THE VINCENTIAN PDF-04-06-21

FRIDAY, JUNE

04, 2021

VOLUME 115, No.22

Red Zone water restoration Page 3

www.thevincentian.com

An indictment (letter) Page 8

EC$1.50

Tributes to ‘Sarge’ Nichols Page 14

Brother kills brother Page 15

CoP, DPP too close Page 24

PASTOR’S SON ALLEGES POLICE BRUTALITY Right: This photo shows the ‘mellow side’ of Leslie Bascombe who has gone public with an allegation of police brutality against him. Left: Leslie Bascombe’s car came to a standstill after a bumper clash with a RRU vehicle. by KENVILLE HORNE THE SON OF A PROMINENT PASTOR said that he was punched and beaten by police officers. Leslie Bascombe alleged that on Friday 21st May he suffered one of the most traumatizing experiences of his life, at

the hands of men charged with protecting and serving the citizens of this country. Bascombe, a Queen’s Drive resident and son of Pastor Ricardo Continued on Page 3.

COVID-19 CASES IN SCHOOLS AND HUBS hosted by the Ministry of Health, revealed that just REPORTS HAVE COME TO after a mere two weeks of HAND that a COVID-19 tests face-to-face instructions, there for both students and teachers have been three COVID-19 in several schools and PCR tests confirmed as learning hubs across the positive: two children and one country, have returned teacher. positive results. “We have suspicion that Although the Ministry of there are others in these Education is yet to make an hubs,” he announced and official announcement on the assured that his ministry was issue, St. Clair Prince, investigating this likelihood. Minister of Health, in a Prince, in referring to the statement made on Tuesday COVID-19 status as of May at a virtual press conference 31, reported that there were a total of 2,044 cases. He lamented, “27% of cases Health Minister St. Clair Prince broke the news about sacs are 18 years and younger. of COVID-19 among student and teachers since the Children as young as one commencement of limited face-to-face instructions. by GLORIAH…

month old have had it.” This situation has arisen since face-to-face instructions commenced on May 17, for Form 5 and Grade 6 students, i.e. students doing external examinations. They students were either assigned to their respective schools or to designated learning hubs. Forms 1-4 and Grades K-5 recommenced online classes on 25th May. The face-to-face instructions warranted the need for safety measures, especially in light of occurring cases of COVID-19. Towards ensuring some safety measures, teachers

were required by May 17, to present proof of their coronavirus status, i.e. proof of vaccination or results for coronavirus testing. Thereafter, test results were required to be handed in every two weeks. As far as the students were concerned, it was advised that students attending classes at schools and learning hubs be tested. Though not mandatory, these students — Fifth Formers and Sixth Graders - were expected to become involved in the testing exercise once they presented a Continued on Page 3.

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2. FRIDAY, JUNE 04, 2021 . THE VINCENTIAN

News

Sandals begins recruitment

SANDALS RESORTS INTERNATIONAL has begun the recruitment process aimed at selecting some 500 persons for employment at its Beaches Resorts – a family-friendly luxury resort – that will replace the ill-fated Buccament Bay Resort. Construction of the Resort is yet to commence in earnest but the recruitment of

workers has begun, with the first round of applicants being processed last week Thursday, May 27, at the Beachcombers Hotel Conference Room. The aim is to recruit 500 Vincentians to be trained across several Sandals locations in the region, following which they will return to positions at the Beaches Resort.

There were over 1300 applications received by Sandals for the recruitment and training exercise. This exercise was in keeping with what a recent Sandals International release indicated, i.e. that “…. we are fast-tracking our plans for employment and training opportunities”, in light of the displacement being

experienced by many because of the volcanic eruption. Minister of Tourism Carlos James, who was on hand at the recruitment exercise, said that Sandals international will add value to the delivery of services within the industry. This comment complements a commitment made by

Adam Stewart, Sandals International Executive Chairman that, “The economic benefits will be significant - from increased airlift benefitting all surrounding islands to direct and indirect

Applicants get down to fulfilling the application requirements. linkages to critical sectors such as transportation, tours and excursions, agriculture and manufacturing”.

Left-Right: Nadine Agard-Juillerat – Deputy Executive Director, Peter Edward – Export Development Manager, Annette Mark – Executive Director, H. E. Calvin Ho – Ambassador, Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan), Grace Chang – Counsellor, Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan)

Taiwan donates to SVG’s mission to Dubai THE EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA (Taiwan) has donated USD$40,000.00 to aid the country’s participation in the World Expo in Dubai. Expo 2020, which was postponed in 2020 and will now run from October 2021 to April 2022, will host approximately 180 countries with more than 25 million visitors expected from all over the world, making Expo 2020 an extraordinary platform to generate opportunities across many sectors. In observance of the 42nd Independence, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines will produce its National Day celebration on October 21st; a showcase of Vincentian culture and entertainment presented at three different venues throughout that day - the Al Wasl Main Stage, Earth Stage, and Sea Plaza. The key objectives of the pavilion are to showcase St. Vincent and the Grenadines as: a jurisdiction — investment opportunities; a destination, showcasing our culture and the essence of the people. The Executive Director of Invest SVG - Ms. Annette Mark expressed sincere thanks to the Government and people of Taiwan for their generous contribution, making Saint Vincent and the Grenadines’ participation and presence possible. Ms. Mark also expressed her optimism in achieving the overall objective of creating new linkages in fresh markets as well as attracting new visitors and investors to our beautiful islands. (Source: Invest SVG)

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, JUNE 04, 2021. 3.

News 3 Restoring water supply in Red Zone: A Challenge

THE RESTORATION OF THE WATER SYSTEM serving residents in Sandy Bay, Owia and Fancy continues to pose challenges to engineers at the Central Water and Sewerage Authority (CWSA). Garth Saunders, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of CWSA, said at a press briefing on June 2 that while all the other water storage and supply facilities had been fully restored following the series of eruptions of the La Soufriere volcano between April 9 and 22, the three systems feeding North Windward communities were still out of commission. Those systems, the

CEO said, are fed from the volcano itself. So far, the CWSA has been able to conduct a few reconnaissance visits, however, engineers require additional data before they are able to determine the full extent of the damage to those water systems. That said, it has already been established that the intakes were damaged and pipelines dislodged. The first system that will be able to be restored is the Sandy Bay one. “From initial reconnaissance, we can have that system up and

running by the end of June,” Saunders said, adding that the Fancy system could be back in service within another month. The system at Owia, however, posed the biggest challenge because that system sustained maximum damage. “Almost 80 percent of the pipeline is gone, and the pipeline route is also severely eroded,” Saunders told the media, stressing further that what was required in the short term, was a new route and new pipeline construction, to have that system restored. The three water supply systems are

located within valleys starting at the crater. “What that means is that any heavy rains would render those systems vulnerable — so whatever restoration we manage to do is in the short term. The public needs to understand that at any point in time, if there is sufficient rainfall, and heavy mudflows, we can incur damages again,” Saunders explained. And as Saunders pointed to the CWSA planning for the medium to long term, he advanced the view that “we are going to have to change the paradigm and not have any pumping at

Pastor’s son alleges police brutality “I couldn’t do or say anything, I was dumbfounded, I was Bascombe, took to Hot 97.1 FM stunned….. Who I am paying to saying that his troubles began do his job, to come an abuse me in sometime around 7pm that day. such a manner?’ he asked. He had just finished his day’s The young man said that there work at the Argyle International were three officers involved and Airport and was heading home, the incident happened very when he found himself cruising quickly. behind a RSVGPF Rapid He was unable to identify the Response Unit (RRU) pick-up, officers because the vehicle’s light license plate T 2089. shone directly into his face. When he got to Diamond, he Bascombe said that the one moved to overtake the police thing that went his way was when transport but there was a collision “One officer pulled me away.” after the transport swayed from Bascombe’s vehicle key was its lane on to the incoming lane. seized and he was left on the Bascombe’s Nissan Skyline hit scene with two officers. He was the right rear bumper of the held there until sometime after police pickup. 11pm when his key was returned. “Inadvertently a police officer He was never given any reason (riding on the tailgate of the pick- why he was beaten or why he was up) fell off ….. I exited my vehicle not charged. … to find out what was going on Bascombe also claimed that with the officer… but officers were officers from the Biabou Police approaching me and without a Station provided no assistance single word his (an officer) action when they arrived on the scene. was to box me straight in my He said that he attempted to tell mouth, burst my mouth, burst up them what had happened and my lip. From that is like they showed them his injuries, but exercising on a punching bag in they showed no concern. my face,” Bascombe related. “After the Biabou police came, I Continued from Front Page.

complained, I showed him (one officer) evidence, I spat on the ground…., I showed him my face. He basically turned and went about doing his job, lining out the street and then left,” said the young man. The pastor’s son said that his rights were violated; he was feeling pain and he intended to seek justice. “I just need for our police men to know their job. They need to be retrained every couple years …. simple as I am working at Argyle I have to be retrained…. I have people lives in my hand and if the people who are supposed to protest us in this country don’t know how to protect us, what is going to happen? The incident has demonstrated to Bascombe that police brutality is indeed a serious issue. He disclosed that he has since reported the matter to the Public Relation and Complaints Department. That Department confirmed on Tuesday that Bascombe did make a report, and they were investigating the matter.

Garth Saunders, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of CWSA, gave an overview of the ‘pipe borne water situation’ in the Red Zone. any system, but have them all gravity fed.” Saunders suggested that pumping water to elevated storage tanks in order that it be gravity fed back to residents, may be the long-term option.

In the meantime, Saunders said that water was being supplied up to Orange Hill so that residents in Sandy Bay could have access to water for clean-up purposes. (See related article on Page 10.) (DD)

COVID-19 cases in schools and hubs Continued from Frontpage. letter of consent from their parents. It was so arranged that these test (for students) were to be administered at the schools and learning hubs, and were scheduled to begin on May 25. Questions now abound regarding the situation as it affects ongoing face-to-face learning for students writing external exams. News coming to hand just before gung to the printers, indicated that another positive COVID-19 case was reported in one of the Leaning Hubs.)

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4. FRIDAY, JUNE 04, 2021 . THE VINCENTIAN

Diaspora

NY relief group halts pickup

Verna Arthur, chairperson of SVG Relief USA, Inc. address press conference.

fund the clean-up/recovery efforts, which is monumental,” added Arthur. She said, “Our members and volunteers continue AFTER SPENDING THE LAST without hesitation to help FIVE WEEKS sorting, packing SVG comb through its way and shipping relief supplies for from the ashes. The positive volcano-ravaged St. Vincent and energy exuding from our the Grenadines, the Brooklyn, members and volunteers is, New York-based SVG Relief USA, indeed, heartwarming and Inc., two Saturdays ago, permeates FOCH (Friends of announced that it was halting Crown Heights) every pick-up and drop off operations weekend, plus the one from the main hub at the weekday selected for this Friends of Crown Heights enormous task.” Educational Center in Brooklyn. As a result, she said her “As of today, May 22, 2021, group has shipped nine we are putting an official commercial bins and three 40pause on the pickup/drop off of foot containers of supplies to our relief efforts,” Verna St. Vincent and the Arthur, SVG Relief USA, Inc. Grenadines, and that it chairperson, told a press currently has enough items,… conference at the Friends of to fill two more containers. Crown Heights Educational Though the National Center. Emergency Management “We are, however, receiving Organization (NEMO) in St. and continue to encourage Vincent and the Grenadines is monetary donations to help us the official organization with Story and photos by NELSON A. KING naking@verizon.net US CORRESPONDENT

which SVG Relief USA, Inc. is working with, Arthur said her group is also sending relief items to the local Red Cross, Salvation Army, and the Lions and Rotary clubs. “Moving forward, we intend to ramp up our communications with NEMO and other institutions, which sit at the table with NEMO, as it relates to relief efforts,” she said, disclosing that representatives from SVG Relief USA, Inc. - Atiba Williams, public relations officer of SVG Relief USA, Inc. and Garnes Byron - will soon be heading to St. Vincent and the Grenadines to meet with NEMO and other officials, to assess the situation on the ground, assist with distribution of supplies and conduct other needed activities. Arthur reminded, “SVG Relief USA, Inc. is the trusted messenger in New York for

the relief efforts of SVG. We are in this for the long haul, and will continue to help our brothers and sisters through these difficult times. We are our ‘brothers’ keepers’; and, yes, SVG will rise again!” She thanked the volunteers,

including some Caribbean nationals, “for giving up five weekends and over five weekdays to ensure that relief items were prepared and sent to SVG.”

Relief volunteers celebrate, with the Vincentian national flag, to Shaggy and Sean Paul’s ‘I will rise again’.

THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, JUNE 04, 2021. 5.

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6. FRIDAY, JUNE 04, 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

Peeking into the RSVGPF IS THE ROYAL ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES POLICE FORCE an embattled entity? Is its back to the wall as more and more civilians level criticism, lodge complaints and threaten action legal action against it? Is it at a standstill? Has it lost its sense of independence? Is it now a receptacle of orders and guidance not in keeping with what the public would assess as being just and fair? The RSVGPF, if the truth be told, will always be a target for civilian criticism and accusations. One would venture to say that since the massive increase in the numerical strength of the Force, since specialized units were established to deal with specific crimes, and since the marked militarization of the Force, the ‘me-against-dem’ attitude has more than characterized the modus operandi of the Force. We are seeing a Police Force that has taken on a new form, even purpose since the advent of the Unity Labour Party Government. For sure, the populace was encouraged, and felt moved to support the Force and government when the Prime Minister of 2001 vowed to be tough on crime and the causes of crime. But, as crime as an overall phenomenon has shown a marked increase over the last two decades of this administration, we are wont to conclude that if there were any strategies aimed at being tough on crime and the causes of crime, they have failed; and the RSVGPF is part of that failure. We are thankful to the police; we can go to sleep and wake in the morning to a relatively peaceful, though tense way of life. We are thankful when criminals are brought to justice, but are left to wonder why white collar crime continues to be ignored. Is the latter a case of backing off because of the political implications? The way we see things, the RSVGPF has to address some

fundamental concerns if it is to enjoy undivided support of civilians. All promised investigations and coroner’s inquests must be pursued to their rightful ends. We are reminded particularly of the promised Coroner’s Inquest into the shooting death of Sergeant Philbert Chambers, April, 2020. We still await the Inquest. Then again, has there been a preliminary investigation that might have uncovered an uncomfortable truth to this incident? The truth will do much to repel the speculation. And there is the investigation pursuant to the shooting of Cornelius John allegedly during an incident involving two state officials? Then there are the ongoing complaints about physical abuse inflicted on innocent civilians by officers who seem to carry their authority in their fists and in their holsters. There is physical harm yes, but there is no regard for the trauma that will haunt those victims for the balance of their lives. As recent as this week two allegations of police brutality surfaced. We await, no, we deserve responses from the Police High Command. The more the public can verify cases of police brutality, the less likely citizens are going to feel comfortable interfacing with police officers. Lest they forget, police investigations are often fruitful when they receive the help of civilians and or intelligence that might just involve members of the general public. And while we are at it, perhaps we could look into the ‘do as I say and not as I do’ attitude. Did a police officer fall from of a police pick-up because he was sitting on the tailgate? This has been the custom of officers — an attitude brazenly displayed in public view. A similar act by a civilian will certainly bring a charge of some sort. More dey to talk, but dat is ah udder ‘tory.

East Indians as West Indians THE INDIANS WHO FORM AN INTEGRAL PART of our nation Saint Vincent and the Grenadines are now celebrating the 156th anniversary of their coming here since 1861. We had been a slave plantation society up until the 1830’s, when slavery was abolished 1834-38. So worked up had been the Black population over that bestial institution that sought to dehumanise them, that after emancipation they swore that their young would not put a foot on the estates during the period of Apprenticeship. And the reality of their beating a retreat from the estates became real after 1838, resulting in crippling labour shortages. The British had to find a way out of their economic predicament, now that the ex-slaves were taking their freedom seriously and were busy establishing their own peasantries. First resort was had to the importation of the poor of Portugal who came to these shores beginning in 1846. The Portuguese did not readily take to estate life, preferring shop-keeping, charcoal burning, animal husbandry and a host of petit bourgeois activity. Although not considered really white, they were certainly not black and got a squeeze-in on the occupational ladder later on, in the banks and so forth. A more determined effort was then made to take indentured labourers from India to do the field-work, which native labour had abhorred and from which Portuguese workers had turned their back. The localised Indians were generally referred to by the opprobrious term “Cooly’. It was not the local Blacks who coined that term. The press, itself owned, managed, and edited by Europeans, so called the Indians. One newspaper editorialising at the time of the infusion spoke of “the success” of “The Cooly Venture”. It remarked approvingly on the work attitude and drive for money, which encouraged these “slender Asiatics” glad to do over-time work which ensured a bright future for the colony. Anyway it was clear that the working contract as indentured servant was no bed of roses. Workers often ran off to different estates where the work was lighter. When recalcitrant workers were caught in the act of deserting his place of work, he was dealt with the punishments resembling those of the slave-years. I read an old newspaper that told of one Mahober Singh being caught, tied to his captor’s horse which jogged several miles home, at the end of which Mahober dropped dead from exhaustion.

Small in number, given onesided contracts to fulfil, and illiterate certainly in the master’s tongue and sometimes even in his own, the ‘cooly’ was often a very obedient servant, a pliant tool on the farms. Some slipped out of their contracts, others did not re-new them. Even his native religion- Hindu and Mohammedism- were stripped from him, and he was forced into the Christian Faith that contributed to his submissiveness. This last factor was significant in having the “Cooly Indian” subscribe allegiance to the dominant creole culture and become virtually assimilated, save in peripheral matters like food of which the roti was king. The constitution for half of the 150 years was backward and colonial. Significantly at Adult Suffrage 1951 the first Party of the People emerged 90 years after the Indian landing, sported certainly at least one Indian in Evans Morgan, a 22year-old teacher and trade unionist, and probably a second Indian in Herman Young who got most votes in the election and was called the Senior Elected Member, with certain privileges. With two out of eight elected seats in 1951, that is 25%, the Indians were off to a good start, given the primacy of politics in colonial territories. Over the years, however, there was a falling off with persons like Herbie Young, Herman’s son, becoming a Minister of Government for ten years and Ambassador to the U.N in the mid 1990s. It was noted that the Indians never voted “Race Apanjat” as they did in Guyana and Trinidad. In fact it was surely a good sign to observe that pockets of Indian voters in Richland Park and Calder in the early 1990s voting for Labour’s candidate, Vincent Beache whom they garlanded during the campaign at the expense of one of their own, St. Clair Thomas, a Medical doctor who sprang from the grass-roots! The flip side of that coin painted a somewhat different picture. Once the lawyers’ team engaged Dr. Thomas’ “Injectors” in a cricket match at Biabou. I was enjoying myself tremendously when Bassy Alexander, one of our “professionals”, came up to me and served a classic: “Skip, I thought you told me we were playing “Injectors”, but is ‘Bangladesh’. we playing.” To be continued next week.

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, JUNE 04, 2021. 7.

Letters

An indictment against black people

I WANT to state categorically from the outset that a suggestion of a lottery to entice those who have not yet been vaccinated to do so urgently, is nothing but an indictment against black people of this country. The suggestion simply does not stop short of being bribery and selling us into another form of slavery. You see, Mr. Editor, the privileged class of this society will forever threat us, the majority black population, like a people who can be bought and sold at their whims and fancies. This is not too far different from how the politicians with their whitewashed mentalities,

view us as can be seen in how easily they resort to buying ‘our’ votes. Imagine, here it is, someone who accepts onto himself that his privileged upbringing gives him the right to belittle the underprivileged class, suggesting that if you want ‘black people’ to do your bidding, dangle some ‘easy’ money in front of them. There can be no worst indictment of my people, regardless of how much politicians have abused and belittle us already, than this clear and unambiguous declaration that black people can still be bought (like slaves) and made to do the buyers’ doing

(bidding). This man and the Minister of Government who made the suggestion of ‘a lottery’, even if they were cognizant of a similar ‘lottery’ in Ohio, USA and recent efforts in Cayman Islands by some employers to offer cash incentives to their citizens to take the vaccine, should know that they owe the majority of the people of this country an apology for having been so derogatory of our place as free human beings in a society, that allows him certain privileges and equally allows us the right to choose. It is high time we black people wake up in the midst of all the talk of reparations for slavery and genocide, to

Stop the public shaming

the continuing efforts by the privileged in our society to belittle us and deny us the right to be wholesome and free-thinking descendants of African slaves who, by way of reminder, made it possible for them to enjoy certain privileges today. Down with the belittling of the black people of this land!!! Thomas

My suggestion for the rehabilitation element is the schools in the Red and Orange Zones. In our current hyperpolitical environment, we might not be able to set up or find such a nonHERE WE go again, this time it’s a for this ill-timed comment? Could you Finance Minister forgiveness of all governmental organization to perform government employee calling out a group please give me and the nation the taxoutstanding tax liability for those people this work. So let’s list the school eligible of citizens for not paying their taxes. The delinquent rate for the yellow and green in the Red and Orange Zones. I hope I do for direct assistance and have us send first time it was done against the people zones? I can hear you now. These are not not have to provide you with the the funds directly to them. The school of the Grenadines by the Minister of normal tax zones, so it will be too timejustification for this recommendation. will provide us with a receipt that we Finance, no doubt in my mind, this was consuming to put this information 2. And offer a 50% reduction on will use to get our tax credit. The an attempt to embarrass the Leader of together. So, in the absence of that property taxes for the next two years for principal or designated staff will then the O pposition. However, I am at a loss statistical information, I would settle for people in the Red and Orange zones. provide the accounting for the funds to explain the motivation for the a national tax delinquency rate. What is 3. Set up an independent nonreceived. All spending must follow comment made this time by the the nation’s total outstanding tax governmental organization to manage a standard government procurement Comptroller of the Revenue Department. liability? preferred element of the volcano processes. After all, the people in the Red and Now, as usual, I see this as an recovery effort. Keep it simple. Help me help my Orange Zones are represented in opportunity to “couch up” and provide 4. Offer the rest of the nation a dollar- brothers and sisters in this time of need. parliament by the ULP. So please you with some ideas to explore. for-dollar tax relief for any fund donated explain, Mr. Pompey, what is the reason 1. How about recommending to the towards this effort. Horatio

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8. FRIDAY, JUNE 04, 2021. THE VINCENTIAN

Views

Have Vincentians lost confidence in the Criminal Justice System? said, circumstances where that person should logically be known to the authorities. It is alleged that Mr. John was Shooting Allegation re-Cornelius kicked about his body, knocked to the John ground, and shot in his leg by one of the assailants. It is further alleged that I WISH TO SPEAK first about the matter Senator Morgan pushed a gun in Mr. that is most on the minds of Vincentians. That is the alleged shooting and beating of John’s face and threatened to shoot him if he mentioned her name. The alleged Mr Cornelius John and the reported assailants then left Mr. John on the involvement of two senior public officials. ground bleeding profusely from the This matter has been covered a lot in the local media, attracting front page attention wound in his leg. Mr. John was reportedly assisted by in the papers. It has been the main topic neighbours and the police and taken to of discussion on radio talk shows for hospital, where he underwent surgery to several weeks and has even attracted repair his injured leg. He was regional attention. discharged from hospital with his leg in Nevertheless, for completeness and context, I will summarize the allegations a cast. He has not been able to work since being injured. We also know that here. It is alleged that, on April 13th the matter took two weeks to come to 2021, a local businessman named public attention, and this despite the Cornelius John was brutally attacked and threatened at his home in Diamond fact that it had been reported to the by three assailants. It is further alleged police by Mr. John. The Commissioner of Police, Mr Colin John, confirmed that the assailants included two senior publicly that the matter was under public officials: Senator and Deputy investigation by the police. Speaker of the House of Assembly Ms. In a press conference last Friday Ashelle Morgan and Assistant Director afternoon, with his lawyer Kay Bacchusof Public Prosecutions Mr. Karim Baptiste present, Mr John restated his Nelson. account of the incident, underscored his A third person remains unnamed to determination to seek justice in the case, this day. That last bit of information is itself extraordinary. I say unnamed, not and rejected any notion that money was unidentified, because the circumstances offered to him by anyone to settle the as reported are such that the identity of matter or that he was giving up on the matter. the person ought to be known to As Leader of the Opposition, I raised authorities. Nevertheless, seven weeks the matter in Parliament at the last after the incident reportedly occurred, meeting on May 11th and called on the that person has still not been named publicly, despite the existence of as I Senator to absent herself from the House (Excerpts of Dr. Friday’s Press Conference)

of Assembly or to be suspended from the House while the serious allegations involving her were under investigation by the police. The Speaker sought to stop me during my address and when I continued with my address, the Speaker suspended me from the House. In other words, I was kicked out of the House for raising the matter and for making the very reasonable demand that Senator Morgan absent herself or be suspended from the House while the serious allegations involving her were still under police investigation. While the Speaker has the power to suspend a member from the House, in my view she should not have done so in that case. She should have exercised her discretion in a way that permitted and encouraged a full airing of the matter in the Parliament and that called on the Senator to go on leave while the serious allegations were under police investigation. But this is not where the matter will end. It cannot be where it ends, because there has been no report from the police that the investigation is over and where the investigation leads. Mr. John, the complainant, has said he will not let it die at this point because he wants justice. Whoever injured him, he says, must be brought to justice. But, I caution everyone, I urge everyone that we must not see this as purely a matter for or that concerns only the persons mentioned in connection with it. We as people who live in this country, must all be concerned about it.

Justice is indivisible. It either exists or it does not. You cannot have a little justice, or partial justice, or justice for some and not for others. That would still amount to injustice. In other words when that exists, it amounts to a negation of justice. This means that the allegations of the shooting and beating of Mr. John and the failure thus far to have a vigorous and transparent investigation transcend the individuals mentioned in connection with the incident. It is a serious challenge to and for the criminal justice system in this country. As someone–an ordinary concerned citizen– asked me recently, rhetorically: “Do we have one law for some people and another for the rest of us?” As a lawmaker in this country, I would want to answer immediately and categorically: “NO”, to reinforce or restore his confidence in the system. However, the question underlies the concern that is widespread in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. And that is, the fear that our country has descended to the low and dangerous level where the criminal justice system cannot be relied upon to do the right thing; where there is little or no confidence in the police including the Commissioner of Police, and in the DPP and the system in general to do the right thing: the right thing would be to uphold the rule of law and vigorously pursue justice in this and every matter that comes before them.

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, JUNE 04, 2021. 9.

Views

Life’s disappointments are sometimes blessings in disguise

“SOME OF THE BEST THINGS that have ever happened to us wouldn’t have happened to us, if it weren’t for some of the worst things that have ever happened to us.” Mokokoma Mokhonoana – South African philosopher, a social critic, a graphic The writer of the Old Testament designer, a writer of thought-provoking book of Ecclesiastes provides a useful aphorisms, essays, and books, a reminder when, in verse twelve of the satirist, and an iconoclast. sixth chapter, he asks, “Who knows what is good for a person in life?” WE WILL BE FOREVER GRATEFUL to Sometimes, as the situation unfolds, we those teachers who, apart from sharing realise that what may have initially knowledge, dedicated the time and been perceived as a “bad” thing had so showed the interest to impart valuable much “good” in it — life’s words of wisdom aimed at assisting us to disappointments are sometimes better cope with life’s challenges. It was blessings in disguise. one such teacher who, during this writer’s We do not know what the future teenage years, paused to provide a holds. A situation that initially seems reminder that life’s disappointments are devastating could possess so many often blessings in disguise. She would positive possibilities. A perceived have proceeded to note that, “So very adversity could have the seeds of often, when you are in the forest you do multiple benefits. Conversely, not see the trees.” In other words, we prosperity might be accompanied by often do not fully appreciate the value of numerous ill effects. Life can life’s struggles when we are in the midst sometimes appear to be so very of them. Sometimes it is not until weeks, unpredictable and fragile. months, and years have passed that we Based on the foregoing, we can can conduct an objective assessment of better understand and appreciate the the situation and conclude that multiple need to be objective and emotionally good emerged from a “bad” situation. detached as we experience the “highs Many ancient cultures used stories and lows of life”. For indeed, the good and anecdotes to teach valuable life times and the bad times are transient. lessons. One that readily comes to These are not permanent situations. mind as insights are shared about the We manoeuvre through these as best blessings that emerge from life’s we can understanding and appreciating disappointments is that of the Chinese the need to be aware of the fact that farmer called Sai Weng. According to “these, too, will pass”. But we Chinese legend, Weng had lost one of discipline ourselves to look beyond his prized horses. A concerned these to what may be ahead. And we neighbour visited him to express his plan, as best we can, for the deep sorry for his friend’s loss. unexpected. Here we are not seeking However, while Weng appreciated the to be cynical or negative. Far from empathy displayed, he was surprisingly this, we become ever conscious and unconcerned. He said, “Who knows if it appreciative of life’s unpredictability may be a good thing for me?” As and, in our wisdom, we develop better destiny would have it, the lost horse coping mechanisms for life’s twists and eventually returned home accompanied turns; its highs and lows; and its by another horse. The initial loss various detours. resulted in a gain. Sir Boyle Roche (1333-1400), the The neighbour, having heard about British admiral, diplomat, magistrate, his friend’s good fortune, returned to and politician reminds us that, cheer him. Sai Weng, although “Disappointment is the nurse of appreciating his neighbour’s wisdom.” Disappointments may appear congratulatory remarks, proceeded to in so many ways — abandonment, say, “Who knows if it may be a bad betrayal, lost opportunities, accidents, thing for me?” Several days later, poor choices, mishaps on the job or in Weng’s only son, in seeking to tame the the home, and so on. These are all part new horse, broke his leg while of life. Some disappointments may be attempting to ride it. very traumatic and emotionally The incident appeared to be a debilitating. However, these often misfortune as Weng and the create valuable opportunities for neighbouring farmers observed the growth (and regrowth). Using an excruciating pain that his son analogy from nature, we understand experienced as a result of him falling and appreciate that life’s pruning could from the wild horse. However, this sometimes leave us feeling and looking coincided with the period when bare and dreary. But there is reason to recruiting officers from the army hope. The regrowth and the prolific visited the village in search of ablefruit bearing will come in time. We can bodied men to fight in the war. His learn from these dreaded situations. son’s injury resulted in him being unfit Disappointment is often the nurse of to serve and therefore not being wisdom. recruited for military service. We are familiar with the expression Subsequent reports confirmed that “every dark cloud has a silver lining”. most of the young men who were This has often been used to remind us recruited from the village died in battle that even the worst events or situations or were seriously injured as a result of have potential to create and sustain the conflict. some good and positivity to our world. The moral of the story that emerges Behind that dark cloud (traumatic from this Chinese proverb is priceless. event) the sun is still shining … and Among other things, it teaches that there is reason for hope. So we press difficulties, challenges, and on to be the best that we can be noting disappointments can be blessings in that life’s disappointments are disguise. Conversely, we also learn sometimes blessings in disguise. that a situation that seems to usher in joy and rejoicing can be a forerunner to Send comments, criticisms & pain, disappointment, and heartache. suggestions to These are the realities of life and julesferdinand@gmail.com living; the dicot of joy and sorrow.

Spare a thought ‘The dilemma is the quest to save lives may jeopardise livelihoods. Yet, the imperative to preserve livelihoods may cost human lives. While economies can rebound, lost lives cannot.’ Prof. Wendy Grenade ONE YEAR AFTER PROFESSOR GRENADE uttered these wise words, we call on all stakeholders to spare a thought for our people, especially the poor and vulnerable. Show them love and compassion, thought and understanding rather than arrogant dictates and heavy-handedness. Vincentians have been forced to endure a perfect storm in the last year. First, the dengue epidemic took 12 precious lives and caused sleepless nights for parents with ill children. However, this sad episode was soon eclipsed by the fear and dread of the Covid pandemic. Early in this horror movie, to say that someone was infected with or died from Covid met with stern rebuke. Citizens were accused of creating fear and alarm. Initially, the authorities refused to acknowledge that anyone had died from Covid. Currently, the fear machine churns news of a Covid death before the last breath. The new taboo is to speculate that a citizen suffered an adverse effect or died after being vaccinated. After all, the Covid vaccine is touted as the cure-all hope to bring some level of normalcy to planet earth. Unfortunately, the national policy is driven by the whim and fancy of our leaders rather than objective reality. The April 9 eruption of the La Soufriere Volcano compounded our problems. Up to 20,000 citizens have been displaced, turning them into virtual refugees. Evacuees were subjected to the worse kind of sledging from the more fortunate among us. Initially, they were accused of ungratefulness for not praising the government’s efforts to bring them to safety. Later, they were labelled greedy for not taking whatever was offered to eat and drink at the shelters. Most recently, word dropped that evacuees were so comfortable in the shelters that they did not want to go back to the decency and privacy of their own homes. Spare a thought for those who were uprooted from their homes just 7 weeks ago. Up to 3 weeks ago, residents of the red and orange zones were blocked by armed police from returning to these areas to assess the damage and clean up. And then came the order that those living south of the Rabacca river and Chateaubelair must return home by June 1. Scant regard is shown for the respiratory health of those living in zones with the most ash and dust. The fallout from this decision could prove calamitous to children and the elderly. The government seems in a mad rush to return to a contrived sense of normalcy. With this call, the government displayed a degree of insensitivity bordering on callousness. No other country in the Caribbean has been slammed this hard by the forces of nature, the bad-mouthing of policymakers and the economic hardship, stress and tension heralded by the unhappy happenings of the last year. Dengue tormented thousands of parents and children. Then, just before the volcano blew its top, the government terrorised public servants, teachers and police officers with its thinly disguised strategy to commandeer them into taking the vaccine. Soufriere’s eruption offered a temporary respite to that sector of the

population as the government shifted its coercive tactics to our northern neighbours from the red and orange zones. As they scurried to safety, Culture Minister Carlos James told them, ‘…..this is not a drill. This is a pandemic. If you enter a government operated facility, you will be vaccinated.’ PM Gonsalves disclosure that cruise liners willing to ship our citizens to safety and Caricom leaders demanded that citizens be vaccinated before they entered turned out to be false. These disingenuous attempts to force the injection on unsuspecting Vincentians partially backfired. More than 60 percent of those evacuated spent what little savings they had or depended on family to rent apartments or double up with friends or wellwishers. Our people are under so much pressure that they crave release of pent up tensions. However, Vincentians are not as irresponsible as many pious talking heads proclaim. When science points to impending danger, the citizens responded. Following the spike in Covid infections occasioned by the reckless decision by the political class to hold pre-election mass meetings, Nine Morning celebrations, allowing an unhealthy influx of people from Covid hotbeds like New York, Miami and Toronto, citizens followed the protocol religiously. They took similar precautionary action to protect themselves from dust in the aftermath of the volcanic eruption. Many speculated and anticipated almost gleefully a spike in Covid cases from the evacuation of citizens. These prophets of doom and gloom looked on in horror as their predictions failed to materialize. Now they hang their latest doomsday forecast after last Sunday’s cricket game. Spare a thought for the people’s mental health. Stop attempting to force citizens into an irrational activity that neatly fits into an agenda that may negatively impact their physical health. Times of change, flux and chaos are the worst periods in which to govern. Periods of disaster and uncertainty also bring out the mettle in our people and leaders. Leaders can govern as though they are awestruck by power and proceed cautiously but wisely, or they can attempt to ram their policy prescriptions down the throats of those who elected them to govern. These are perilous but exciting times in which to live. We have our challenges, but we are neither down nor out. On the contrary, our people have displayed a profound sense of understanding and courage in the circumstances. They weigh their risk and endeavour to protect their family, friends and neighbours. Those in authority must climb down from their high chairs and offer ordinary people the level of respect they give to family and their local and foreign big wig colleagues. So spare a thought for the people. What we witnessed at the Arnos Vale Sporting Complex last Sunday was a collective release of a people waiting to exhale, to embrace, touch and mingle with friends and family conditions forced them to shun. Unless we spare a thought for the huddled masses in our midst, we may continue to rule over the people for a while but never develop an enduring and endearing relationship with them.

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

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10. FRIDAY, JUNE 04, 2021. THE VINCENTIAN

Views

Standpipes needed throughout SVG In April 2020, SVG Green Party called for the government to introduce standpipes throughout the country to help people in poorer households reduce their chances of catching coronavirus, and passing it on to the rest of their family. CWSA statistics showed that during the period of 2006 to 2010, the average number of household water disconnections per month was 360. Over this 5-year period, this means that about 21,600 households were disconnected from the mains water supply. If the average household is 3 people, then the number of people cut off from the piped water supply over this 5-year period was about 64,800 people. Now that we have had the volcano eruption, the need for standpipes and access to free, fresh drinking water for everyone is even more crucial. Volcanic ash/dust is everywhere. Every gust of wind and every passing vehicle whip up clouds of dust that

drift on to and into people’s houses. We know that a large number hundreds) of households in SVG do not have piped water and for these houses, it is very hard for them to keep their houses clean without an adequate supply of water. The lack of water in poorer households is a significant health crisis in the making. People in poorer households are more likely to be inhaling volcanic ash/dust if they do not have water and are unable to clean their homes well. Also, if they lack access to fresh water they are less likely to be able to wash their food adequately, and will end up ingesting some volcanic ash dust in their food. The ULP regime must show empathy and kindness for the people of SVG - show some common sense and urgently reintroduce fresh drinking water standpipes throughout the country in order to save lives and avert a health crisis.

According to the Leader of SVG Green Party, Warrant Officer Ivan Bertie O’Neal BSc (Hons) MSc, MBA, our people are suffering a double crisis in SVG with coronavirus and volcanic ash dust everywhere. Personal hygiene especially keeping one’s hands clean are crucial in reducing the death toll in SVG from the coronavirus. Poverty is rife in SVG and poorer households need help to protect themselves properly. Keeping households clean and having the ability to wash food properly in clean water are also crucial in reducing the death toll and level of illness in SVG caused by the volcanic ash dust. It is inhumane not to have standpipes and provide free, clean drinking water for poor people and poorer households, whilst maintaining hundreds of millions and dollars of tax and customs duty exemptions for Taiwan and the super-rich of Mustique and Canouan.

It was equivalent to a crime against humanity when the standpipes were removed; they were used extensively by poor people to get safe drinking water and sustain their life. Standpipes had been used in SVG for over 50 years and it was utter economic madness to have killed the standpipes, because forced thousands of poor people to use unclean water and expose themselves to the risk of illnesses and then be unable to work. We very urgently need to bring back standpipes with free, fresh drinking water to provide all of our people with good health and dignity. Poorer households need access to free, clean drinking water immediately.

The CWSA water supply paradigm As the CWSA celebrates its 51st year as a statutory organization, there can be no doubt about the significant strides made over the decades: from improvements in water quality and availability, to productive asset accumulation and finally to overall advancements in management and governance. These improvements also spawned a customer base of 40,000, representing 98% customer coverage and a 24/7 service for 95% of the time, allowing for service interruptions due to natural disasters and scheduled maintenance. Additionally, although the CWSA is also now responsible for providing

waste collection and disposal services, it can still boast of having the lowest water rates in the Caribbean and consistently reports impressive balance sheets and statements of income. One of the central contributing factors to this enviable position can be found in the confluence of engineering and economics that underpins a unique CWSA design paradigm. This involves the application of physics and hydraulic principles in deliberately abstracting mainly surface (river) water at relatively high elevations, where enough potential energy can be harnessed for later conversion to

kinetic energy in supplying and distributing water to areas at lower elevations. Because this potential energy is directly related to both the gravitational force and the height of the water source above sea level, the transformation from potential to kinetic energy occurs naturally when the water is released from the source and supplied by pipe to lower-level destinations or delivery points. This movement which also includes water being supplied uphill in many instances, occurs automatically with the only external force application being that of the gravitational pull and hence the term “gravity-fed” is derived. This natural energy conversion that produces that continuous flow in the pipelines, from mainly river/surface water sources, fully represents the CWSA design paradigm and facilitates the delivery water to all its customers without the need for pumping and all its attendant adverse financial and environmental impacts. Integral to this design paradigm however, is the difficult installation of long, costly pipelines on steep slopes of loose volcanic ash soil and across several valleys and rivers. This convergence of factors quite naturally exposes an inherent system vulnerability that is unfortunately amplified during seasonal climate related events that invariably result in pipeline damage and interruptions to the supply of water.

must necessarily reach consumers situated at elevations from sea level up to the 1200ft contour. Further, the CWSA is always quick to note that even if there were a shift in paradigm from the high elevation, gravity-fed water supply systems, to the wellresearched desalination plants and any coastal groundwater sources and springs, pumping will still have to be introduced in a major way with a consequential increase in CWSA’s energy costs. Additionally, because all the pipeline infrastructure will still have to be maintained through heavy rainfall and floods, these energy costs would simply be added to the CWSA’s bottom-line expenses. It is therefore important for customers and would be advisors alike to understand and appreciate that there is absolutely no lack of awareness or investigations of alternative sources of potable water within the CWSA. Indeed, twelve years ago, a water resource unit was established within the CWSA to map and investigate all the Country’s water resources. What must now be ascertained is the willingness of the consumers and Government to demand from CWSA a shift in its paradigm to allow for the incorporation of desalination and groundwater options, if only to offset situations that really become relevant for a total of five weeks of every year. Additionally, it is now clear that in the aftermath of the recent volcanic eruption, alternatives to those river Expectations water sources situated on the slopes of the volcano will soon have to be Unfortunately for the CWSA implemented. however, the significant improvements In the final analysis, this decision in the quality and reliability of the will be made with the clear service have now resulted in increased understanding that in the absence of customer expectations, to the extent additional sources at higher that any interruption in service, no elevations, any shift in paradigm will matter the duration, is cause for great require additional investment costs concern. There is now also a growing and result in increased operational demand for the reduction and indeed expenses, all of which will have to be elimination of any downtime and has recovered by increased water rates. led to calls for continued increases in These choices have always been on the storage capacity and significantly, the table for CWSA, however, up to this development of new sources. point, the option of maintaining low The CWSA has however always rates has always prevailed. proffered that, regardless of the Garth Saunders source, all water abstracted in SVG Chief Executive Officer/CWSA

THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, JUNE 04, 2021. 11.

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12. FRIDAY, JUNE 04, 2021 . THE VINCENTIAN

News

New monitoring equipment to be installed

Dr. Adam Stinton is overseeing the process of testing the new monitoring equipment.

from the volcano. He also disclosed that some of the equipment currently being tested will be used to replace those at the summit of the volcano that have become inoperable, and are expected to improve the network monitoring capacity. Monitoring of the volcano continues to be a pivotal to accessing the seismic activity at the volcano. Even as the volcano continues to be in a state of unrest, an escalation monitoring stations volcano,” Dr. Stinton in activity is still possible which were damaged or explained. with little or no warning, destroyed during the As it stood, Dr. the scientist cautioned. explosive eruption of the Stinton said that his The UWI Seismic La Soufriere Volcano. team was in the process Research Centre has “We have officially lost of testing replacement reported that seismic three seismic equipment and scouting instruments. Those are for suitable locations for activity continues to be low since the tremor the instruments that the installation. record all the And as expected, some associated with the earthquakes: the one in of the new equipment is explosion and ash venting on April 22. Fancy … then the one in earmarked as The NASA FIRMS Owia, and obviously the replacement for that at alert system’s detection one at the summit of the the previous sites away

La Soufrière continues to record some seismic activity but nothing that is cause for alarm presently.

by GLORIAH… HEAD OF THE LA SOUFRIÈRE MONITORING TEAM, Dr. Adam Stinton has indicated that new equipment will soon be installed, as close as possible to the summit of the La Soufriere volcano. He explained that the equipment is presently being tested and when ready, will replace the

of thermal anomalies at the volcano is another indication of the need for continuous monitoring. The UWI SRC has stated that these thermal anomalies are not an indication of an imminent explosive activity, but rather from a source of heat, emitted

most likely from a small body of magma left over, close to the floor of the Summit Crater. The volcano alert level remains at Orange and persons are still being advised to refrain from returning to the Red Zone and/or climbing the volcano.

Longest serving Customs Guard retires App to aid recovery launched

on December 23rd, 2021. He spent the past thirty-three (33) years employed at the Customs Department: this made him the longest serving Customs Guards on record. Herman Lewis joined the department on April 5th 1988 as a Junior Customs Guard and for many years was assigned at the E.T. Joshua Airport. His duties included securing the Customs area and the ramp, as well as assisting the Customs Officers in their tasks. He also worked at Port Campden Park and at the Kingstown Headquarters during his tenure. Mr. Lewis took his tasks Herman Lewis (left) accepts a plaque very seriously and never of appreciation from Selwyn Da Silva, hesitated to impress upon Comptroller of Customs and Excise you the gravity of a situation. (Ag.) (Photo Credit: Customs and His Supervisors and coExcise) workers can attest to his impeccable attendance and HERMAN LEWIS proceeded on pre-retirement leave on May 31st, punctuality record. While 2021 and will officially be retired stationed at the airport he was accustomed to arriving for his from his position as Senior shift ahead of time. He showed up Customs Guard at the Customs and Excise Department (Customs) at least thirty (30) minutes in

advance to ensure a proper handover when relieving the Guard on duty. Co-workers described Mr. Lewis as a very humorous and fun-loving man. While at the airport he was known to make friends with the Police Officers at the Fire Station and often socialized with them. His peers could always expect a good laugh as his unique skill allowed or shifting quickly between humor and sternness. The Department held a retirement send-off for Mr. Lewis on Friday 28th May, 2021 during which he was presented with a plaque commemorating his thirtythree (33) years of service and dedication to the Customs and Excise Department, and the state of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The management and staff of the Customs and Excise Department thank Mr. Herman Lewis for his years of service and wish him God’s richest blessings on his retirement. (Source: Customs and Excise)

RISE UP BEQUIA, in partnership with Sim Honey, is proud to unveil YURUMEIN (SVG) RECOVERY, an application to aid in recovery after the devastation wrought by La Soufrière. YURUMEIN (SVG) RECOVERY, is a tool that will aid in community and emergency relief. The accessible and user-friendly web-based platform is the first of its kind available to the Vincentian public, and aims to streamline disaster relief efforts by organizing data in a clear and logical way. Simply put, it will capture information from those displaced and others who are currently in need, connecting them with people, organizations, donors, and volunteers who can help. The data capturing tool, will in effect provide a dynamic, moving, and daily picture of the circulation of needs, relief, and resources. Rise Up Bequia Inc. and Sim Honey are inviting people who have been displaced and still reeling from the eruption of the La Soufriere Volcano to visit https://appaboutus.com/svg/ and register. This way volunteers ad organizations who are providing assistance can respond to your specific needs. Rise Up Bequia is a social activist group focusing on building and strengthening core ideas and practices of sustainable community development, education, agency and outreach. (Source: Rise Up Bequia)

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, JUNE 04, 2021. 13.

News

GTM donates to disaster relief (L-R): Ms. Michelle Forbes- Director of NEMO, Mr. Collin Cambridge- GTM Branch Manager and Mr. Joel Garrett- GTM Sales Rep. at the presentation.

THE GUYANA AND TRINIDAD Mutual Group of Insurances Companies Ltd. have joined the many corporate citizens here in contributing generously to the relief effort, occasioned by the series of eruptions of the La Soufrière volcano. On Friday 21st May, 2021, the Insurance grouping presented two donations to the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO), towards assistance in the rolling out its relief programme. A sum of EC $46,600.00 was handed over to NEMO, which included EC$36,600.00 (US$13, 707.86) donated by GTM’s Head Office, Guyana, and EC$10,000.00 donated by GTM St. Vincent Branch. The local chapter of GTM, in a release related to the donation, expressed its profound recognition of the period of immense displacement and adverse impact wrought by La Soufrière. “The journey to clearing the ashes and rebuilding will require immense support and

contribution from the corporate sector, donor agencies and persons from around the globe”, the release said. GTM in making its donation, expressed thanks to the Director of NEMO Ms. Michelle Forbes and her team

for their steadfast approach to managing a national disaster of this magnitude. “We at GTM are elated to support this cause and will endeavor to assist in the rebuilding and development of this remarkable nation”. GTM said.

SVG Helping Hands Inc. brings cheer IT WAS ALL SMILES as boxes of mugs, t-shirts, lunch bags, cups, sweaters, flasks, tote bags, cups and other goodies rolled into various shelters. Thanks to the San Diego, California-based nonprofit organisation SVG Helping Hands Inc. The items represented the organisation’s way of reaching out to those persons (evacuees) who were displaced as a result of the eruption of the La Soufrière volcano. The donated items consisted of Ashford University memorabilia, which was one of the contributors to SVG Helping Hands Inc. Local representative of SVG Helping Hands Inc. Persons at the Biabou Learning Resource Center receive goodies from Sharon Charles said the 12-year-old SVG Helping SVG Helping Hands Inc. Hands Inc. has been quietly ensuring that some 20 local non-profit institutions across the country have had their wish lists fulfilled. Charles credited founders Susan Child-Ellis, Natasha Bullock-Odero and Sally Regisford, all Vincentian who migrated to the United States, for always partnering with others to give back to locals. Those emergency shelters benefiting from the SVG Helping Hands Inc. were: Argyle Primary School, Calder Government School, Biabou Methodist School, Adelphi Secondary, Biabou Methodist Church, Stubbs Primary School and the Biabou Learning Resource Centre. The Liberty Lodge Training Centre and Our Lady of Guadalupe Home for Girls were also included in the philanthropic gesture. (SG)

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14. FRIDAY, JUNE 04, 2021. THE VINCENTIAN

Tributes

Special Olympics remembers ‘Sarge’ THE CHAIR, Directors of the Board and athletes of Special Olympics St Vincent and the Grenadines (SOSVG) are deeply saddened by the recent passing of Jonathan ‘Sarge’ Nichols, retired Assistant Superintendent of Police. ASP Nichols served for a number of years as a Director on the SOSVG Board, in the role of representative of the local arm of the Law Enforcement

Torch Run (LETR), a worldwide organization of police officers and other law enforcement professionals who raise funds in support of the Special Olympics movement. In addition to organizing and participating in local Torch Runs and representing St Vincent and the Grenadines at regional and international LETR meetings, ASP

Nichols often assisted SOSVG by serving as an official at its annual National Games. His service was invaluable and greatly appreciated. SOSVG extends sincerest condolences to his wife, family, friends and the police fraternity. Sezevra Joseph National Director

Nine Mornings Committee:

Remembers ÂSargeÊs contribution

ASP Jonathan Nichols was given a full military send-off.

THE SVG NINE MORNINGS COMMITTEE takes this opportunity to extend deepest condolences to the wife, children, relatives and friends of the late Jonathan ‘Sarge’ Nichols. ‘Sarge’, over the past 10 years and up to the time of his passing, was an important member of the Committee. He made a valuable contribution to the development of the Nine Mornings Festival, in particular, as co-host of the Kingstown programme. He was a significant addition to the management of the festival; his knowledge, wealth of

experience and emceeing capabilities were important assets. He ensured that the family-oriented activities were featured heavily on the celebration of Jesus Christ, the reason for the season. And ‘Sarge’ contributed significantly in other areas. In addition to the Pan Against Crime initiative, ‘Sarge’ coordinated the popular Police Caroling Contest a major programme on the Christmas calendar. Jonathan ‘Sarge’ Nichols was an outstanding son of the soil… an outstanding Vincentian. He

Assistant Superintendent of Police Jonathan Nichols. made a valuable and selfless contribution to different areas of life in St. Vincent & the Grenadines. The SVG Nine Mornings Committee joins with all those who mourn his untimely passing. May his soul rest in peace.

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, JUNE 04, 2021. 15.

Crime

Timmy Williams has been charged with causing his brother’s death. POLICE have arrested and charged bus conductor, Timmy Williams, 38, with causing the death of his 36-year-old brother, Divey Williams. Timmy appeared before the Kingstown Magistrate’s court on Tuesday, where he was charged with manslaughter. He is charged that on last Thursday, May 27th, he caused the death of Divey Larry Williams, of Lauders by an unlawful act. During his first appearance in court Prosecutor Sergeant of Police Renrick Cato did not object to bail for the accused. Cato asked the court to demand sufficient surety, impose reporting conditions, order the accused to surrender his travel documents, issue stop notices for him, and adjourn and transfer the matter to the Serious Offences Court. Senior Magistrate Rickie Burnett set bail at EC$20,000 with one surety and also approved the other aspects of the prosecutor’s application. Burnett also ordered Williams to report to the Biabou Police Station on Wednesdays between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. and transferred the matter to the Serious Offences Court, where Chief Magistrate Rechanne Browne will set a date for a preliminary inquiry. On Thursday May 27th when THE VINCENTAIN arrived in Lauders, a large number of residents had already gathered a short distance from the scene of the killing, and police had cordoned off the area. According to a family member, sometime late into Wednesday night

Man charged with causing brother’s death Timmy was at the home with his fiancée. The home was shared by the brothers. Divey is said to have arrived and started arguing with his brother and he began throwing rocks at Timmy’s section of the house. The altercation resulted in both men resorting to brandishing cutlasses and in the process exchanging chop wounds. Timmy one resident said, received chop wounds to his shoulder and right foot while Divey was chopped in the head. Timmy went to the clinic to have his wounds attended to, but Divey ignored all calls for him to do likewise. Neither of the brothers reported the matter to the police and the family member is of

the opinion that failure by Divey to seek help, resulted in him bleeding to death the following day. It was a neighbour

who found Divey’s body below the house sometime around 5pm on Thursday, and reported the matter to the police. (KH)

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18. FRIDAY, JUNE 04, 2021. THE VINCENTIAN

Advice

Going to the extreme Dear George, MY WIFE and I have been meeting it rough since COVID-19 and now the Soufriere. Our mortgage is behind by a few months, the car need repairs, there’s hardly any food in the house. My wife got dressed one evening and left the house for over five hours. When she returned I asked where she went and she refused to answer but handed me enough money to pay three months mortgage and to do the car repairs. I was relieved but I wanted to know where it came from. No answer. My wife continued to leave the house on a regular basis and every time she returned with money. One day I decided to follow her. I witnessed her going into the house of a very influential businessman. She was there for three hours. When she got home I asked her where she went and for once she answered saying she was at the church with her pastor doing some “cleaning up”. George, I did not know if to start beating her or to just strangle her. My wife has been prostituting her body all this while. I want to ask you: What is a good punishment for a man who has been

sleeping around with someone else’s wife? Should I allow her to go scotch free or make her pay for her sins? My blood is boiling.

Burning passion Dear Burning passion, Entertaining harmful ideas will not help the situation you’re in so use your time instead to find workable solutions. It would have been better for both of you to put your heads together and come up with a plan to get out of your financial rut. Reaching out for financial counselling is one option that could have been chosen. It is still not too late to do that by the way; that is if you are interested in saving the marriage. No one is immune to mistakes and that includes your wife. Now is a good time for both of you to get professional counselling which may result in saving your marriage in the long run.

George

Tricked in my own house my girl begged me not to thrown them out but instead to join with them I BENT backward to accommodate two female and let us all “live as one happy family?” friends of my girlfriend. My aunt and other They needed shelter from family members are the volcano eruption. asking me to take her We live in a one bedroom house. My girl back but I am one who believes that once a dog insisted that I sleep on the sofa she and her two begins to suck eggs it is friend used the bedroom. not going to stop. Right or wrong? What a shock it was when one night I awoke to sexual sounds coming Standing firm from the bedroom. My Dear Standing firm, girl and her two friends were having a go at each You should never other. I could not believe regret doing a good deed, this was going on in my even if the recipient is house night after night undeserving. In your I asked all three of case you reached out them to leave my house. Can you imagine when there was a need and did the right

Dear George,

Resist the temptation Dear George, MY BOSS informed me that she would not be able to continue paying her staff and would be making some layoffs soon. She, however, made me an offer: Continue to show up for work and she would give me as much sex as I want in lieu of a salary. I thought she was joking for she knew I was married, but that didn’t seem to bother her. This is a very tempting offer. This woman has the body of an international model. My only concern is how to explain to my wife me not coming home with a paycheck at the end of the day. Once I find an explanation for that, then I might take up this boss lady on her offer. I see this as a chance of a lifetime to be with someone that I never dreamed of

thing. What happened between your partner and these two women was totally out of your control and is all on her. She has betrayed your trust and taken advantage of your good nature. Do not let that discourage you from continuing to do good. The decision to cut ties with your girl is entirely up to you but it is one that must be made with careful consideration so that there be no regrets in the end. You are well within your right to continue or discontinue the relationship. Good luck going forward.

George

getting close to.

Off and On Dear Off and On, You need to familiarize yourself with the old adage that says, “ All that glitters is not gold”. Your boss lady’s move to give you her body in lieu of a steady salary is purely selfish and designed to appease her sexual worms. You need to look beyond the sex and think of the adverse repercussions that are very likely to come back to haunt you. You will do well to turn this seemingly good offer down and continue to stay faithful and committed to the woman you married. Talk to your wife about the developing situation at your work place and together decide on the best way to face this new challenge.

George

Leisure

ARIES (Mar. 21- April 20) You won’t have much time for your mate this week. You should be able to tie up loose ends this week. Get busy doing all those things at home that you have been putting off for so long.

LIBRA (Sept. 24 -Oct. 23) Your mate is going to want and need some attention. Think twice before you speak. Listen to the complaints of others. Everything is moving quickly, just the way you like it.

TAURUS (Apr. 21- May 21) Talking to those you trust and respect will help you sort out any problems. Travel opportunities must be taken advantage of. You should get out and meet some of those clients that you only speak to on the phone.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24 - Nov. 22) Be sure you get accurate information. You are best to put your efforts into redecorating or inviting friends over. You could meet potential new mates if you go out with friends or take pleasure trips.

GEMINI (May 22-June 21) Go out with friends. You will upset your partner if you have spent money on things that aren’t necessary. Work quietly at your own goals.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23 -Dec. 21) Don’t let opposition from those envious of your talents daunt your progress. A passionate party for two might be just the remedy. You must be careful not to reveal secrets or get involved in gossip.

CANCER (June 22-July 22) Your mind may not be on the job. You can enjoy your involvement in organizations that make charitable contributions. You may find yourself in a predicament with family members.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22.- Jan. 20) Be courteous if you wish to avoid major delays. Be innovative. You should be in business for yourself. You have been stagnating for some time now and you need a change of pace.

LEO (July 23-Aug 22) You could be quite erratic regarding your personal relationship. Moneymaking opportunities will surface. You are best to stick to basics.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 21.- Feb. 19) Problems with females you live or work with will try your patience and cause temper flare ups.

VIRGO (Aug. 23 -Sept. 23) Family outings should include visiting friends or relatives. Take special care in any home improvement project you work on this week, you’ll be glad you did.

PISCES (Feb. 20-Mar. 20) You will be emotional about your personal life. Changes in your domestic scene are evident. Make changes regarding your status in society.

ACROSS 1. Quick 5. Exercise spot 8. Bloke 12. Enthralled by 13. Luau garland 14. Puerto _ 15. Reply sharply 16. Musical sensitivity 17. Decorative planters 18. Present 19. “That’s it!” 20. Come together 21. Actress Novak 23. Corn unit 25. Long weapon 28. Winter bug 29. Meadow bleat 32. General feeling 33. Foreign 35. Kooky 36. Miles _ hour 37. Pull hard 38. Stop 40. Seek handouts 41. Gender 42. Bolivia neighbor 45. Procured 47. Thin cushions 51. Wrought metal 52. Logging tool 53. Bread spread 54. Shopping reminder 55. Wondrous cry 56. Narcissistic focus 57. Word of subtraction 58. Discontinue 59. Leave (a room) DOWN 1. Ocean dweller

2. Green Gables gal 3. Hollywood celebrity 4. Kansas city 5. Shine 6. Inform assent 7. Amazing event 8. Tiny morsel 9. Provide with a position 10. Skin problem 11. Fence stake 22. Annoyed 24. Pound fraction 25. Maple fluid 26. Dessert option 27. Miscalculate 28. Seeded fruit 29. Strong snake 30. Magazine fillers

31. Lime beverage 34. Travel bags 39. Uncover 40. Bats lightly 41. Noble horse 42. Medicine dose 43. Lake bordering

LAST WEEK’s SOLUTION

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, JUNE 04, 2021. 19.

Buffalo 44. Flag seamstress Betsy 46. Draft animals 48. Mr. Trebek 49. Salami seller 50. Velvety

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20. FRIDAY, JUNE 04, 2021. THE VINCENTIAN

Another VPL title for La Soufrière Hikers

La Soufrière Hikers – repeat Champions of the Dream 11 VPL T20. WHEN DARK VIEW EXPLORERS won the toss and asked defending Champions- La Soufrière Hikers to take first knock in last Sunday’s final of the Dream 11 VPL T10 3.0 played at the Arnos Vale Playing Field, neither side would have entertained the slightest thought that the match would go down to a nail-biting finish. In fact, Explorers would

Desron Maloney, captain of La Soufrière Hikers, poses with Championship trophy.

Losing finalist Dark View Explorers. have been heartened when they held their opponents to 18/2 in the power play, and took another wicket in the 5th over. However, Othneil Lewis would swing the pendulum in Hikers’ favour as he took the attack to the Explorers’ bowlers, including hitting 3 sixes in one over. He would eventually finish on 39 but not before he had smashed 2 fours and 4 sixes in a 23-ball innings. With Beniton Stapleton supporting with 23 not out, including 3 sixes in a 9-ball innings, Hikers closed on 107/5, perhaps feeling much more comfortable than they did at the start of their innings. Sealron Williams with 2-17 was the standout bowler for Explorers. Explorers began their runchase with much aplomb, racing to 41 without loss, with their leading batsman,

finished on 106/4 handing the defending champions victory and another year of reign, by a mere one run. All of this, after Explorers had disposed of the more fancied Fort Charlotte Strikers to earn their berth in the final. Romano Pierre was by far the outstanding player in that encounter with an innings of 65 not out. He hit 1 four and 7 sixes in a 30-ball innings. Scores in the match: Fort Charlotte Strikers 101/4 (10 overs); Dark View Explorers 102/2 (9.1 overs). As it stood on points, Strikers came away with third place in the Tournament and Salt Pond Breakers finished fourth. In a playoff for fifth place, Grenadines Divers with 75/4 in 6.5 overs easily erased the Botanical Gardens Rangers’ 72/5 in their allotted 10 overs. At the end of last Sunday’ final, two players came in for particular recognition. National Youth Spinner, Luke Wilson, who was making his debut in the Deream 11 VPL T10 representing Dark View Explorers, was named the Emerging Player of the Tournament. His eleven wickets were not far off the leading wicket-taker Beniton Stapleton with 14. Wilson was joined by Othneil Lewis of La Soufrière

Othneil Lewis – Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Tournament. Hikers as a recipient of special recognition; he was named Most Valuable Player of the Tournament. Lewis had combined with bat and ball, totaling 165 at a strike rate of 161.76, and snaring 8 wickets, to contribute in no small measure to his team retaining its Championship title.

I.B.A.ALLEN Romano Pierre, being primarily responsible for this seemingly commanding position. However, after a short interruption caused by rain and the passage of Pierre for 45 (5 fours and 2 sixes) in 28 balls, the scoring rate slowed appreciably to the point that Explorers needed another 46 runs in the last three overs, to claim victory. The chase came down to 20 runs to get in the last over and eventually 9 from the last ball. Some considered it a comedy of errors when the last ball turned out to be a no-ball, but the batsmen did not run. That, with one for the noball and the one they would have run, would have taken the target to 7, and when the last ball was hit for six, it would have tied the scores and the super over law would have had to be employed to decide a winner. Luke Wilson - Emerging Player of the Tournament. As it was, Explorers

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, JUNE 04, 2021. 21.

Sports

Stapleton, Pierre top VPL leader board Fort Charlotte Strikers, was the second highest runs scorer with 288, including two fifties one of which, 69 not out, was the Tournament’s highest individual score. He averaged 48 with a strike rate of 158.24. Dillon Douglas of Hikers was the third highest runs scorer with 257, including two fifties with 56 Top batters being his highest. He averaged 32.13 with a strike rate of 191.79 with two fifties. In the Tournament which Sunil Ambris, captain of Salt Pond Breakers, was ran here from May 15-30, 2021, the forth-highest runs scorer with 228, an average of with all matches played at the 25.33 and a strike rate of 161.7. He scored two Arnos Vale Playing Field, fifties, with a high score of 64. Pierre amassed 306 runs which Shem Browne of Grenadines Divers completed included one fifty, 65. He the top five batsmen with a total of 184. He was finished with an average of 34 followed by his captain Asif Hooper, 172, Explorers’ and a strike rate of 148.54. Deron Greaves, 171, Hikers’ Desron Maloney, 171 Miles Bascombe, captain of and Othneil Lewis, 165.

DARK VIEW EXPLORERS’ Romano Pierre and La Soufrière Hikers’ Medium Pacer Benniton Stapleton were the top batting and bowling performers in the just concluded third edition of the Dream 11 Vincy Premier League (VPL T20).

Benniton Stapleton of Champions La Soufrière Hikers was the Tournament’s leading wickettaker.

Top Bowlers Hikers’ Benniton Stapleton led all bowlers with 14 wickets at an average of 11.93 and an economy rate of 8.79. Stapleton’s team mate, off spinner O’Jay Mathews, and Explorers’ Rayan Williams followed with 12 wickets each. Matthews averaged 11.42

Romano Pierre (right) of losing finalist Dark View Explorers, scored the most runs in the Tournament. with an economy of 7.81, and Williams 12.25 and 9.91. Youth cricketer Luke Wilson, also of Explorers, took 11 wickets with his off spin at an average of 13.18 and an economy rate of 8.7. Sunil Ambris of Breakers and Sealron Williams of Explorers closed off the top five bowling positions, with 10 wickets each. Ambris averaged 14.9 with an economy of 8.28 and Williams averaged 12.6 and an economy of 7.88. Other leading wicket-takers were: Leg spinner Shamon Hooper of Explorers and Kirton Lavia from Fort Charlotte Strikers - 9 wickets each; and Hikers’ off spinner Othneil Lewis 8 wickets.

Morgan staying Warrican deservedly happy positive CHESTER MORGAN, Technical Director of Team Athletic SVG, believes that given the quality of athletes here, this country will be well represented at upcoming hemispheric and international games. With the Junior Carifta Games scheduled for Bermuda now officially cancelled because the host country was not prepared to amend its Covid-19 Chester Morgan, regulations to accommodate TD/Team Athletics athletes arriving for SVG, will now see competition, Morgan sees this to it that athletes as allowing time to focus on focus their getting prepared and ready attention on for: the North American, getting ready for Central American and NACAC and World Caribbean Athletics Games. Association (NACAC) U18 & U23 Championships scheduled for July 9 to 11, in Costa Rica; and the 2021 World Athletics U20 Championships, also known as the World Junior Championships, set for Nairobi, Kenya from August 17 t0 22. “We have a lot of athletes in these age groups so we are now preparing for these events. We have strong U18 and under U20 athletes who I believe will represent themselves and country well,” Morgan said. He pointed to U18 athletes like Kyle Lawrence, Nelly Ambriton, Amal Glasgow, Christen Wyllie and Yolanda Lewis as among those who can hold their own at the NACAC Championship. He also cited Handel Roban, who holds the male U20 records in the 800 and 1500M, as leading a talented U20 contingent to the World U20 Championship. That contingent is expected to include the likes of Shafiqua Maloney, Maline Richards, Nikita Welcome and Tamara Woodley, Morgan said. Stories I.B.A.ALLEN

“I AM VERY elated having successfully defended my title,” remarked Irvin Warrican. What else could you expect of Warrican after the team he coaches - La Soufrière Hikers, successfully defended their Dream 11 Vincy Premier League (VPL 3.0) championship title? Hikers did so against first time finalist Dark View Explorers in the final of the third edition of the VPL, played last Sunday at the Arnos Vale Playing Field. Speaking to the VINCENTIAN following the match, an ecstatic Warrican credited the victory as an entire team effort. About his team’s performance, he said, “I am just pleased with my team’s performance, not just in the finals but throughout the tournament. We were consistent even if in

some games we would have experienced some challenges, but we regrouped and we had improvement especially in our bowling.” Warrican was particularly pleased with the performance in the final. “People were questioning the depth of our batting but lots of our main players early in the finals and other players came to the fore and did a workmanlike job collectively, so that was really good team work,” he commented. When prodded to single out some players in the Tournament whose performances caught his eye, the coach said, “There were some outstanding performances in the tournament, from the likes of Shamon Hooper, Romono Pierre, Dillon Douglas, Othneil Lewis Benniton Stapleton, and Luke Wilson. This will

go well for future tournaments.” And as for the overall Tournament, Warrican thought it was competitive and that while it might have started “a little slowly, as it progressed all the games created a lot of excitement and you saw the improvement in all the teams and that was pleasing.” He commended the teams and management staff for ensuring another successful VPL. Irvin Warrican, head He feels assured that the experience of another coach of repeat VPl VPL will do well for local Champions La Soufrière Hikers. cricket, but advises the players to practise hard, “That,” he said, “will work on their drills and go well for St Vincent get to understand their and the Grenadines game more. cricket”.

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22. FRIDAY, JUNE 04, 2021 . THE VINCENTIAN

Sports

2020/21 National Club Championships scrapped

AFTER MONTHS of uncertainty and speculation, a decision has been taken to cancel the 2020/2021 National Football Club Championships. This was communicated to affiliates of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation (SVGFF) last Friday. According to a release from General Secretary of the SVGFF- Devron

Poyer, the main reasons for the cancellation have been “the ongoing concerns occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the additional challenges presented as a result of the eruption of our La Soufrière volcano”. The release also highlighted, “the Annual Registration window in the FIFA system, as well as the inability to complete the current National Club

Championships within the stipulated window, and the short-term unavailability of approved playing fields, prompted the decision”. Given these considerations and debilitations, Poyer noted that the decision to scrap the National Club Championships in its original format, “was taken after numerous consultations with the Tournaments and Technical Committees”.

However, the Tournaments and Competition Committee, according to Poyer, has proposed a scaled down activity which would engage all age groups and both genders. “We are pleased to advise that the Tournaments and Competition Committee have proposed a number of restructured competitions for all age groups and both genders, that would keep the Clubs engaged in the months leading up to the opening of the next scheduled tournament in October 2021”, the release informed. Affiliates were assured that should they compete

Action in the now cancelled 2020/21 National Club Championship. in the restructured version of footballing activities, prizes are forthcoming. With the cancellation of the National Club Championships the official transfer window, which should have come into effect from last Tuesday, 1st June, has been suspended. The 2020/2021 National Club Championships got off to an exciting start last November. The Championships took the usual break for Christmas festivities,

however, a spike in the number of coronavirus cases in December and into January caused its suspension. The explosive eruptions of the La Soufriere volcano beginning in April further exacerbated the situation, leading to the eventual cancellation. When the Championships were halted, four rounds of matches in both the Premier and First Divisions were completed.

Vincy Heat hunting points DESPITE some travel setbacks which resulted in the SVG Senior Men’s Football Team- Vincy Heat, getting into Guatemala after the planned time, Head Coach — Kendale Mercury is optimistic that his charges can get the job done. This country’s senior footballers left Grenada on Wednesday for Guatemala, to do battle with the highly fancied host today Friday, 4th June, in Group C of the CONCACAF Zone of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. The Vincentians had travelled from Grenada where they had spent the last two week preparing for the Guatemala trip and are scheduled to return to Grenada for their ’home’ match against Cuba, on Tuesday 8th June. However, amidst the challenges of not getting time to acclimatise to the high altitude of Guatemala, Mercury declared last Tuesday, “The game in Guatemala is going for three points… What we have to assess is how we are

going to approach the game, because we have lost important time. … So that’s a big concern for me… I know (that) I don’t have enough time to fully acclimatise, but the game has to be played, so we got to be ready.” While in Grenada, the team was able to make a trip to Mount Qua Qua, which has an elevation of about 2,300 feet, as a means of exposing the players to conditions of higher altitude, as per the Guatemalan reality. Mercury was thankful for the “excellent” treatment the team received while in Grenada. When Vincy Heat began their qualifiers in March, they were beaten by 5-0 by Curacao, but rebounded to outdo the British Virgin Islands, 3-0. SVG sits on three points behind Curacao and Guatemala each on six points. The British Virgin Islands has no points thus far. Only the first place team after the group stage will advance to the Second Round of the Qualifiers.

The SVG National Senior Football Team - Vincy Heat, at the Maurice Bishop International Airport last Wednesday, en route to Guatemala.

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, JUNE 04, 2021. 23.

Classifieds

LUCIANO ENVILLE Sunday, 30th May, 2021 Christian Church of the Nazarene Upper Cane Hall Viewing: 12:00 p.m. Service: 1:00 p.m. Interment: Belair Cemetery

KENDAL HAYWOOD Saturday, 29th May, 2021 NTCOG Diamonds Viewing: 9:30 a.m. Service: 10:30 am Interment: New Adelph Cemetery

VENNA HENDRICKSON NASH Sunday, 30th May, 2021 Layou S.D.A Church Viewing: 10:00 a.m. Service: 11:00 a.m. Interment: Layou Cemetery

WALTER MORGAN BALCOMBE {Pope} Monday, 31st May, 2021 Georgetown Cemetery Viewing: 10:30 a.m. Service: 11:00 a.m. Interment: Georgetown Cemetery

PAMESTA ROCENA MC DOWALL a.k.a. Pam Saturday, 29th May, 2021 New Life Prayer Tabernacle South Rivers Viewing: 10:00 a.m. Service: 11:00 a.m. Interment: Colonarie

ELDON BELLY HAMMER BELGRAVES Thursday, 27th May, 2021 Church of God of Prophecy Shekinah Worship Centre Viewing: 11:00 a.m. Service: 12:00 p.m. Interment: Kingstown Cemetery

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FRIDAY, JUNE

04, 2021

VOLUME 115, No.22

www.thevincentian.com

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CoP AND DPP TOO CLOSE TO FINGERED OFFICIALS matter.” He followed this by saying that the THE SHOOTING and beating of Cornelius investigation promised by the John, a 60-year-old male from Diamond Commissioner of Police (CoP) may be Estate and the alleged involvement of retarded, because he and the Director two senior public officials in the incident, of Public Prosecutions (DPP) are too continue to dominate discussions among close to those who are alleged to be Vincentians. possible assailants in the John matter. This was expressed by Dr. Godwin John’s plight took two weeks to Friday as he addressed a virtual come to public’s attention, despite the media conference hosted by his New fact that he had reported the matter to Democratic Party (NDP, last Tuesday, the police. June 01. Friday raised the matter in Dr. Friday told media personnel Parliament at the last meeting on May that, “The situation is made worst by 11th, when he called on Senator what many see as a failure by the Ashelle Morgan, one of the two at state to bring about justice in the whom the allegations of abuse have by KENVILLE HORNE

DPP Sejilla McDowall and CoP Colin John are being encourage by Leader of the Opposition Dr. Godwin Friday, to recuse themselves from any investigation into the matter concerning Cornelius John.

been leveled, to absent herself from the House of Assembly or to be suspended from the House, while the allegations were under investigation by the police. After a heated exchange between the Speaker of the House and Dr. Friday, the latter was suspended from that sitting of Parliament. The Opposition Leader, during the media conference, cautioned citizens not to see this as purely a matter that concerns only the persons mentioned in connection with it. “We as people, who live in this country, must all be concerned about it. Justice is indivisible. It either exists or it does not. You cannot have a little

justice, or partial justice, or justice for some and not for others. That would still amount to injustice. In other words when that exists, it amounts to a negation of justice,” the Opposition leader posited. And as far as the role of the CoP and the DPP are concerned, Dr. Friday was adamant that, “If it is that the Commissioner of Police and the DPP cannot do their jobs because of a conflict of interest or other reason, then they must recuse themselves and other persons must be appointed to lead the investigation and any prosecution that might flow from that investigation.” (See more on this matter in this week’s NDP Column)

MMDC TO RESUME SERVICE SOON

Prince did not provide a date when the facility will THE MODERN MEDICAL reopen, but said that further DIAGNOSTIC CENTRE clean-up of inactive health (MMDC) is currently facilities had commenced in undergoing technical checks in the Orange and Red Zones preparation for the ahead of the return of those resumption of service. who were displaced. Minister of Health, St Clair The MMDC, which Prince said that the Deputy commenced services in July Hospital Administrator at the 2018, was forced to suspend MMDC, Idinga Miller, and her services following the series of staff were conducting these eruptions of the La Soufriere checks, as they started volcano beginning on April 9. preparing to return to As a result, a number of normalcy at that facility. health services was by DAYLE DASILVA

transferred to the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital and other health facilities within the Green Zone. After a period of challenge to set the dialysis services in some order at the MCMH, it was decided to transfer this service to the Evesham Clinic where, according to Prince, eight dialysis machines were installed and commissioned. One such transferred service was dialysis services According to Prince, eight which had been transferred to were presently up and the Evesham Clinic. running at that facility.

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

Work continues apace to get the MMDC up and running in the shortest possible time.

Printed by the SVG Publishers Inc., Campden Park.