THE VINCENTIAN PDF-29-10-21

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years of independence

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29,

2021

VOLUME 115, No.43

Friday: Parade too partisan Page 3

www.thevincentian.com

‘Man can’t tek talk” Page 4

Hackshaw- Top Vincy soldier Pages 14&15

EC$1.50

Deadline getting nearer Page 7

Dust and more dust Page16

KING SCORES

LEGAL VICTORY Left: Luzette King, came away victor in a case brought against her by a the state.

by HAYDN HUGGINS ATTORNEY KAY BACCHUS-BAPTISTE has described as, “a very important decision in the fair administration of Justice,” last Tuesday’s ruling by Chief Magistrate Rechanne Browne in the Immigration and Customs case against social activist Luzette King.

In handing down her decision, after examining the written submissions by the defence, and the prosecution’s response, the Chief Magistrate agreed with the defence that it would be “an abuse of process,” for King to be tried on those charges, and Left: Luzette King took up this sitting position and resisted efforts to remove her when she returned to the state on Feb. 06.

therefore the proceedings to declare anything should be permanently contained in stayed. her baggage, or anything A case of deportation and charges carried on her, or produced her Speaking with THE luggage to VINCENTIAN shortly the customs after the decision was officer on handed down at the Serious Offences Court, duty at the Bacchus-Baptiste, the airport.

She was lead lawyer in the case, said, “I want to commend additionally charged with, Chief Magistrate that on the Rechanne Browne for correctly applying the same date at the AIA, she law. She did her duty. prevented “It was a very the carrying out of a important decision for the fair administration of search for anything justice. Too many times which is liable to be the state abuse their forfeited, detained, seized, or removed, by authority and get away not presenting herself to with it.”

King’s legal team also a customs officer.

Shortly after King’s comprised attorneys Maia Eustace, Ronnia arrival at the AIA on January 30, she was Durham-Balcome, and deported to the United Guevera Leacock.

States, where she is also Crown Counsel a citizen.

Tammika McKenzie represented the state.

At that stage, King was not charged with King was charged with, that on January 30, any offence. She returned to these shores, 2021, at the Argyle again by air, on February International Airport (AIA), in St. Vincent and 6, and it was then that the Grenadines, did the authorities decided to enter the state by air, take her to the Biabou and did not present Police Station, and herself in person to the charge her with the nearest immigration Immigration and officer.

Customs offences, She was also charged allegedly stemming from with, that on January 30, an incident at the Airport on January 30.

2021, at the AIA, failed

Attorney Kay BacchusBaptiste claimed in her submission that the Immigration Act procedures were not followed when Luzette King was deported Jan. 30.

Submission to have matter stayed In August this year, the defence made an application before the Court for the proceedings against King to be permanently stayed for abuse of process, on the grounds that the authorities had already deported King on January 30, but decided to charge her on February 6, on her return to the state, for something they could have dealt with on January 30.

In her written submissions, BacchusBaptiste said King was already punished when she was deported on Continued on Page 3.

2. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2021 . THE VINCENTIAN

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2021 . 3.

News 3 Independence Parade too partisan

FOR THE FIRST TIME since attaining independence in 1979, there was no military parade to mark that anniversary.

And while Leader of the Opposition Dr Godwin Friday while speaking on the ‘New Times’ programme on October 25, agreed with the decision not to have the parade this year given the prevailing situation occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic, he expressed concern about how that activity was conducted.

He called for changes to be made to the ceremony.

According to Dr. Friday, the event had become a government affair.

“It is a partisan thing where the Prime Minister gets up and he makes it essentially a mini-budget and talks about the things from a partisan, political pointof-view,” the Leader of the Opposition said.

He said that the independence parade became an opportunity for the government to ‘brag’ and ‘boast’, when the event ought to be a unifying one that was devoid of partisan politics.

It had, however, now descended into partisanship which made it very uncomfortable for some persons to be present where they were often critiqued by the government, without having the opportunity to respond.

“And those supporters of the opposition will equally feel as though they are not welcomed.

Independence celebration should not be that, it should not be an opportunity for the government to crow and make the opposition look less than favourable and certainly less than welcome,” Dr. Friday said.

“The event should be more inclusive - it should not be a boastful event with a long-winded speech from the Prime Minister. … He should not be the one making the formal address and that if he wanted to make an address to the nation, then the parade was not the place to do so,” he added.

Now that there was no independence parade, Dr. Friday said that he hoped that the government would use the opportunity to reflect.

For certain, Dr. Friday administration would look at it and revise as assured, a New Democratic Party (NDP) necessary. (DD)

The Military Parade that is the central activity to marking the anniversary of this country’s independence, has diminished to a partisan activity, according to the NDP.

King scores legal victory However, the Chief Magistrate, in handing down her decision, pointed out that at no point, King January 30, and they sought to was charged with breaching punish her again by charging her. public health regulations. She The attorney had also noted that King was only charged submitted that the authorities did with Immigration and Customs not follow the correct procedure offences. under the Immigration Act; that The magistrate upheld the they deported her without defence’s application, and following due process. permanently stayed the In response to the defence’s proceedings. submissions, the prosecution said there was no evidence to support King broke no law the claim that King was deported.

According to the prosecution, Bacchus-Baptiste in her conversation with THE Kings was detained for noncompliance with Public Health VINCENTIAN on Tuesday said, “She (King) was asking to be regulations, and that she was prohibited from clearing quarantined at home, which was Immigration and Customs by absolutely normal under the Public Health Act. She did not Public Health personnel.

Continued from Frontpage.

break any law under the order of the Public Health Act”.

According to her, “when they (prosecution) saw our submissions, they should have withdrawn at that stage.”

King had unsuccessfully applied for exemption from having to spend 14 days in quarantine at a hotel, as required by COVID-19 protocols.

She had stated that she could not afford to pay for the 14 days as she was unemployed, that she lived alone in a house which was secured and where she could be safely quarantined, and that her doctor had placed her on special dietary requirements which she would not be able to get at the hotel.

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4. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2021 . THE VINCENTIAN

Court

Luzette King is not done with what has now been ruled as an “abuse of power” levelled against her by the state apparatus.

King taking it higher SOCIAL activist Luzette King is seeking assistance to raise at least $50,000 to take a legal matter to the highest level of the judiciary.

“I am calling on my supporters, and all those who believe in what I am fighting for to assist me in raising at least $50,000 to take this case to the highest level,” King told THE VINCENTIAN on Tuesday, following Chief Magistrate Rechanne Browne’s decision to

permanently stay the proceedings for “abuse of process”, in the Immigration and Customs matter brought against her on February 6 this year.

King expressed gratitude to her lawyers Kay Bacchus-Baptiste, Maia Eustace Ronnia Durham-Balcome and Guevera Leacock for excellent representation.

She disclosed that the matter was done pro bono, and at no point did lead lawyer Bacchus-

Baptiste ask her for anything, nor did she offer Bacchus-Baptiste anything.

When asked how she felt about the decision, King said, “I cannot find words to express how I feel,” but described it as a “landmark decision.”

Recounting the episode earlier in Court she said, “I stood in the dock listening to the Magistrate relaying the Prosecution’s side, especially when they said I did not present myself

Magistrate warns about alcohol consumption CHIEF MAGISTRATE Rechanne Browne has warned a 40-year-old Belair resident that his drinking problem was hurting those close to him, and could have serious repercussions for him and his love ones.

Hollie Shortte had appeared before the Serious Offences Court, after being charged with assaulting his commonlaw wife - Rochelle John of Belair, with intent to commit an offence.

He was also charged with, that without lawful excuse, he damaged one 3x3 glass and aluminum window valued at EC$300, two glass and wooden doors valued at EC$500, and one black T-shirt valued at EC$30, the property of Rochelle John.

Both offences

reportedly occurred at Belair on October 24.

Shortte pleaded not guilty to both charges, but John indicated to the Court that she did not want to proceed further with the matter. She said Shortte was her common-law husband.

They resided in the same house, but one lives upstairs and the other downstairs. She has four children, including one for the defendant.

John said Shortte becomes a problem when he consumes alcohol, “When he drink he does get on ‘stewpid’,” she said.

“Why are you drinking? You cannot handle that substance,” the Chief Magistrate told the defendant.

“When you drink is a problem, and it is hurting love ones around

you, whether physically or emotionally. You might not be doing it with a view to becoming enraged, but that is what is happening. It is destroying your family, and when it (alcohol) is cleared, you are sorry,” Browne told Shortte.

When questioned by the Magistrate, John, in tears, said she did not want her boyfriend to go to jail.

But the Magistrate told her, “Sometimes they need a short sharp shock. They get good meals round there (jail).”

She told Shortte he was free to go, but warned, “You are hurting people, and that does not make you a man.”

Browne added that if he was hurt, and his common-law wife was hurt, their children will be hurt, and they in turn

particularly pointed to the sort of response the Prosecution gave to the defence’s submissions, and the decision to bring a case against her, on her return to the country, seven days after she was deported. (HH)

POLICE ACTION Two arrested for burglary ON OCTOBER 23, 2021 police arrested and jointly charged Sharon Sam-Warner, 53-year-old retired teacher of Old Montrose and Alford Hoyte, 56-yearold painter of Glen, with the offence of burglary.

According to investigations, the defendants entered the dwelling house of Wran Gould, 55-yearold chef of Lodge Village as trespassers, and stole one (1) Pro Point Generator valued at $12,000 EC. The offence was allegedly committed at Lodge Village on the 03.10.2021.

The accused were expected to appear before the Serious Offences Court to answer the charge.

Weapon possession charge Chief Magistrate Rechanne Browne spoke of the affect that excessive consumption of alcohol by a family member can have on that family. could hurt others.

Browne recommended counselling for Shortte and John, and told them to wait outside the Court room so that she could make the necessary arrangements, following the Court’s adjournment.

Shortte is alleged to have raised a hammer at the head of his commonlaw wife. (HH)

Watson told Kirby, ‘You can’t sex Maurine again, me run things’, Kirby did not react aggressively, A TYPICAL case of time Thursday, THE proceeded to beat him he only replied, ‘You ‘giving talk, but can’t tek VINCENTIAN was with his hands saying, does smoke coke’, and talk’ resulted in Green unable to ascertain “You call me crackhead.” Watson got violent.

Hill resident Rasheed whether any payment Watson, in proceeding “All the man tell you Watson having to pay was made. to address the Court, is ‘you does smoke coke’,” compensation on Watson had pleaded referred to Chief the Magistrate said, Monday. guilty and was Magistrate Rechanne adding, “You want to Watson, also known unrepresented.

Browne as ‘Mummy’ but give talks and can’t tek as Akeem, was ordered The facts, as the Magistrate told him talks.” to pay $400 presented earlier, sternly, “I am not your Browne warned, compensation forthwith, revealed that around mother, and warned him “Monkey does know or three months prison, 1:25pm on September 30, not to refer to her as what tree to climb. If to Rohan Kirby of Watson saw Kirby ‘Mummy’ again. was somebody else, you Penniston for assaulting outside a bar in Watson corrected might not be here with him, causing bodily Kingstown, and told him, himself and admitted, “I all your features intact,” harm.

“You can’t sex Maurine know I do something and she speculated.

Up to the time of the again, me run things.” wrong my honour,” “You see how fast you Serious Offences Court’s But when Kirby referring to the incident push him down.” adjournment where responded by telling involving Kirby.

She told Watson, “You Watson had made his Watson, “You does But the Magistrate must be bragging on appearance on Monday, smoke coke,” Watson got said that what she found Maurine, but he (Kirby) the compensation was annoyed, pushed Kirby funny about that must be well glad to get not paid, and up to press to the ground and incident is that when rid of Maurine.” (HH)

Man canÊt tek talks

before Immigration and Customs, but what opportunity I had to do that?”

King is also calling on Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Sejilla Mcdowall to resign, and she

On October 24, 2021 the police arrested and charged Jerry Maloney, 48-year-old labourer of Stubbs, with the offences of intimidation and unlawful possession of an offensive weapon.

A police release said their investigations found that Maloney entered upon the premises of Grace Baptiste Church with intent to intimidate the persons(s) therein.

Maloney was further charged for having a cutlass in his possession (in hand) without lawful excuse, in a public place to wit the Mt. Grenan Public Road.

Both offences were reported to have been committed on October 24, 2021.

$2,000 heist The Police are investigating a report of burglary made by a 77-year-old retired female Real Estate Agent of Lodge Village.

According to investigations, the assailant(s) entered the dwelling house of the complainant as a trespasser and stole one gold chain valued at EC$2000.00.

The incident occurred at Lodge Village between 3:00 p.m. on October 8, 2021 and 12:00 p.m. on October 9, 2021.

No arrest has been made as of Thursday.

Unemployed resists arrest When Veroni Billy appears before the Serious Offence Court, he will answer to charges of assault and resisting arrest.

Billy, a 29-year-old unemployed male of Union Island, was arrested and charged on October 20, 2021.

The police reported that he allegedly assaulted Cpl. 192 Douglas Caesar by grabbing his neck and right hand, Caesar being a police officer acting in the due execution of his duty.

Billy was further charged with resisting the arrest of Cpl. 192 Douglas Caesar by pulling away from him.

The incident occurred in Clifton, Union Island on October 19, 2021 about 8:18 pm.

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2021. 5.

Business

SVBLA adds focus to things local Vinelle Gaylon Matthews of Camara Tea, will use the exhibition as further motivation.

One of the pieces of local artists that was on display.

THE ST. VINCENT BUILDING AND LOAN

The pepper sauce lines from Vincy Fresh.

ASSOCIATION (SVBLA) is on a drive to encourage citizens to think about their own finances. Part of the drive is a Financial Independence campaign which peaked with this country’s 42nd Independence Anniversary.

Towards this end, an exhibition was mounted at the SVBLA headquarters, Kingstown, last Tuesday, Oct. 26.

It was observed under the theme: ‘42, with no time to be blue! Do local’.

Candice Sealey, Marketing Officer of SVBLA, in addition to using the occasion to encourage persons to save so as to place themselves in a better position to take care of future needs, explained

that the idea (of the exhibition) was to deepen the focus on things Vincentian.

In that regard, there were displays of local art featuring work from Sherika Sayers, Genevieve McMaster, Pepper Providence, Kareem Singh, Zen Punnett and Danville Toney.

The staff of SBLA was, appropriate to the Exhibition’s focus, outfitted in T-shirts designed by Creative Caribbean, a local company owned by Kensley and Kristin Deane.

Vincy Fresh, in operation here since 2007, provided samples of their products that included a variety of pepper sauces.

Marsha Mars/Williams, Supervisor at Vincy Fresh, expressed satisfaction with the way patrons responded to their pepper sauces saying, “People know the flavour.”

Patrons took away sample of the pepper sauces.

Also displayed at the exhibition was Camara Tea, brainchild of Vinelle Gaylon Matthews.

Matthews was motivated by an Agricultural Science and Entrepreneurship session while a student at the Technical and Vocational Division of the St. Vincent and the

Grenadines Community College, and there has been no stopping her since.

She began operations at her home in New Grounds and is working towards securing her location and expanding production, a plan for which she has been further motivation by the opportunity presented by the SVBLAS exhibition.

(WKA)

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6. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2021. THE VINCENTIAN

Regional

Abu Bakr: Islamist coup leader is dead

attempted in the Western Hemisphere, died last week Thursday, Oct, 21.

A Trinidad Newsday report said Police confirmed that Bakr, a diabetic, had collapsed at his home at Long Circular Road, St James on Thursday night, and was taken to the St James Health Facility, where he was declared dead. One newspaper Imam Yasin Abu Bakr, reported that he died Leader of the Jamaat Al from a heart attack.

Muslimeen, continued He was 80 at the time to speak on politics and of his death, having social issues In Trinidad celebrated that birthday on Tuesday, Oct. 19, two and Tobago, long after days before he died. the coup of 2000 had And while few would become history. remember far less revere (Source: Trinidad Bakr for having assisted Express) many young Trinidadians in turning LEADER OF THE JAMAAT their lives around, very AL MUSLIMEEN, Imam few will forget the Yasin Abu Bakr, the man attempted coup of July who led the first and only 27, 2000 which he led.

Islamist coup ever

There was also widespread looting in the commercial area of Port On that day, Bakr, of Spain and many who before his business places were set conversion to Islam was ablaze, leading one known as Lennox commentator to say, Phillips and was in his “Port of Spain has younger day a member of become an inferno”. the constabulary, led 114 During the assault on of his followers in an and siege of Parliament, attack on Parliament MP Leo des Vignes was which was in session. also shot and later died The insurrectionists of his injuries. There commandeered the were other casualties in parliament and all the Parliament and at within it, including the the police headquarters. then Prime Minister Bakr and his followers ANR Robinson, who was surrendered after six shot in the melee but days and when the count recovered. was made, military Some followers of the officials said 24 persons Jamaat stormed the had died in the coup headquarters of the attempt, and an state-owned Trinidad undisclosed number was and Tobago Television injured. This statistic (TTT), while others included persons shot bombed and set fire to and/or injured during the police headquarters looting. in capital Port of Spain.

Bakr and his followers were arrested but were released under an amnesty signed by then acting presidentEmmanuel Carter, during negotiations for the release of hostages.

The ‘coup’

After six days Imam Yasin Abu Bakr surrendered to the authorities under terms that included an amnesty for himself and those who had taken part in the coup. (Source: HuffPost)

September, the Imam took to the Jamaat’s Facebook page and inter alia, called on the government and institutions of the state to stop “oppressing” citizens of the country, especially people of AfroTrinidadian descent.”

Some felt he had returned to his Since July 2000 threatening ways when, according to the Trinidad Bakr never remained Express, he said, “…I far from what some warning you today, this would describe as the is your last day (of) centre of controversy. In warning. Because it is so doing, he continued to coming on you.” describe his role as one And he was not of protecting the people removed from speaking and their rights. to the current crisis, In 2005, for example, saying, “Covid-19 is Bakr was charged for killing persons. It affects sedition for threatening the weakest among us. remarks he made during … We have people in our an Eid sermon. He is communities who are not allegedly to have incited eating because they others to ‘demand money cannot afford to eat. So by menace and to commit give them food to eat. a breach of peace’. That Why are they not doing matter ended in a hung that? jury in 2012 but the state “I will tell you why. never gave up on There is money in the retrying him. virus. There is money in The Trinidad Express the vaccine. So they are reported that as recent putting the money as last month, elsewhere and they are

Imam Yasin Abu Bakr addressing the nation on July 27, 1990, ‘live’ on now defunct television station TTT, announcing that the Jamaat al Muslimeen was in control following a coup. (Trinidad Newsday) starving you.. .”

Bakr was also charged when he failed to appear twice — 2012 and 2013 before a Commission of Inquiry into the attempted coup, but in 2020, he apologised for the insurgency.

Imam Yasin Abu Bakr was buried at the Munroe Road Muslim Cemetery, Port of Spain on October 22. (Sources: Trinidad Newsday, Trinidad Express)

The body of Imam Yasin Abu Bakr was taken to the Jamaat al Muslimeen on Mucurapo Road, St James for a memorial service before being buried at the Munroe Road Muslim Cemetary. (Photo Credit: Alina Doodnath - Loop News)

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2021. 7.

News

Deadline approaching for frontline workers THE DEADLINE for frontline workers to be vaccinated is a matter of weeks away.

As of November 19, 2021, all frontline workers in St Vincent and the Grenadines should have already taken an available COVID-19 vaccine, as required under the Public Health Amendment Act 2021.

Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves had said that those who refuse to take the jab will have no choice but to leave their jobs, barring any exemptions, and called on public servants to take the vaccine in light of rising COVID-19

cases and deaths.

On Wednesday, October 20th, Gonsalves said on radio that the final work on the document with the statutory rule and order is complete, and should have been published on Tuesday 19th.

“The Attorney General told me they were going to the press yesterday (Oct. 19) with the gazette. So once that was done it means that it will become enforceable in one month,” said Gonsalves.

The frontline workers who are

SVG on lookout for Swine fever taking no chances.

And while the disease does not exist in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and neither does it present a threat to human health, Dr. Kathian Hackshaw, Chief Veterinary Officer in the Animal Health and Production Division, warned that African Swine Fever, which Dr. Kathian Hackshaw, Chief Veterinary Officer affects both domestic and wild swine of all ages, is assured that this a deadly viral disease country was already in that is highly contagious. an alert mode as far as Swine fever swine fever was transmission is concerned. facilitated by close contact with blood and

by GLORIAH… body fluids and affects the pig’s circulatory THE ANIMAL Health system, Dr. Hackshaw and Production Division said. of the St Ministry of It is known to be Agriculture has put in spread by live or dead place a strategic plan to pigs, pork products, prevent the entry of contaminated feed and African Swine Fever into objects or materials like the state. shoes, clothes, and This deadly disease unsanitary farm which which affects pigs, has might find their way into already reached the the vicinity of infected Dominican Republic and animals.

Haiti and though these Widespread African territories night seem Swine Fever is distant, the local particularly devastating relevant officials are as it could result in

serious losses in pig production, which in turn can affect food security and the livelihoods of many persons here.

Officials say that pork is unquestionably one of the more popular sources of animal protein in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Ministry officials assured that St. Vincent and the Grenadines is in a state of high alert and surveillance measures have been put in place by the Animal Health and Production Division.

These include but are not restricted to: 100 per cent quarantine checks at seaports and airports of all pork and pork based products; a ban on new import licenses from affected countries; and a heightened surveillance of local pig farms.

Dr Hackshaw has advised that all livestock farmers and the general public need to familiarize themselves with some important information about this deadly disease.

expected to be fully vaccinated include: all health care workers, teachers, police officers, prison and customs officers, teachers, all Heads of Departments and Chief Technical Officers.

The amendment to the Public Health Act did not sit well with at least two trade unions here - the Public Service Union and the Teachers Union. Members from both unions have been involved in protest actions in Kingstown and teachers, in particular, have withdrawn their services from time to time.

One protest on August 5th left Prime Minister Gonsalves with a head wound.

The Teachers Union President Oswald Robinson in an Independence Message to teachers, described COVID-19 and the vaccine mandate as

a “staged crisis” and urged the educators to stand their ground.

He affirmed that the Union remained “resolute that we do not support mandatory vaccination,” and reiterated, “We categorically reject the Government’s mandatory vaccination policy which threatens our livelihood and that of our dependent relatives.”

The Vincentian understands that a general staff meeting to discuss the issue of vaccination was to be held at the Customs and Exercise Department yesterday, Thursday. (KH)

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8. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2021. THE VINCENTIAN

Views The National Newspaper of St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Managing Editor: Desiree Richards Editor: Cyprian Neehall Telephone: 784-456-1123 Fax: 784-451-2129 Website: www.thevincentian.com Email: vinpub@thevincentian.com Mailing Address: The Vincentian Publishing Co. Ltd., P.O. Box 592, Kingstown, St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Editorial

Of cults and cultism LAST WEEK’S EDITORIAL opened with “Monday 27th October 2021 marks the 43rd Anniversary of our Independence from Britain.”

In case we misled any of our readers, please note that that first sentence on last week’s editorial should have read: “Monday 27th October 2021 marks the 42nd Anniversary of our Independence from Britain.”

This year’s Independence celebration for very good reason, was a diminished one.

And amidst our own issues, many of us were attracted by developments in Jamaica, with respect to Pastor Kevin Smith and his Pathways International Kingdom Restoration Ministries. This interest was prompted by the events at that church last week Sunday, when two congregants were killed in what was described by police and media as human sacrifice.

Not since the tragedy of November 18th, 1978 and the mass murder-suicide of more than 900 persons in Jonestown, a community of followers of the Peoples Temple located in a secluded jungle area in Guyana, and led by American Jim Jones, has the Caribbean had to come face to face with the depths to which cultism exacts control over its subscribers.

The questions remains: How could people allow themselves to be manipulated to the point of committing suicide or subjecting themselves to being sacrificial offerings?

We are wont to believe, given its preponderance in the annals of history and accounts more recent, that these extents of “illogic’ are confined to ‘religious’ foundations.

Not so! Religious cults are not restricted to those founded on an interpretation of Christianity. There are volumes of references to cults with histories of similar practices in other world religions, Hinduism for example.

That said, there are records and indications aplenty that the Caribbean has been home to a number of ‘churches’, whose practices are not far removed from what cult-like organisations demand: uncompromising adoration for the leader; regular amounts of monetary support for leader and organization; service that results in fractures in family life.

The thing is that ‘leaders’ like Kevin Smith are a breed of new preachers that

are gaining popularity around the world.

Like politicians, they are suave operators who work their way into society, align themselves with wellknown local figures, and use social media to advance their intentions and showoff their friends in high places, so as to indicate that they are protected and powerful.

These new era leaders are charismatic and are as dramatic as they are articulate. More and more of us are attracted by this buzz and excitement and are drifting towards these congregations and develop cult-like adoration of the leaders.

The control exacted by movements demonstrate how gullible we are - how easily manipulated we are whether it is about religion or politics.

And on the latter score, we have seen of late the emergence of cult-like references like World Boss, Five Star General, Great Leader, Iron Man, even Moses.

The danger in all of this is the extent to which ‘followers’ are manipulated into ‘bowing down before the leader’, forgoing any sense of independence of thought in the process.

There is no denying that a culture of cultism pervades the politics of the Caribbean and has for a very long time.

Recall the ‘charismatic’ leaders who were able to galvanise the masses’ support for a certain political leaning and later party.

The likes of William Alexander Clarke Bustamante (Jamaica), Tubal Uriah “Buzz” Butler (Trinidad), Vere Cornwall Bird, (Antigua), Eric Matthew Gairy (Grenada) and our own Ebenezer Theodore Joshua come to mind.

The dark side to this style of leadership is that there is no accountability from a leader who tolerates no criticism or dissension.

Over the years, a great deal of controversy has been swirling around these leaders who have generally been accused of being manipulative and abusive.

More than that, some have shown very liberal attitudes towards sex, fraud, financial impropriety but have escaped the reach of the law.

The fallout from Kevin Smith and his Pathway Ministries lies not only on religious men but also on those who speak from the pulpits of national leadership.

More Budget Talk AS A RETIRED CITY MANAGER and former Government Finance Officer, I have some concerns about the Government’s operating Revenues and our ability to fund ongoing expenditure in the upcoming year. Having lived and managed through three recessions, the most recent being 2009, I fully understand the need to supplement operating revenues to cover operating expenses and how counterintuitive a discussion of new taxes could seem at this time. The Government is heading into that proverbial rock and a hard place. In the coming year, we will continue to seek and receive some foreign humanitarian and reconstruction assistance.

These funds will be restricted, and the Government will be reporting millions of dollars in relief aid to rebuild the country. At the same time, the Consolidated (General) financial position will suffer a significant revenue shortfall. It will be hard to explain to our people why on the one hand we are receiving so much assistance, yet we need to continue to collect, reinstate and consider some new user fees and taxes. The Finance Minister must make a special effect to explain this concept to us in simple terms. Today, I suggest that the Government cannot rule out new taxes, as long as they do not adversely and disproportionately affect the poor.

Last year when the Government introduced the 1% increase in Customer Service Charges (CSC), I said it was a mistake because, in my opinion, it was poorly timed and regressive. My thought then and now is still the same. Any new taxes idea should hold at its core an intention to minimize the impact on the poor and working class.

Any acrossthe-board increase on a consumptionbased tax is regressive and

has a disproportionate effect on the poorest people in our country.

Yes, Dr. Friday, I said it, new taxes should not be taken off the table this early in the process. I find it challenging to support your arbitrary call for “no new taxes.” I can’t help but wonder out loud if your call for no new taxes was made to protect the poor and workingclass or an attempt to tie the hands of the Government to lead them into failure.

During the early stages of any budget process, the responsible thing is to examine how to enhance our revenue collection. Improve efficiencies in the system, and find opportunities to raise additional revenue. These things should be considered as long as they have minimal impact on the poor and working class.

A call for no new taxes while acknowledging that only 59 cents out of every dollar the Government collects are available to provide services to the nation is somewhat shortsighted. Last year, I wrote about our need to develop and adopt a reasonable Debt Management Plan for our country. I still think this is the best technique to get us out of this poor debt coverage ratio.

In the absence of such a plan, we will continue to fly blind every budget year. We will continue to risk more of our general funds going to pay the capital debt. To be clear, if $.41 of every dollar collected is going towards our capital debt, we have a problem. We need a strategic plan to correct this imbalance.

Horatio

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2021. 9.

Letters

No one cares for me

by Anthony Stewart, PhD THE SAD STRAINS of the songs of mourning could be heard from our location where we are scattered throughout the country: “No One cares for me.

Not a friend in all the world have I.” Perhaps they are mourning another death of the UNVACCINATED. But I would like them to think of me and my present condition.

I feel like the unwanted child, the outside child, or the neglected child. At least an application for Child Support could be made to the Family Court for them. But that option is not available to me. I must look elsewhere.

Some say I should check for Poor Relief.

Looking at the criteria, I may not qualify. A suggestion was made that I should colour myself red or put up a red flag to attract attention.

I do not know why some of the 95 million did not find its way with us. We have craters deep enough that they could

have filled.

We could have been pitied with a Prime Grant or even a Special Warrant.

Even though waters sometimes fill and overflow us, Hurricane Relief funds never seem to reach us.

We too were overcome by volcanic ash. Yet hardly any Volcano Relief funds reached us.

We hear of Life-ToLive funds and wonder who are living life with those monies and why they are not letting us in on some.

If a Bouncing Ball video could get one million dollars, certainly, a way could be found to take us out of the hole in which we find ourselves.

“Why don’t we lift ourselves up with our own boot straps?” The answer is that we cannot. That would be an impossible task. Some may think that it is a mental health issue and may want to refer us to the Mental Home. The problem would not be solved apparently because there is no resident Psychiatrist. We

sympathize with all those who need those services.

If Papa Latham were alive we are sure that we would have benefited from assistance through Self Help. Apparently, the authorities are preventing anyone who attempts to help us while they ride roughshod over us.

We are being accused of exorbitantly raising the cost of vehicle maintenance. While we admit some culpability, we are innocent of the charge as we are not responsible for ourselves.

Shockingly, other charges include causing dislocated hips, and sprain feet. To these we could admit our guilt with a cause. However, people need to watch where they are going.

They need to look before they leap.

If the Majority were ruling, we would have benefited from the Constituency Development Fund as we are well known in small communities. At this time, no one is going to any high office to lobby

on our behalf. Even though budget is coming up, we do not think there is anything there for us.

We were hoping that the unvaccinated parliamentarians would have sacrificed looking like fools, donned their black masks, entered the Covid Box and spoken a word on our behalf.

The PetroCaribe fund could have helped us if there was a will to do so.

Tankwell could also have come to our aid but who cares? Do I hear them singing again:” No One Cares for Me?” - Pot Hole

That title of „Honourable‰ IN OUR SYSTEM — the Westminster model of parliamentary government — we have come to accept that the term “Honourable” is bestowed on people holding certain elected and selected public political offices. For example, Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves is referred to as Dr. The Honourable Ralph Gonsalves, with the acceptance that we can

abbreviate the Honourable to Hon. I take it to mean that the use of “Honourable” before the names of elected and selected individuals, is a title that brings with it honour or that it denotes one who is deserving of honour.

Sadly, Mr. Editor, the behavior of many of those persons on whom we have bestowed the title of “Honourable”, leaves much to be

That is the least they can do if they want to continue to earn the title of ‘Honourable”.

Moreover, I take it that once you have accepted and in some cases demand that the title ‘Honourable’ precede your name, that you understand that you must be of impeccable character since, after all, if you didn’t know before, you become a mentor to the young.

I dare repeat, Mr. Editor, that what we see playing out among many THANKS TO Horatio (page 9 of last to be dependent on Government of those on whom we week’s issue) for bringing the Budget handouts? have bestowed the tile of into focus. This is a national concern All in all, I wonder if we can expect “Honourable”, especially few of us really take seriously and a more humane approach which caters our politicans, does not that is unfortunate, since it is the to the most vulnerable while also exhibit what we expect of guide to see what we can expect from offering stimulus to the business the title and those government for another year, i.e. sector. carrying it. whether there are going to be new The issue with the budget, though, What we see playing taxes, how much is going to be spent, is not only about the measures it out in our Parliament, in and where we are going to get the includes but how quickly government money to keep the country going. public by those delivers them and whether they are You see, we have to examine the “Honourable” persons delivered at all. budget to see who it caters to and to makes me wonder if we Thanks Horatio for raising the issue what extent. For example, does it give have not got to the point more ease to business people? Does it early. At a time like this, it is when it is time to important that we pay close attention provide relief to the broad society by consider doing away with to how our government proposes to reducing the VAT on more food items? the title. Something to spend what we earn and whether they And what does it do for the working think about. propose to take us further into debt. class and the unemployed especially during the COVID-19 pandemic? Will A Civil Servant A retired Public Servant we see low-income people continuing desired. I go as far as to say that many so ‘honoured’ have made a mockery of the title, with many of those who hold such a title making utterances and behaving in a manner not at all deserving of honour.

And further, it we are to continue to accord this title to our elected officials, it must be that they fulfil the promises that they are so ready to make in their campaigns.

Budget: What to expect?

Stop listening to nonsense, get vaccinated THANKS for allowing me space in your newspaper so that I could get something off my chest.

I want to first of all to ask all your readers whether they feel we are in a crisis with this COVID-19 pandemic. If they say yes, then they all must join in trying to beat back this crisis that is causing confusion and death in our country.

I know some of those people who have died from COVID and most of them were not vaccinated. They did not believe, after listening to a whole set of preaching by people who are against the vaccine; that it can’t prevent you from going to the hospital and cannot prevent death.

What really gets to me is that some big shot educated people, some of them who got their education because of us taxpayers, are among those who are encouraging others not to take the vaccine. That is really, really bad. Like all their education end up in their foot.

Nobody needs to tell me that this COVID thing has made life hard for many of us. But it is the children and their future that will suffer most in the long run, because they are the ones who are not getting proper instruction and worse, by not going to school they can’t socialise and do physical things.

I appeal to all my fellow Vincentians to get vaccinated, especially our teachers so that our children can return to their classrooms. Please, don’t listen to all the nonsense that you hear from people around you. Now is not the time to be squabbling over a thing that can kill anyone of us.

I also encourage those who have not been vaccinated to listen to the news and they will hear that those countries that are returning to normal, are the countries where the majority of the people have been vaccinated.

For the sake of our children, yourselves and the nation as a whole, I beg you all, please get vaccinated today!

A COVID-19 survivor Name withheld on request

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10. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2021. THE VINCENTIAN

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We must persevere and rebuild ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES celebrated its 42nd year of Independence on Wednesday 27th October. Over the past twenty years, we have experienced a significant decline in the socio-economic development of the country. We have not had a strong economy in all the years the Unity Labour Party (ULP) has been in power. In terms of economic performance, we have been at the bottom when compared to the other OECS countries.

The New Democratic Party (NDP) performed better in government.

During its 17 years in government, the NDP carried a recurrent surplus of 5.28% of GDP which allowed for a counterpart contribution for all capital projects. This in turn reduced the amount of borrowing this nation had to undertake. The ULP government applied a decidedly different approach which positively affected the implementation of projects.

Our productive sectors have declined drastically under the ULP government. For example, we have witnessed the demise of the agricultural sector. Our food imports have skyrocketed, thus worsening our balance of trade payments. In fact, our trade balance is the worst it has ever been.

Many farms that once produced agricultural products are unproductive. There has not been an agricultural census for the 20 years the ULP has been in power. So, they do not know where our farmers are, what they are growing, how they can help them improve their yields or even what land is available.

The fishing industry also suffered under this ULP government. Its complacency after 20 years in power has stopped our fishing industry from growing and creating jobs for our people. They have failed to remove the blacklisting of St. Vincent and the Grenadines from selling fish into the European Union.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines has been performing poorly in the fisheries sector. This can easily be seen with a comparison to our closest neighbour, Grenada. With an Exclusive Economic Zone (fishing area) that is 32 percent smaller than ours, Grenada exports 69 percent more seafood that St. Vincent and the Grenadines. This demonstrates that there is room for sustainable growth of our fisheries sector; to put more money in the pockets of our fisherfolk and create new long-term jobs.

We need to persevere and rebuild, as proposed in Dr. Friday’s Independence Message. He said, “In the face of a global pandemic, a volcanic eruption, economic decline and poor governance, we are resilient and more determined than ever to overcome. In our crisis, we must persevere and rebuild. This will require a renewal in many aspects of life, including, first and foremost, a renewal of our faith in our Creator. It will also mean a renewed commitment to build a new SVG, with hope for a better future. It will include restoration in our nation, as we strive to restore broken relationships, our broken economy and our damaged businesses and shattered dreams. We must also seek to restore the less visible but equally important things in our lives: restore justice and equality, restore our humanity, and restore

good governance in our country.

Further, we must insist that the needs of our people remain front and centre not just at election time as some would have it, but at all times. Political leadership led astray by selfishness and arrogance must give way to the politics of humility and service. It is not too much to expect political leaders to submit themselves to the will and interests of the people, for to do so is the very essence of democracy.”

Rebuilding the Fisheries Sector We need novel ideas and creative thinking to rebuild. This new approach can only be had from the NDP. The NDP will revitalize the productive sectors and create opportunities for Vincentians to succeed. We will pay special attention to the development of the fisheries sector. We will re-engineer our fishing industry to make it more profitable and more sustainable, by getting a greater share of the fast growing, lucrative global market.

Because of the importance of the fishing industry to the economy to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, we stated in our 2020 manifesto that we will create a new Ministry to manage the all-important fisheries sector. In recognition of the fishing industry to our plan to grow the economy, we will create a separate Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Conservation to manage the transformation of the sector in a sustainable way. Our goal is to move rapidly form subsistence fishing to thriving businesses for our fisherfolk.

The NDP will partner with existing local and international experts and stakeholders to develop our fishing sector to produce a sustainable, high quality supply of seafood for both local and external markets. This will create economic opportunities and wellpaying jobs. We will use technology such as fish finders, and online markets to assist fisherfolk in their jobs. The NDP will help to find and keep markets for our seafood and benefit our fisherfolk.

We will revamp the fisheries complex in Owia, which has been neglected by the ULP administration and is not at its full potential. We will look at the European regulatory bodies to lift the ban on our fish products.

This will create more opportunity for our fisher-folk through legitimate trade in fish, conch and lobster, and gain access to markets in Martinique, Guadeloupe and other European markets.

Our Development Bank will provide low interest rate financing for fisherfolk. This will help them to get the equipment they need for their businesses. As part of this, we will create a special regime of incentives for fishing boats and equipment and promote the use of larger boats that can stay at sea longer and be more productive. And, spearhead an overall programme to lift the status of the fisheries sector in national development by introducing education awareness in schools and communities. We must rebuild and reengineer this vial fishing industry.

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2021. 11.

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A hard road travelled

Independence 2021

“Sometimes the most scenic roads in life are the detours you didn’t mean to take.” – Angela N. Blount – American Author

‘We know they are lying. They know they are lying. They know that we know they are lying. We know that they know we know they are lying.

And still, they continue to lie.’

Alexander Solzhenitsyn

M. SCOTT PECK’S book titled, “The Road Less Travelled: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth” on my list of top ten books ever read. This book was first published in 1978 and became a best seller in 1883.

A dear friend had presented me with a copy of this publication during a most traumatic period of my life. It assisted me in refocusing – to realise that even as we struggle to cope with a crisis there are still multiple opportunities for growth. It reminded me that, even though we may experience tremendous loss, we still have so much good left.

We may not have planned for some of life’s disappointments and detours but, in their own way, they often introduce us to some of the hidden beauties of life and living. Angela N. Blount says it so well when she advocates that, “Sometimes the most scenic roads in life are the detours you didn’t mean to take.”

Many of life’s trials, struggles, and disappointments can initially seem bitter. However, a closer examination may reveal that these struggles possess the potential to make us better. So much depends on where we focus our attention when life hits us on the blind side. This does not imply that we disregard the trauma and its ability to seemingly maim us emotionally; to stop us in our tracks; to suck the wind from our sails.

Mourning the loss of a relative or friend is natural and desirable.

Experiencing bouts of depression after losing a job is expected. We should shed a tear if we must. However, our mourning should not be prolonged. It is necessary and productive to engage in self-analysis to determine the way forward. We can refocus our remaining strengths to pursue the opportunities that may have previously seemed so obscure and unattainable. A crisis often is accompanied by opportunities if we would only look closely enough.

The Covid-19 pandemic has ushered in multiple scenarios of pain and suffering. The virus has destroyed the lives and livelihood of many. It has disrupted supply chains and created shortages in food items and other consumables. This has created price spikes for many goods and services. Populations around the world now conclude that the road through and beyond the pandemic will be hard to travel.

As a result of the foregoing, the topic of food security has returned to the front burner. There is wisdom in adhering to the invitation to “eat what you grow and grow what you eat”. Members of Parliament and education administrators are now mandated to revisit national plans and the school curriculum to ensure that citizens move beyond the buzz words and knee-jerk utterances to better guarantee sustainability during this most critical phase of our human existence.

The commercial sector also has a major role to play in this food security exercise. It is important that they support such initiatives through their corporate social responsibility initiatives. For example, programmes can be instituted where firms adopt a

school agricultural project and/or donate agricultural tools, vegetable seeds, and other inputs.

Supermarkets can commit to purchasing more local agricultural produce. The technicians in the Ministry of Agriculture, in consultation with the supermarkets, can assist farmers with scheduling their production and delivery of agricultural produce. Working together, it is possible to extract pearls of wisdom from the chaos created by this pandemic. As a people we have a hard road to travel … but it is not beyond us to strive and to do well if we combine our ideas and commit to the efforts needed.

Over the years, successive regional governments have sought to engage farmers and the private sector to better plan for the import substitution of food. In some territories these initiatives fizzled out for a variety of reasons. The absence of a wellcoordinated system of demand and supply may have been a major contributor to this. However, the time now appears to be right to revisit those systems and structures in an effort to make them workable and sustainable. The time is now right to do what is right for our food security.

We owe it to successive generations to get it right this time. It may seem like a hard road to travel but it is not beyond us to accomplish. We have the talents and abilities. We can create and sustain the network (using available technology). We just need to conjure up the will to do so.

It is a noble ambition to engage in work activities in the agricultural sector. There is nothing wrong with “working up a sweat” to produce food or to catch fish and other marine creatures. We need to make a concerted effort to reprogramme the minds of those citizens who see such activities as “demeaning”. In addition, we need to encourage the best academics among us to contemplate whether they should pursue careers in this field. Their prowess in computer technology can be honed in to design and monitor production levels, improve harvests, link producers with markets, and so on. They have a significant role to play in charting the supporting national efforts aimed at creating and sustaining food security. Such developments will not happen by chance. We must plan for them. We must invite participation and design programmes that will inspire the population to pursue such initiatives.

As we contemplate the uphill climb and the hard road to travel, we are encouraged by the words of wisdom shared by Michael Huffington who reminds us that, “In so many things, growth comes from adversity.”

Manoeuvring life’s difficulties, challenges, and trials provide so many opportunities for growth. In our own special way, we welcome the challenges created along the hard road that we must travel.

Send comments, criticisms & suggestions to julesferdinand@gmail.com

vaccination status as a badge of honour and a ticket to society’s graces, while the vast majority of the population are viewed with suspicion. Vaccine hesitancy is demonised.

Thought leaders confuse and conflate issues regarding medicine, science and vaccines. They glibly tell us that these vaccines are just like all of the others. They show disregard for the fact that these were produced with warped speed, their efficacy is waning, and their long term safety is unknown. They dismiss as unrelated and explain away every adverse effect that many who have taken the jab report. SVG remains the only country in the world where there have been severe adverse effects from the vaccines.

Unfortunately for the authorities, the people live a different experience.

Never in the history of our country has official messages met with such blanket disdain. Never has there been such overwhelming distrust of public officials. Transparency has never been a strong suit of our governments. But now, more than ever, policy has been shrouded in mystery.

Those who believe the government mantra shout at the rest of society.

Those in doubt look on in disbelief as some of their trusted leaders threaten them with dismissal if they assert their right to choice and safety. Our society is unbalanced and unstable.

Things are not going well and most likely will not end well.

With wanton disregard for science and the welfare of future generations, policymakers, spurred on by those with deep pockets and powerful governments, have absolutely lost their minds. They are now circling the wagon readying themselves to vaccinate all of our young adults and children as young as five years old.

We know that persons in this age group are least likely to contract or transmit Covid or become seriously ill if they become infected. Yet… Basic science regarding naturally acquired immunity is also thrown out the window. Study after study shows that naturally acquired immunity is far more enduring and can meet every threat from the coronavirus, yet our health establishment mandates vaccinations for anyone who was infected with COVID-19 after one month. The fools who run Antigua does a little better than us and, say, three months after infection.

As we take the first few steps into our 43rd year following the declaration of independence, we appear even more dependent than ever before. There is nothing on the horizon for which we can be optimistic or cheerful. Some say that we have to make the best of it.

Frederick Douglas reminds us that ‘ Power conceded nothing without a demand. Never did and never will.’

The people must take to heart these wise words. We have to fight the powers. Only mass resistance can save us from bad outcomes and guarantee a more sustainable future.

IN A SCATHING SPEECh to mark the 70th anniversary of America’s independence in 1852, Frederick Douglas, the African American ex-slave turned freedom fighter, said, ‘This 4th of July is yours, not mine, you may rejoice, I must mourn.’

Most Vincentians could certainly understand and agree with Douglas’ sentiments as they marked Independence Day on Wednesday.

The 42nd anniversary of our independence will go down in history as our saddest to date. Our nation was birthed in volcanic ash following the eruption of the La Soufriere on April 13, 1979. As if intended as a second baptism, the forces of nature covered us with ash, though not gloom, on April 9, 2021.

We faced the volcano united and determined. We did not lose lives. Our diaspora, regional neighbours and the international community came to our assistance. We survived.

Little did we know that our unity would be soon shattered, and gloom would overshadow much of the land.

As the Covid pandemic rolled on, nerves were shattered. Last year’s Capeless Heroes were now heartless, selfish and ignorant.

Sections of the population that did not follow the mantra of compliance that came from on high fared even worse. They were not only ignorant but stupid. They were holding the country back, and some were labelled killers while the suspects knitted a stagecraft and statecraft whose negative consequences will haunt this nation for generations to come.

COVID-19 policies have shattered economies and pauperised citizens.

Many can’t make ends meet. Begging by the young and old alike has reached an all-time high.

Unemployment is mounting and will soon increase as the government and private business owners press their mandates for Covid protocol compliance.

In an attempt to gain uptake in vaccines, the government has declared everyone in its employ an essential worker. It has demanded that every nurse, teacher, police officers, workers at our seaports and airports, those employed in statutory corporations and others sitting on boards be vaccinated or else.

Persons with decades of service to the nation are threatened with dismissal, unemployment and likely tricky if not impossible future.

Poverty, which before this crisis overwhelmed more than one-third of our population, is expected to rise.

The social fabric of the nation is being torn asunder. Most people are in low spirits from loss of hope or courage.

Neighbours and fellow citizens are agitated to look at their colleagues with suspicion, if not scorn.

Discrimination frowned on in constitutions that undergird liberal Send comments, criticisms & democratic practice is now suggestions to jomosanga@gmail.com legitimised. Some wear their

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12. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2021. THE VINCENTIAN

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Taiwan benefiting from SVG Fishing Licence

IN APRIL 2020, a Taiwanese fishing boat caught a 254.5kg Bluefin tuna that fetched EC$807 (US$299) per kilogram when sold. This one tuna fish sold for EC$205,381.

Just think of how many poor families this amount, from one tuna fish, could have supported in SVG. The Labour Party Government made a terrible mistake in 1979 when they invited Taiwan into SVG. Today, in 2021, SVG has become one of the poorest countries in the world, while Taiwan makes billions of dollars with our SVG tuna fishing licence. They don’t even employ Vincentians on their boats, even though they know there is very high unemployment in SVG. Taiwan is not a friend of SVG; they are only here to use our SVG tuna fishing licence. Under the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, SVG is one of the small number of countries

that have the right to fish for tuna in the Atlantic Ocean. This licence is hugely valuable.

The Taiwanese ships fly the SVG flag and their ships should land their fish catch in SVG. However, the Taiwanese choose not to do this, and this deprives Vincentians of jobs and the SVG Treasury of billions of dollars of revenue.

According to the Taipei Times, a Taiwan national newspaper, Taiwanese boats can catch 20,000 tonnes of tuna a year. 20,000 tonnes in kilograms is 20,000,000 kgs.

Given the fact that the 254.5kg Bluefin tuna fetched EC$807 per kilogram when sold in April 2020, then 20,000,000 kgs would make 20,000,000 x 807 = EC$16,140,000,000. One Taiwanese tuna fishing boat has the potential to make over EC$16 billion.

This is a huge amount of money. All the billions of dollars that have been

made from our tuna fishing licence by the Taiwanese over the past 40 years, should have been used to improve Vincentians’ lives. Instead, Taiwan uses this money for its people and tens of thousands of Vincentians live in poverty.

On top of making billions of dollars from our SVG tuna fishing licence, the Taiwanese pay no tax to the SVG Treasury, as it is meant to do.

What if SVG was doing its own tuna fishing? All the billions of dollars made by the Taiwanese would have been ours to invest in our country’s development. Vincentians would have been much better off and SVG would have been one of the richest countries in the Caribbean.

SVG could have had free pre-schools 40 years ago, then Vincentian children would have a much better education.

SVG could have had its own university 40 years ago, then tens of thousands of

Vincentian children would be graduates and be able to get high-paid, long-term jobs anywhere in the world.

SVG could have had its own tuna fishing industry 40 years ago that would have sprouted secondary industries, and there would have been mass employment now in SVG. All Vincentians would have been prosperous, all households would have mains water and electricity.

According to the Leader of SVG Green Party, Warrant Officer Ivan Bertie O’Neal BSc (Hons), MSc, MBA, we must cut ties with Taiwan to have any chance of creating a strong SVG economy and making our people prosperous.

Dr. Ralph Gonsalves: A study in intellectual duplicity IN 2000, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves and the ULP took credit for orchestrating a protest that included the Public Service Union, Nurses Association, Teachers Union and civil society organizations. During this protest, the roads were blocked by people, debris from attending schools and participating in CXC exams. Worse, ambulances on emergency duties denied free passage resulting in a baby being born in a vehicle. A female lawyer lay in the road preventing vehicles from passing, and someone even went on the tarmac at the ET

Joshua Airport to prevent a plane carrying CARICOM officials from landing. ULP supporters wantonly and recklessly defied police instructions to clear the road.

At no time during these actions was the riot squad called out, or state power wielded ed against the protesters. Obviously, the NDP Government, under Sir James Mitchell, saw it as an exercise of democratic rights. As a result of these protest actions, the life of the NDP government was shortened and ULP eventually came into power.

Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, every year since, has celebrated this as a milestone of democracy in action, calling it the Road Block Revolution.

He speaks of this as being a feather in his cap, representing his ability to move and activate people.

Dr. Gonsalves on police manipulation To make a contextual point, one needs to revert to 1986 when Dr. Ralph Gonsalves in an MNU Educational Pamphlet No. 9 captioned ‘Authority in the Police Force: Its use and abuse’, noted that Police Commissioners were known “to restrict the rights of citizens, particularly political dissenters, to hold meetings and stage marches and processions on the grounds which … [were]… unreasonable, or without reasonable merit.” He admitted, however, that under the NDP no such abuse had happened, and no attempt had been made to do such. In fact, under the St. Vincent Labour Party, with which the MNU merged to birth the Unity Labour Party (ULP), Renwick Rose was charged for possessing seditious material and it was the NDP, on assuming government, dropped all charges against Rose, with no regard that he was a strident opposition voice against the NDP. Dr. Gonsalves in his conclusion, cautioned that as long as illiberal laws existed, and as long as the police force remained open to manipulation by political interest(s), a danger existed of “citizen’s fundamental rights being subverted by the abuse of the Police Force’s authority.”

Gonsalves’ duplicity

acutely obvious.

On 5 September 2021, the NDP in support of the public sector worker’s trades unions, mounted a protest in Kingstown denouncing several issues including mandatory vaccination, selective application of justice and the erosion of democratic rights. During the protest, Dr Ralph Gonsalves was injured. In a whole sale response to what was eventually described medically as ‘a scratch’, the Public Order Act was revived, and several persons were arrested and charged for organizing and participating in a protest, without the permission of the Commissioner of Police. Note: in 1986 Dr. Gonsalves described protest as a “fundamental right.”

Recently, in support of the enforcement of the Public Order Act, Dr. Gonsalves published a treatise captioned: ‘A Parliamentarian’s right to unhindered access to the House of Assembly’, highlighting offences under the Public Order Act and “Other applicable statutes.”

There is a sharp contradiction with the position of Dr. Ralph Gonsalves in 1986 and 2000 as opposed to 2021.

Firstly, Dr. Gonsalves was in Opposition (1986,2000) and saw protest as a path to power and supported anything that served that purpose. During what he described glowingly as the Road Block Revolution, ULP protesters invaded the parliament yard unhindered in what was described as an atrocious act of violence against Governor General, the late Sir Charles Antrobus, when the vehicle in which he was travelling was violently shaken by an angry mob when he was leaving Parliament.

Reportedly, Sir Antrobus was never the same after that assault.

As we witness how fundamental democratic rights of citizens are subverted, are we to conclude that the state apparatus serves only a narrow political interest?

It does appear that Dr. Ralph Gonsalves is someone who stands for and supports an idea once it fits into his agenda at the time, and will oppose that very same idea once it is no longer of use to him. Over the years, Continued on Page 25. this intellectual duplicity has become

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2021. 13.

Education

GECCU awards bursaries to members

FIVE (5) members of the General Employees’ Cooperative Credit Union

Limited (GECCU) were awarded bursaries valued at $3,000.00 each to

Jamila Gibson received her award from Ronnie Daniel.

pursue higher education.

The recipients are Deszon Andrews, Aricia Davis, Emil Dougan, Jamila Gibson and Kwan Stewart. The annual bursaries were presented to the recipients at a brief ceremony on Wednesday October 20th 2021.

In his remarks, GECCU’s Chief Executive Officer Bro. Rohan J. Stowe stated that the award of bursaries and scholarships is a “reflection of GECCU’s commitment to its social corporate responsibility.”

The CEO noted that the credit union is not only interested in providing

financial services to those who are marginalized but that the organization is interested “in seeing the communities and their people who are part of the organization develop and grow.” He added that GECCU is excited to be a part of the programme which was established in 2014 and noted that each time these bursaries are granted, the credit union reflects on the contribution it is making to the society.

The CEO encouraged the recipients to remain focused as they have reached this far through discipline. He also

Deszon Andrews accepts award from Cornelia Moses. pleaded with the awardees to think not only about how they are benefitting from the program but also how they can make a contribution to other persons who might be in a similar situation.

Remarks were also delivered by Sis. Cecelia J. Williams, Bro. Ronnie Daniel — officials of GECCU, Mrs. Camille Lakhram — Administrative Officer UWI Open Campus and Mrs. Kay Martin-Jack — Senior Education Officer

with responsibility for Secondary Schools.

Bro. Emil Dougan, who is currently pursuing a Master’s degree, thanked GECCU on behalf of his fellow recipients.

GECCU has disbursed $157,000 in university bursaries over the last seven (7) years. To date, thirty eight (38) members of the credit union have benefitted from the bursary programme.

(Contributed)

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14. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2021. THE VINCENTIAN

Feature

Keva Hackshaw: Making a way as a Soldier ALTHOUGH KEVA HACKSHAW describes himself as ambitious, during his early years in the Army he did not think he would ever become a British Army Officer.

After 17 years serving as a soldier, Keva commissioned into the Adjutant General’s Corps, becoming the first of his generation of Vincentians to commission as a Late Entry Officer.

Keva Hackshaw was born and grew up in St Vincent and the Grenadines. After successfully completing ALevel College in St Vincent, Keva’s parents wanted him to attend university. He, however, had little desire to pursue a career that would have bound him to an office.

He recalls that when the Army Recruiting Team came to St Vincent for the first time, he knew little about the Army

but believed that its values and discipline would help to shape the future he envisioned.

He joked: “After growing tired of the monotony of the warm breeze and clear blue sky that engulfed the beautiful black sand beaches with crystal clear water, in 2001 I decided to join the Army in search of purpose and adventure.”

On completing the Army recruiting process, he was given a career choice: The Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) or The Royal Engineers (RE).

In search of what these corps were all about, he checked their brochures and it didn’t take long for him to decide; he chose the Royal Engineers as they appeared to be the more versatile.

A sense of belonging

Keva Hackshaw - the first of his generation of Vincentians to commission as a Late Entry Officer.

He says he expected basic training to be physically demanding and was prepared for the challenge. What he was not prepared for was the

culture shock. The United Kingdom, Great Britain, Scots, Scousers, and Geordies, the accents, mushy peas, milk or whatever - UK culture was

extremely diverse and complex so inevitably it took some time to understand and adapt to it.

Continued on Page 15.

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2021. 15.

Feature (cont’d)

Making a way as a Soldier

Continued from Page 14. deep water.

Milestone along the He went through way training with seven other Vincentians. They An orchestra of supported each other and different nationalities developed a strong and cultures relationship with their British peers.

Keva believes that the The training teams Army has afforded him recognised the many unique challenges faced by the opportunities. One of the Commonwealth soldiers most memorable was and aimed to ensure working briefly at the they experienced a sense Organisation for the of belonging.

Prohibition of Chemical Since those early days, Weapons (OPCW) to Keva has undertaken a advise on the use of variety of roles, from Geographic Information Geographic Technician to System. being a Staff Officer in He describes this as, Training Assurance and “an orchestra of different has served on operations nationalities and in Kosovo and cultures, fuelled by some Afghanistan. brilliant minds”. In He has also excelled hindsight, he thought academically as the that it should have been Army has provided daunting but it wasn’t opportunities and the he trusted his training environment to allow and skills. him to enjoy learning At the time he did not and realise his full realise but his training potential. at the Royal School of He now holds a Military Survey had Diploma in Teaching, a taught him the BSc (Hons) and MSc in importance of team Geographic Information, diversity and diverse and is currently thinking. Soldiers from completing an MSc in the Commonwealth must Education Practice & be adaptable; however, Innovation. the Army helps to refine Beyond the academics, their ability to adapt and Keva is a keen this is undoubtedly a sportsman. He has priceless life skill. competed in crosscountry at both Exemplars to the next regimental and corps generation of ethnic levels. minority soldiers “Sports and running did not interest me In 2018, when Keva before I joined the Army, was commissioned into but I discovered that I the Adjutant General’s was a good cross-country Corps Education runner,’ he said, adding, Training Service (AGC “Since joining the Army, ETS), he became the running has become a first of his generation of major part of his fitness Vincentians to be regime. commissioned as a late He paid little entry officer, having attention to sports and served as a solder for 17 fitness before he joined years. This was an the Army but now extremely proud realises the wider moment. benefits of it, after taking up Scuba diving Giving credit to overcome his fear of Keva admits that during his early years in the Army he did not think he would become a British Army Officer. This was partly because of a lack of understanding of the Army structure, but mostly due to Being an inspiration for ethnic an absence of minorities in the Army is a role black or that Keva Hackshaw hopes for ethnic himself.

Keva Hackshaw picture on Sept. 26, 2021 when he was home for his father’s burial. minority role models.

He credits his achievement firstly to his upbringing and the core values instilled by his parents, which are like the Army’s values, and secondly to the discipline, knowledge and confidence gained from life in the Army.

He hopes that he and other ethnic minority late entry officers can be a source of inspiration for ethnic minority soldiers. He strongly believes that he and others like him should be exemplars to the next generation of ethnic minority soldiers.

Captain Hackshaw is excited about the future of the Army as it embraces new and upcoming technologies. He believes his experience as a Military Engineer Geographic Technician coupled with the knowledge and skills he gained as an ETS officer will enable him to contribute to the development of Tomorrow’s Army.

(Source: www.army.mod.uk/ news-and-events)

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16. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2021. THE VINCENTIAN

Environment

Dust, dust and more dust SEVERAL ISLANDS IN THE CARIBBEAN, including St. Vincent and the Grenadines, have been overwhelmed by varying levels of Saharan dust in the atmosphere, with some island, e.g. Sint Maarten, reporting being affected by both Saharan dust and volcanic ash.

The volcanic ash is the result of emissions from La Palma volcano in the

Canary Islands. The ash is known to be crossing the Atlantic Ocean.

In a report of 27th October 2021 issued at 6pm, the Meteorological Office of the Argyle International Airport, said that “… a thick plume of Saharan dust is crossing the islands, inhibiting significant shower activity. However, there is some available

What Trinidadians woke up to on Thursday.

Barbados is bracing itself for worsening conditions by Sunday.

moisture in the atmosphere…… that is maintaining cloudy skies and this may allow for the occasional light isolated shower. Haze concentrations may vary in intensity over the next few days.”

The report also advised small craft operators to exercise caution given the reduced visibility occasioned by the dust/haze.

Meanwhile, the Meteorological Department of St Maarten suggested that these conditions could persist across the islands for the next 24 to 48 hours.

In Antigua and Barbuda, the Meteorological Service there said air quality will remain moderate until Sunday. It noted that air quality was at moderate levels even with a fresh surge in Saharan Dust.

In the US Virgin Islands, Saharan dust moved in today causing

hazy skies and is expected to prevail into the weekend.

Dominica’s Meteorological Service says a slight dust haze is expected to persist over the next few days.

The Barbados Meteorological Service, in anticipation of the a surge, has warned residents of reduced visibility and air quality

by Saturday, which it projected to gradually worsen into Sunday.

Trinidad and Tobago reported on Thursday that the Saharan dust levels had increased over the last few days, and that the situation appeared to have been exacerbated due to volcanic ash from the volcanic eruption in the Canary Islands.

Across the region, health officials have advised persons with respiratory illnesses, sinus issues or allergies to take precautions, including keeping all necessary medication close at hand.

The dust has all but blocked out the any view of La Soufrière from Rose Hall (Credit: Lennox Lampkin video)

Residents in the BVI were speculated whether the dust would be worse than what they experienced earlier this year.

V CARI-ON SVG makes cash donation

THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2021. 17.

News

(L-R): Samantha Bailey of CARI-ON SVG and Kurt Dougan, Director of Public Image of Rotary St. Vincent South, at the handing over.

THE ROTARY CLUB ST. VINCENT SOUTH on Tuesday, October 26th,

received a donation of $10,000 EC (5,036.00 CAD) from Canadian non-

profit group CARI-ON SVG, as part their contributions through the club to assist

H.E. Ambassador Peter Lan with Keisal Peters, Minister of State with Responsibility for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade (left) and Ms. Michelle Forbes, Director/NEMO (right) .

Taiwan shows appreciation ON 22 OF OCTOBER, 2021, as part of the celebration of the 110th National Day of the Republic of China (Taiwan), Ambassdor Peter Lan of the Embassy of ROC (Taiwan) was honoured to invite the Hon. Minister Keisal Peters, Minister of State with Responsibility for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, and Ms. Michelle Forbes, Director of National Emergency Management Organisation, on behalf of the Vincentian government, to receive the Embassy’s appreciation tokens to Volcano Rehabilitation Workers of the La Soufriere eruption.

The tailor-made canvas bag and

the unique Taiwanese snack are all made in Taiwan, commemorating the long-lasting friendship between Taiwan and SVG on this special occasion. While we celebreate our National Day, the Embassy wishes to convey its gratitude and admiration to Volcano Rehabilitation Workers in the fields of shelter management, education , police, foreign affairs, emergency management, public health, et cetera.

Here in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the Embassy will continue to work with our friends and partners to further enhance our bilateral relations. (Submitted by Embassy of Taiwan)

families who were adversely affected from the La Soufriere Volcano eruption.

The organisation’s representative, Samantha Bailey, said in a release, the donation comes as part of their relief and recovery efforts, in addition to fifteen 40-foot containers of humanitarian supplies shipped previously.

Bailey also said, “Several important recovery initiatives are currently being undertaken and we have collaborated with several organizations in St. Vincent to assist in executing some of these initiatives. One of the initiatives is to assist vulnerable families with monthly stipends for a few months. This will be administered by the Rotary Club St. Vincent

South.”

President of the Rotary Club St. Vincent South, Bantu Campbell, on behalf of the club, expressed gratitude to the non-profit organization for partnering with them on this initiative and said the club was looking forward to continued collaboration.

CARI-ON SVG Disaster Preparedness is a non-profit organization registered in Canada as a federal corporation, managed by Vincentians

and chaired by Mr. Hayden Jones, a Vincentian living in Canada.

It was formed with a view of bringing together the SVG diaspora and providing aid to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, with the goal of mitigating impacts and challenges faced when disasters strike.

CARI-ON stands for Conducting Active Relief Impacting Our Nation.

(Contributed)

18. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2021 . THE VINCENTIAN

THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2021. 19.

V A Mockery of Independence – Part One 20. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2021 . THE VINCENTIAN

Opinion

DEAR FRIENDS AND FOES, I greet you not as a political aspirant but as a concerned citizen. I’m here to tell you that your country’s independence is a mockery of the Independent!

The song ‘Our Nation is Born’, rendered by the legendary calypsonian Vibrating Skates, stuck in my psyche as the ‘Our Father Prayer’ did.

Though the song is melodious, catchy, and

spontaneous with a sweet groovy beat. I am not negating that the singer didn’t mean well when he sincerely tried to knock the presumptuous, old, dirty, British bastard off our

backs, after depriving us of our custom, culture, and morale. Suffice to say, the singer has made some high points in the song by paying attributes to our heroes and ‘sheroes’ who stood up

regained the confidence to love the color of our skin, the natural, authentic nappy, kinky hair. No, we are fascinated by white skin and blond hair.

In that light, we should be ashamed to call our country independent.

Colonialism Is Here Independent from whom?

Independent from what?

Realistically, it is a Are we independent myth that our country enough to supply the was born, and needs of our people? Are colonialism vanished we at liberty to rule our when we became a sodestiny? Do our leaders called sovereign have the courage to tell independent nation in ‘Uncle Sam’ to back off 1979. As far as I know, when he tries to tell us colonialism is still how things must be run striving, is evident in in the region? this predominantly Black As an independent Country. The evidence country, do we have the is the false images of military might to protect Jesus and other biblical our country from the characters created by imperialistic bandits of Michael Angelo and France, the United found in our places of States, England, or worship, as well as on China? the walls of our homes.

These images are a A Trans-formative Mind constant reminder by the Europeans that they are Independent people the gods and goddesses should have a transof the earth, and the soformative mind called ‘Negroes’ and culturally, educationally, other indigenous people and spiritually; they are dogs and must must be able and willing worship them at any to think critically. cost!

Moreover, the notion Also, the evidence is of independence is for us clear in the image of to rule our destiny, Queen Elizabeth on our without the powers in dollar currency. And it America, Europe, or is crystal clear the way China telling us how to we adore and flirt with govern our affairs. members of the British Looking at the scenario monarchy when they commercially, we should come to their former colony that they still own at least own the hotel industry, but sadly we indirectly. don’t. And another sad irony is that most of the Colonialism and stores in Kingstown are Indoctrination owned by foreigners.

But all we do is sit down Our people are suffering from a complex; and dilly-dally, crying the bleaching of skin and things hard.

For this country to hair processing are grow, i.e. propelled into results of colonization becoming a first class and indoctrination from metropolis, it will take church and state. Why can’t we love that which the participation and dedication of everyone.

God and nature have blessed us?

Up to now, we haven’t By Carden A. Michael against the imperial parasites of Europe, and the struggles we experience by the cruel en-slavers for over four hundred years!

I have questioned the song’s lyrical content by putting it into some perspective

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2021. 21.

Opinion

Op-Ed on Regional Vaccine Manufacturing in Latin America and the Caribbean for immediate publication

COVID-19: What will it take to protect the Americas?

secured the lion’s share of vaccines for their people, while the rest of the world must TEN MONTHS after the wait. This delay first vaccine for COVID-19 cost countless lives was authorized for use by around the world, the WHO, most people in but especially in the Americas remain at economically risk. stratified regions We must face the like ours. daunting reality that the We have no overreliance on imported option but to close health products — this gap. Vaccine including lifesaving donations remain COVID-19 vaccines — has critical, but we left this region need to look vulnerable. We cannot elsewhere for long-term wait for the next health solutions. emergency to act, as That is why the Pan ending this dependency American Health will require long-term Organization (PAHO) is planning, investment championing an and, above all, ambitious new program collaboration. to expand vaccine Despite the pervasive manufacturing capacity inequality within and in Latin America and the across countries, our Caribbean, where region has achieved high vaccine availability has coverage of routine been very uneven. It childhood vaccines, builds on the proven which have saved lives expertise of our and secured a chance of institutions and the a better future for strengths of our scientific several generations. The community.

Americas was the first As a first step, a region in the world to private company in eliminate rubella, to Argentina and a public eradicate smallpox and institute in Brazil were to be declared polio-free. selected as hubs to Yet, during the worst develop and produce pandemic in a century, vaccines using cuttingwe are struggling to edge mRNA technology. secure enough vaccines The mRNA initiative to protect our people and is just one part of a though 41% of the broader platform that population in Latin aims to serve the needs America and the of the entire region, by Caribbean has been linking capacity across immunized, coverage countries to produce remains very low in the different components of poorest areas of our the pharmaceutical region. Why has access supply chain. No single to COVID-19 vaccine nation has the means to been so different? transform the current Simply put, there are landscape on their own. not enough vaccines We must align around a available, and the ones shared plan and that are, have not been coordinated investments equitably distributed. to make the Americas Nations with more more self-sufficient. resources, or with It is not enough to act established during this emergency. manufacturing capacity, Expanding

by CARISSA ETIENNE, Director of the Pan American Health Organization, PAHO

Dr Carissa Etienne manufacturing and bringing vaccines closer to where they are needed require lasting commitment from governments across our region, and the active engagement of global funding partners.

It also requires that the few companies that hold the required technical knowledge and patents are prepared to share these to help diversify global production of vaccines and medicines. Failure to do so, will keep the world struggling with insufficient output for months and, possibly, years to come.

The upcoming G20 summit is a crucial opportunity to embrace this vision and secure it with strong financial and technical commitments.

We can only succeed if countries in the Americas work together to locally produce the tools that can get us out of this pandemic and leave us better prepared for the next.

COVID-19 has shown that there is no pathway for recovery while our neighbors continue at risk. Science and innovation that remains out of reach will not protect us. Solidarity and self-reliance in vaccine production will.

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22. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2021. THE VINCENTIAN

Advice

My wifeÊs sexual preference

My friend is a high profiled individual and if I NEVER imagined that I would have to deal with a word of this gets out it would be something situation of my wife else. He swears by his making out with my best wife so news of this is friend’s wife.

I noticed that my wife going to shake him. I do not want to be the one to had become very tell him. withdrawn for some I have not figured out weeks now. When I yet how to bring up the asked her about it she subject with my wife but just shrugged me off. I I know when I do, it is have had to practically beg her to get physical in going to change things in a big way. I cannot bed and when she does, believe my wife is into it’s like going through a women. I am here feeling routine.

It happened that I was deflated, betrayed and on my way to work when used. I need help now.

I had to turn back to get my phone. I came upon Shattered my wife getting down on Dear Shattered, my friend’s wife. I just backed out of the room.

Your present They didn’t even notice I disposition is quite was there. understandable. You,

Dear George,

however, cannot continue to avoid having that conversation with your wife.

You deserve to have a clear explanation of and indication about her sexual preference, and what are her intention… how or if you fit in anywhere at all. Seeing a marriage counsellor together could help to determine the future of the marriage as well as to help to keep whatever damage to a minimum.

As for your best friend and his wife, I advise that you focus on your issues and leave them to work theirs out.

George

No to oral sex

Dear George,

MY HUSBAND is insisting on the oral thing and I won’t have any of it. Yes we discussed the subject while we were dating and my answer to him was, “I will cross that bridge when I get to it.”

Now I am at the bridge and my answer is clear, i.e. there will be no oral anything in this marriage.

Furthermore, my pastor has told me this oral thing is wrong, sinful and an unhealthy practice that should be avoided at all cost. I suggested to my husband that we discuss the matter with my pastor but he refused, saying it was no business of the pastor.

This issue has caused a rift in our relationship and I do not see why. Am I missing something here?

couples.

Marriage demands that both parties are open to compromise, and must learn quickly how to do whatever it takes to keep the intimacy in the relationship.

My advice to you is to see a marriage counsellor in addition to seeing

your Pastor. Do not let this issue become a thorn in your marriage. You might want to consider this: What happens in your bedroom is nobody’s business once both of you put a rubber stamp on it.

George

Vaccine woes Dear George, ALL MY FRIENDS and my boyfriend have taken the COVID-19 vaccine and they are persistently behind me to do so. It has gone so far that my boyfriend said if I do not get vaccinated that’s it for the relationship.

After hearing what is happening to some people who took the vaccine, I decided not to take the vaccine.

Why can’t everyone just leave me alone? Isn’t it my decision to take or not to take the vaccine? And, can I feel assured that my boyfriend really loves me if he threatens to dump me for one simple vaccine?

Disgusted

Spiritually sound

Dear Disgusted,

Dear Spiritually sound,

Persons from both sides of the vaccine have taken things too far. No one should be ostracized because of their decision not to be vaccinated.

It is sad that your boyfriend has allowed this to put a wedge between you two. Both of you should listen to each other and respect each other’s views.

Love is patient, long suffering and kind, and he should take the time to listen with his heart and maybe, just maybe he will hear you and see and respect your position without letting it pull you apart.

You have to be careful how you chew on certain information. It might be a good idea to have a talk with your pastor. He needs to show you the scriptural basis for his view on oral sex and how it will or can be bad for married

George

Leisure

ARIES (Mar. 21- April 20) Do your own research and be prepared.

You may find that your quick wit and charm will help you in obtaining allies.

Your competitive nature will enable you to win any contest you enter.

LIBRA (Sept. 24 -Oct. 23) You will have extra energy; put it to good use. Try not to argue about trivial matters. You will find your personal partner taxing this week. Limitations at work might set you back.

TAURUS (Apr. 21- May 21) You don't want to give anyone fuel for the fire. Try not to be overbearing where family is concerned. Children will keep you busy. Talk to the party involved and make sure that they are informed as to what actually happened.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24 - Nov. 22) Your need to get away could lead you into greater debt. Relatives will not agree with the way you are dealing with your personal problems. If you're preoccupied, be careful while operating a vehicle or any kind of equipment or machinery.

GEMINI (May 22-June 21) You can accomplish a lot if you put some effort into household duties or redecorating plans. Do a little shopping. You're likely to find a real bargain. Don't let the cat out of the bag.

CANCER (June 22-July 22) Your social activity should be conducive to finding love. You may find that family members may not be too easy to get along with. Your partner may be somewhat irritable this week. Financial difficulties may be worrying you.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23 -Dec. 21) Look into attending seminars that can expand your perception. Don't fall into the trap. Business trips will be more productive than trying to fight the red tape facing you. You can make money if you put your mind to it.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22.- Jan. 20) Don't be shy; show your abilities! If they're really interested, they'll wait.

Cutbacks at work will be a cause for worry. You can make or break your personal relationship this week.

LEO (July 23-Aug 22) Your determination and stamina will make your work look flaw less and effortless. Your need to get away could lead you into greater debt. You should want to feel good about yourself and your goals. You'll find travel or involvement in large groups gratifying.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 21.- Feb. 19) Love relationships will flourish. You can meet a new romantic partner or secure the love connection you already have by going out and entertaining yourself.

You need to do your own thing and work on making yourself the best you can be.

VIRGO (Aug. 23 -Sept. 23) Be tolerant, but don't let anyone take you for granted. Don't make those you live with feel unloved or unworthy.

Avoid functions that will bring you in contact with those you find difficult to get along with.

PISCES (Feb. 20-Mar. 20) Curb any jealous fits if your partner has been flirting with someone else. Do not blow situations out of proportion.

Unexpected changes in friendships could occur. Take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves.

ACROSS 1. Breaks 5. Hospital unit 8. Hit 12. Scope 13. December 24th, e.g.

14. Aspiration 15. Page (through) 16. Typical “Twilight” fan 18. Passed out 20. Conscious 23. Market value 27. Figure out 31. Cautious 32. Crew need 33. Train 35. Faded 36. Fostered 38. Oahu resident 40. Emerson work 42. Carpenter’s need 43. Connected 47. Handle 50. Tune player 54. Long 55. Checker-game pieces 56. Kid watcher 57. Will beneficiary 58. Purpose 59. Looked at DOWN 1. Ranch lass 2. “The best things in life ___ free” 3. Casserole tidbit 4. African journey 5. Second in a series 6. Eternally 7. Ownership paper 8. Eclipse phenomenon

9. Trunk section 10. Copycat 11. The “p” of m.p.h.

17. Latest 19. Cried 20. Pueblo brick 21. Deteriorates 22. Meadowland measures 24. AM/FM device 25. Judicial tribunal 26. Church songs 28. Exclamation of disbelief 29. Touch down time perhaps 30. Dispute 34. Clip 37. Black, as compared to gray

39. Antiseptic 41. Tokyo money 44. Unsatisfactory 45. Prayer conclusion 46. Take care of 47. “No way”

LAST WEEK’s SOLUTION

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2021. 23.

48. Frozen water 49. ___-Town (Cubbies’ home) 51. Foot the bill 52. Part of a countdown 53. Pops

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24. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2021. THE VINCENTIAN

Land purchased: ÂHome for FootballÊ coming THE ST VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES Football Federation (SVGFF) is now the owner of five acres of prime land at Cane Grove.

The acquisition came at a cost of EC$2.4 million, funded as part of the FIFA Forward Programme, and according to a release from the SVGFF, ‘will be used to erect the highly anticipated and long-awaited ‘Home for Football’.

According to a release from the SVGFF, the ‘Home’, when realized, will include a full-size international football field, a Futsal facility, as well as a Technical Centre, equipped to accommodate two teams and their officials.

Speaking to the landmark achievement, President of the SVGFFCarl Dickson said: “This has to be the most welcoming news for St Vincent and the Grenadines’ Football for many

years, and it comes at a time when the sport here and the world over, has to battle with the scourges of the coronavirus pandemic.”

He continued, “We view this major announcement as a gift not only to the thousands of footballers, fans, and stakeholders of the sport here in St Vincent and the Grenadines but to the entire nation, as we celebrate our 42nd anniversary of independence…It has been a life-long dream for the SVGFF… and we are pleased that at last, a Home for Football is closer to reality.”

Recognising the unwavering support that has been forthcoming from state/government agencies, Dickson commented, “We have relied immensely on the resources of the state for many years, of which we are that we are in a position now to grateful, and we thank the various contribute significantly to the sporting governments which have been infrastructure of the country.” partnering with us, and we are happy Dickson noted that the SVGFF is

An artistic impression of the football field that will be the central feature of the ‘Home for Football’.

presently in negotiations aimed at accessing the funding to effect the other phases — physical infrastructure - of the project.

Vincy style football coming Playing Field for the Leeward Zone; the Sion Hill Playing Field - Central Zone; the Arnos Vale Two Playing Field - Marriaqua Zone; and the Chilli Playing Field Windward Zone.

Tuesdays and Thursdays are set aside as training days, with Saturdays being game days featuring Inter-Zone matches.

Each zone will have a maximum of twenty players.

While players are expected to turn up to all training sessions in order to be eligible to play, consideration will be given to those who register at least 80% attendance.

Director of Technical Matters of the SVGFF- Theon Gordon, in explaining the thinking behind the Some of these Under-20 players will be looking to attract the attention the national selectors. recruitment exercise, noted that it is biased towards the future.

WHEN THE NEXT COHORT intelligence, coachability, “We have the Nations of senior St Vincent and the The Vincy Way, according speed, and technical and League coming up next year Grenadines Men’s footballers to the technical outline, ‘is tactical proficiency. and with no organized is selected, they should be based on the characteristics of Age, address, history or playing to a ‘Vincy Way’. the Vincentian player, who is religious beliefs are not factors competitive Football being played in the country, we have That is the recommendation fearless and wants to be the which will deny selection. to make the process of made by the Technical protagonist by using mixed selection a fair one, and we Eyes on the future Department of the St Vincent attacking actions (direct or want to immediately instill the and the Grenadines Football combination), immediate style of play among the Targeting players born Federation (SVGFF). And the pressure after loss of the ball, younger players,” Gordon between 1996 and 2002, the national Football body, last mid-block pressing zone related. process of filtering these week, in its invite of new defence and counterattack’.

Gordon, who has been in players to fill the senior team, Following on the mantra of players into the set up was set to begin yesterday (Thursday). the post for the past three laid down the approach to be ‘Our best players will play’, months, revealed that the Planned is a series of followed. the senior men’s team will be process is also guided by data training sessions which will comprised of the players who collected from the recruitment The Vincy Way take place at the Buccament best satisfy the criteria of

Director of Technical Matters – Theon Gordon which informed selection to the male Under-20 squad.

“Right now, we have the Under-20 males in training and we have recognised some deficiencies in players from different geographical districts, so we are trying to gather further data and seek to correct these deficiencies,” Gordon disclosed.

Coaches to be assessed He noted as well that the series of training and matches is geared at assessing the coaches in the various zones.

“We are not only targeting the players, but we are also assessing the coaches from the locales and see where we can help them too,” Gordon assured.

Gordon reiterated that whilst they are focussing on players who are 25 and under, players who are older are eligible for selection once they fit into the criteria.

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2021. 25.

Sports

Bramble disappointed with withdrawal ANDREW BRAMBLE, head coach of the SVG National Under-17 Female Football Team, is disappointed with the cancellation of the team’s participation in the Concacaf Female Under-17 qualifiers, which got going on October 20 in Bradenton, Florida.

While he accepts that certain factors would have led to the team’s withdrawal, Bramble believes more could have been done to ensure the team’s participation.

The coach zeroed in on the issue of the reopening of school (albeit online) as a lame excuse.

“If they (SVGFF) had mentioned that the girls’ studies would have been affected… we would have put things in place. … We had already been making plans during training for the girls to get the work sent by their teachers through the Ministry of Education, so I was rather surprise,” Bramble said.

Additionally, Bramble is convinced that more could have been done to address the issue of the positive COVID test of one of the girls and the appointments for US visas in Barbados.

The coach recognized the

situation as a missed opportunity for the girls and cited that SVG was the only country not taking part in the Qualifiers.

“The girls are very disappointed. Some have reached to the point where they are saying they’re thinking about finishing with football,” Bramble stressed.

He added, “I don’t mind that they cancelled the tour, but be up front, communicate better, because these girls worked hard and in my estimation this was one of the better team we had prepared, it was really hurtful.”

Looking ahead, Bramble spoke of some of the girls being keen to continue in training but because of the current circumstances regarding COVID-19, training will have to be put on hold.

“We will reassess and see how things go if we have to Andrew Bramble, head coach take them in smaller groups of the SVG Under-17 Female because we can’t have them Football Team, made clear sitting down and let them go that he was disappointed back to square one,” he with the decision to withdraw suggested even as he posited, from the Concacaf qualifiers.

“COVID is with us and we have to live with COVID so we resumes.” are prepared to follow all the I.B.A.ALLEN protocols once training

Tennis Connect resumes AFTER a period of closure occasioned by the recent, sudden rise in the number of COVID-19 cases here, the Tennis Connect Training Programme for young and aspiring tennis players, resumed on Saturday, Oct. 23, at the National Tennis Centre, Villa.

Kevin Huggins, one of the Programme’s Directors and Instructors/Coaches, opined that the closure was in the best interest of everyone concerned.

He admitted, “The few weeks without any tennis would have hampered the progress so it might be that we would have to start over.”

He suggested, with reference to the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic that “We might have to deal with less children in a group.”

Huggins insisted, though, that the Programme must find a way of pushing forward and he anticipates a long journey.

“The way how we see it, COVID is here to stay; it’s not going away. If we sit down and wait on it to go, we wouldn’t get any promising players coming through, so we just have to try and adapt to the situation,” Huggins added.

He disclosed that some parents are on board as far as pushing ahead is concerned, but that some are still skeptical which, he agrees, is understandable.

He assured, though, that whatever the case, organisers will do their best to make it safe for all concerned.

There is no want of young that they already had Towards this end, Huggins informed people ready to learn and temperature guns, develop in the sport of sanitizer and masks. tennis.

“Getting the kids back on the court will Kevin Huggins, give them a chance to refocus on the one of the coaches sports as they continue to develop,” attached to the Huggins concluded.

Tennis Connect Coaches attached to the Tennis Training Programme.

Connect Training Programme are Kevin Huggins, Corey Huggins and I.B.A.ALLEN Nikotello Providence.

ACTION in the 2021 French who turned in two more goals to settle Verandah/National Lotteries the game once and for all.

Authority St. Vincent and the Olise Uwadone was All Saints top Grenadines Community College performer with a hat- trick of goals.

Invitational Six-a-Side Football In the other match, System 3 Championship was expected to Youth had a 7-4 win over the continue today, Friday 29th October, SCGCC/Division of Technical and at the Community College’s Playing Vocational Education Year Two Field, Villa.

Zamaro Mofford and Chad Haynes Today play in the Championship both had hat-tricks for System 3 Continued from Page 12. force intending, it seems emergency to come to an picks up after two matches played last Youth. to restrict citizen’s rights end. It is said that Sunday.

At the end of Sunday’s matches, All SVG has taken and threatening their power corrupts and In the first, All Saints Medical Saints Medical School were leading several backward steps fundamental rights and absolute power corrupts School (2) remained unbeaten when Group 2 of the Championship. They in the last two decades. freedoms. Dr. Ralph absolutely, but power in they inflicted a 6-3 defeat on Central are on 9 points from 3 matches, The ULP government Gonsalves and the ULP my opinion tends to Leeward Secondary School. followed by Jebelle Youth on 6 points The game seemed to be all over at under Dr. Gonsalves, a over twenty years as bring out one’s true self, from three matches, and Volcanoes (1) half time when All Saints Medical self-proclaimed freedom overlords of SVG and and in this instance it on 3 points from two matches.

School (2) led 3-1. But the Central fighter and lover of the have come to see would appear that power The three teams in Group 2 Leeward Secondary School came people, has re-clothed Vincentians as serfs.

It has exposed Dr. Teachers Combined, System 3 Youth roaring back in the second half to themselves in colonial is time for this Gonsalves’ intellectual and Volcanoes (2) - are on 6 points draw level at 3-3. garb as now they have undeclared state of duplicity’. each from 3 matches.

This awoke the Medical brigade set themselves up as a

Goals galore in 6-a-side football

Dr. Ralph Gonsalves: A study in intellectual duplicity

V

26. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2021 . THE VINCENTIAN

Sports

Chances slim THE WEST INDIES have a slim chance of keeping their championship hope alive when they take on Bangladesh in their third match today Friday October 29. Having been routed for 55 against England, one expected a rebound against South Africa. They were mauled by eight wickets.

The tide has swung against the men in maroon and those who raised objections to the team selection must be saying: “I told you so.”

Almost everything has gone wrong so far and supporters are bewildered. They wind up their qualification campaign against Australia on Saturday 6, two days after their fixture with Sri Lanka.

They have no other option than winning, and doing so in such a manner that their net run rate puts into contention. Two teams from each group of six advance to the semis. England have shot to the top with their two victories. Sri Lanka overcame Bangladesh as well, and South Africa, having been edged out by Australia, rebounded to stall the West Indies.

Group Two is interestingly poised. Pakistan ripped the prediction script with their victory over India, followed by another over New Zealand.

Namibia put themselves in the reckoning with a win over Scotland as well. The scramble for points can make the semi-final composition something out of the usual.

There is no breathing space after the World Cup. The English tour to the Caribbean will allow for the West Indies to take a month’s break for three One Day International in India and a similar number of T/20.

Some of those players may be on duty in the Test series against England. The showdown opens at North Sound, Antigua and is slated to run from March 8. The clash winds up in Grenada from March 24, after the second Test in Barbados from March 16.

It’s a relief that sports are prevalent on the global level even with the COVID-19 crisis. There is the hesitancy that matters can escalate, which contributes to that atmosphere of uncertainty.

Then given human idiosyncrasies, and their behavioural patterns, nothing can be taken for granted.

There is the suggestion that Israel could be considered as a candidate to host one of the FIFA coordinated world events. It is surprising that the presence of that world body could conjure up the idea of Israel as a host of any event, given their pattern of existence.

But the world bodies seemed to have remained silent on the proposal, subject to tacit approval.

The Caribbean faction and their Concacaf affiliates might be incapable or reluctant to state a position, but if the clamour for Fair Play has any significance, conscious minded individuals would be cautious about endorsing any football event in Israel under a FIFA label. It smacks of inconsideration and a disregard for the preservation of human rights.

West Indies go two down WEST INDIES started their defense of the ICC Men’s Twenty20 World Cup with a six-wicket loss to England on Saturday, and followed that up with an equally demoralizing loss by eight wickets to South Africa last Tuesday.

They play their next Group match today, Friday 29th October, against Bangladesh.

At the Dubai International Cricket Stadium last Saturday, England sent the W.I. in to bat and bowled them out for 55 in 14.2 overs.

England then formally put the nail in the defending champs’ coffin when they raced to 56 for

4 in 8.2 overs.

Interesting Chris Gayle, whose selection had attraction widespread, regional criticism, top-scored with 13 but the W.I generally had no answer to the spin of Adil Rashid, 4 for 2, and Moeen Ali, 2 for 17.

Left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein, called up as a replacement for Fabian Allen, took 2-24 when England batted.

Jos Buttler with 24 led the English batting.

Interestingly, England is on record as having bowled the West Ines out in 2019 for their lowest total, 45, in T20 cricket.

Against South, the West Indies may have thought they put up a defendable total when they closed at 143 for 8 in their 20 overs.

This was not to be as the South Africans, led

by Aiden Markram with an unbeaten 51, cruised to 144 for 2 in 18.2 overs.

Earlier, opener Evin Lewis had cracked 56, including 6 sixes, to give the West Indies some glimmer of hope.

Dwaine Prestorius claimed 3 West Indies wickets for 17 runs in 2 overs.

After the loss to England, W.I. skipperKieron Pollard, had this

West Indies skipper Kieron Pollard didn’t think the trashing by England was going to cause any panic in his team. to say: “I don’t think any sort of panic will come into our camp. It is what it is, we just need to take it on our chest and move on. This is international sport.”

After the loss to South Africa, the question of panic remains.

I.B.A.ALLEN

Big $$ in T20 World Cup The T20 World Cup Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Championship England, India, Namibia, New Zealand, Trophy that comes Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa, Sri Lanka along with a tidy and West Indies are into the Super 12. purse.

West Indies are the defending champions THE WINNER of the 2021 ICC Men’s after lifting the 2016 crown.

T20 World Cup, which runs from October 17th to November 14th in the UAE and Oman, will earn I.B.A.ALLEN US$1.6 million. The runner-up will take home US$800,000, the ICC announced.

The two losing semi-finalists will be rewarded a prize of US$400,000 each.

Overall, a sum of US$5.6 million will be allocated for the tournament, which will be shared by the 16 participating teams.

The ICC said it would also continue to award a bonus amount for every win during the Super 12 stage of the tournament, as was the case during the 2016 edition of the tournament.

Each winner in this 30-match Super 12 stage will earn US$40,000 amounting to a total pot of US $1.2 million.

Each team which is knocked out at the Super 12 stage will get US$70,000, amounting to a total sum of US$560,000.

The same set-up is in place to reward teams during Round 1, with each winner taking home US$40,000 during the 12 match-stage, totaling US$480,000.

The four teams which get knocked out during round one will get US$40,000 each from an overall prize pool of US$160,000.

V

THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2021. 27.

Classifieds

WINSTON ADOLPHUS LITTLE a.k.a. Tatty Friday, 29th October, 2021 New Testament Church of God Wilson Hill Viewing: 9:00 a.m.

Service: 10:00 a.m.

Interment: Kingstown Cemetery CAROL ELSIE HAROLD a.k.a. Aunty Elsie Sunday, 24th October, 2021 Clare Valley S.D.A Church Viewing: 10:00 a.m.

Service: 11:00 a.m.

Interment: Chauncey Cemetery

CHRISH PATRICIA SAMUEL Saturday, 23rd October, 2021 Church of God of Prophecy Stubbs Viewing: 10:00 a.m.

Service: 11:00 a.m.

Interment: St. Joseph Stubbs Cemetery ERCELLE VENITA PIN WILLIAMS Sunday, 24th October, 2021 St Bethel Spiritual Baptist Church Chateaubelair Viewing: 10:00 a.m.

Service: 11:00 a.m.

Interment: Fitz Hughes Cemetery

VANRICK DEBIQUE Saturday, 23rd October, 2021 Bethel Gospel Assemble Georgetown Viewing: 10:00 a.m.

Service: 11:00 a.m.

Interment: Georgetown Cemetery AMELIA HYACINTH MIGUEL aka Sweet Sixteen Thursday, 21st October, 2021 Worldwide Mission Redemption Sharpes Viewing: 9:00 a.m.

Service: 10:00 a.m.

Interment: Kingstown Cemetery

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29,

2021

VOLUME 115, No.43

www.thevincentian.com

EC$1.50

FIRE IN BARROUALLIE: FRIDAY CALLS FOR INVESTIGATION

by DAYLE DASILVA

thorough and speedy investigation, to ascertain the LEADER of the Opposition Dr cause of the fire that partially Godwin Friday has called on damaged a building located the authorities to execute a next to the Gas Station in Bottle and Glass, Barrouallie.

Dr. Godwin Friday, Leader of The fire occurred on the Opposition, views the makeshift blackfish processing October 24 at about 12:30pm in a makeshift facility as part of the overall facility that was used to fishing facilities in the state. process blackfish, while construction continued on a new processing plant.

According to reports,

The building used for processing blackfish showing signs of smoke damage did not deter some residents from trying to control the fire.

the police at the Barrouallie Police Station responded to the fire and met Some of what the officer in remained after a fire at charge of the Fire the building used for Department, processing blackfish. Superintendent of (Credit: SVGPF) Police, Mr. Joel James and other villagers at the scene extinguishing the fire with garden holes. Officers from the Fire Department later arrived on the scene and brought the fire under control at about 4:30 p.m.

And while the police confirmed that their investigations confirmed the presence of the Delta, Mu and Gamma variants are ongoing, Dr. of the coronavirus, which has Friday, speaking on accounted for an increase in the the October 25 number of transmissions and edition of the ‘New death.

Times’ programme The public is being urged to on NICE Radio, said, comply with all protocols and “We have to allow recommendations by the Ministry and we expect that of Health. These include use of the authorities will masks, avoidance of crowds, do a thorough physical distancing, proper hand investigation and get sanitizing and immunization with to the bottom of it.” available vaccines. (KH) Where there are

24-YEAR-OLD SUCCUMBS TO COVID-19 THE YOUNGEST recorded victim of COVID-19 in St. Vincent and the Grenadines to date is a 24-year-old female.

This was confirmed in a release dated Oct. 26, 2021 from the Health Services Subcommittee - National Emergency Committee.

According to the release as referenced, the 24-year-old female died at home on Oct. 23, 2021, and was found to be COVID-19 positive following post-mortem PCR testing on October 25, 2021.

She was unvaccinated.

Her death brought the death toll from COVID-19 to sixty-four (64). Since her demise, however, SVG has recorded another Covid19 death, a 38-year-old male.

The number of deaths now stand at 65.

The release also stated that since March 2020 and up to Oct. 25, 2021, SVG had recorded 4,905 cases of COVID19, of which 3,060 have recovered, leaving 1,781 cases active.

As far as institutional care of COVID-19 infected persons were concerned, as of Oct. 25, 2021, there were nine unvaccinated patients admitted for care at the Argyle Isolation Facility, and twenty patients admitted to the COVID-19 wards at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital.

Of the twenty at the MCMH, Sixteen patients are unvaccinated, two are partially vaccinated and two (2) patients are fully vaccinated.

Health Offcials here have

Published by The VINCENTIAN Publishing Co. Ltd, St. Vincent and the Grenadines;

measures to be put in place, Dr. Friday said he expected they would be put in place.

“The fisheries complexes located around the country are important facilities,” Friday asserted, and they were constructed with funds from donor countries and agencies with the intention of stimulating the fishing industry.

“So, these facilities are very important to us, so we need to ensure that they are functioning and that when they are damaged, that they are repaired and put to use by the fisherfolk,” Friday said.

Speculation is that some children might well know how the fire was started since, according to one report, children were seen running from the building when the first signs of a fire were noted.

It is common knowledge that children frequent the building when it is used and moreso when it is not in use.

There were no injuries sustained during the fire.

Printed by the SVG Publishers Inc., Campden Park.