the common good. Their positions do not make them
-- they make their positions, so that when their time expires they continue to
respire with even greater gusto. Honour is the domain of the individual who
confers it on the position. Well-rounded individuals appreciate humility, are
people-loving and Jehovah-fearing. Their mandate is to serve to the best, but
they must first justify being the best.
The nature and status of the Department of
Administration makes for the quality of the public service. It means that other
ministries would be mirrored accordingly as the pace is set entirely in its
bosom. Society at large takes its cue and leaps forward. It is no mean arm of
Government and must be optimally and respectfully manned. And let us be fair.
This present morass was long in coming, as predecessors in the position paved
the way. There has been chronic public distrust of the operation of the
Department of Administration for many years. Policies are conceived as favouring
friends, family and acquaintances at best, whilst deserving individuals are
alienated and harassed.
A Permanent Secretary, Administration position is
a powerful one in our context. And power when abused can hurt a population for a
lifetime. Many can testify to the terroristic actions of previous PSA’s, so
much so that they remain permanently averse to any association with these
individuals as they purvey the Gospel of Righteousness in a new dispensation.
Power is transient. And the powerful must powerlessly filter back into society
to become a "nobody" on the cold streets of Kings Cross, or be
unemployed without countenanced extension. The lesson is several: that one must
always be scrupulously fair in administering public matters so a peaceful
transition to society is probable; must recognize that ignorance and power are
immiscible and that mankind is so ungrateful that beneficiaries of unfair
treatment will be the first to alienate and disparage their now useless
benefactors, and begin to parasitize others. Fashioning one's life based on
friendship and cozying up will fail to fruit eventually.
Civil Service watchers await the identity of the
new PSA and pledge to keep watching. That person is timely placed to even
marginally transform for the better once the affluent advertised standards set
are maintained. This is the fervent prayer.
Claude
Gerald is an agricultural economist, with an abiding interest in the
socio-economic/political development of Montserrat. Email, ceegee15@hotmail.com
London Embroidery?
CM Osborne was proud in repeating
What he won in his recent Short meeting.
But now comes the word
It was not as we heard,
Their encounter was just a short greeting.
Day Time Angling Zone
In response to the fishermen's plea
The authorities try to agree,
But if maritime exclusion
Becomes maritime confusion
At least they'll be farther at sea.
* Correction:
In an error committed in haste, the title of a limerick last week
honoring William H. Bramble mistakenly transposed his first and second initials.
Jus Wonderin
if the DFID posse will now stop using the white powder to mark their
hiking trail.
Jus wonderin if the Hon. CM and Minister of Com
& Works will be on the first 'fully' loaded twin otter that lands at the new
Geralds airstrip/airport.
Jus wonderin who is the patron of the Montserrat
Girl Guides.
Jus wonderin if when the airport is done and no
twin otter service can be used if the once Montserrat airline man will be given
airplanes by DFID to operate into Montserrat.
Jus wonderin if that isn't the plan in fact.
Jus wonderin if since U.S. were quick to put
restrictions on people traveling to Montserrat because of volcanic activity on the island, now
that there is a scare, they will
put out restrictions advising visitors not
to come to the States because an anthrax epidemic.
Jus wonderin if rumors are true that two MPs want
to resign.
Jus wonderin what other problems Gerald’s will
pose.
Jus wonderin what we will really do if an anthrax
case arises here and how equipped are we to fight this bacteria.
Jus wonderin if festival would be better or worse
this year.
Jus wonderin if they will be able to capitalize
on their fall-shorts of last year.
Jus wonderin if the queen contestants will
finally get the rewards promised them.
Jus wonderin if winners will be promptly rewarded
this time round.
Jus wonderin if they are waiting for the last
minute to finish the dresses like last year.
Jus wonderin how much tape will be used this
year.
Jus wonderin why the officer so interested in jus
wonderin.
Jus wonderin why other banks can’t have a day
dedicated to them as well.
Jus wonderin how to congratulate St. Patrick
Credit Union.
Jus wonderin why the song for the week of Police
activities seem so out of tune.
Jus wonderin why the Inspector and Labour man
were visiting the printing place so often.
Jus wonderin who try to clip de black bird wing.
Jus wonderin if de CM still hiding anyting bout
London.
Jus wonderin why de CM only had his employees ask
him questions publicly on his trip.
Jus wonderin just how close are the power people
and who they really are.
Jus wonderin if being blamed for something you
didn’t do don’t deserve an apology.
Jus wonderin what the outcome will be.
Jus
wonderin why my son dont write, or call since he got the tires them.
Jus wonderin bout this Anthrax and whether it wasn’t around with people dying from it all the time.
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