Time flies. Is like is only yesterday dah de NCB started wid its first manager Claude Samuel.

Like ah new born baby de NCB cut teeth, too-too and pee down nuff die-ah-pa before starting to creep; and by de time it was able to step off and say ”Dah”, de Labour guv-ah-mint change and so did de first manager ah NCB.{{more}} Allegations from de NDP’s camp den, was dat something fishy was going on, so ah re-tyred Banker name Fisher came to fish. Fisher had two under-studies, Francis Bowman and Beverley “Brizzy” Brisbane, a plane and straight Jane who finally took over from Fisher. Brizzy held de Fort foh ah good fourteen years till de Guv-ah-mint change again. When ULP took office, like ah tit-foh tat game, dey too cry out Corruption at NCB and set out to correct dah hysterical wrong. We have not heard de outcome of dey search, but de ULP seems to have created an unprecedented leg-ah-see, six managers have swept thru de NCB during dey two terms in office. Managers changed like US currency: Dalrymple acted foh ah while, den Ambris tek charge. Talk was de bank was in ah mess. Corruption was like ah password foh supporters ah de ruling party to get loan. Lie-Za wondered if de “C” in NCB stands foh Corruption. She even jokingly said dat is only de Lord could clean up dis mess, and she heard dat de Lord made an attempt to come, but when He saw de extent ah de mess, He tun back! Dah’s how Heaven-nah come down, but even Heaven-nah ran like Hell! After ah few months, one Friday afternoon, Heaven-nah drove to de Airport, left de keys in de car and flew away! Den Williams, ah Cooper wid “barrels” ah banking experience had ah stint, he had to run to preserve his sanity. As de hunt foh ah man-in-jah continued, Lie-Za say is she who got Her-man-Dez out ah T’n’T to come. Not even Lie-Za could ah get Dez to stay. Finally someone wid ah lickle more pitch-riot-is-him, decided to stand up to de pull-it-tek-all bull-dozer, wid dis Vincy, man “Eye-tun” almost instantly heads start ah role! In all NCB has had eight managers over de last twenty-five years. Two during de NDP seventeen years rule, and six during ULP nine years, dah’s ah manager every eighteen months. One explanation foh six managers walking off de job, is pull-it-tek-all enter-fear-hands and unprecedented banking practices, commonly known as Corruption! We heard from de awe-position dat de profits at de banks in de 2008/2009 period, fell from 15 million to one million. And another ten million loss is expected dis year, too much bad deaths. Rumor ran wild ah few months ago dat de NCB was bank-erupt and was to be sold, like always and forever, de PM had an explanation dispelling de allegations. De truth is now being unfold, de NCB is in serious trouble, so much trouble, dat de CDB had to lend de Guv-ah-mint 100 million dollars to free up some, not all, ah de Banks bad deaths! Dat is frightening. Just as frightening as de British American and Clico Insurance scandal. So why is all ah dis happening to NCB and no other bank? After all we hear stories dat dey’s some 30 University Graduates at NCB. Nuff Degrees but no temperature! Ah wondah if all ah de other Banks put to-get-her, RBTT, Scotia, Penny Bank. FCIB, Russell bank, got ten Graduates? And dey’s ah Board ah Directors hand picked by de Prime Minister, to tek instructions from him, but now de boulie buss, dey are made to look like ah bunch ah “Yes Men”. Dey are my friends and it is nothing personal but on ah matter ah principle, dey should do like Doc Provy, resign in block and restore ah bit ah dey dignity.

BRING BACK HERMINA’S PROGRAM Ah listened to de Sports news way SVG netballers came in fifth on de region. Gone are de glory days of Netball under president Gloria Ballantyne and her power house team, Marlene Arthur, Joyce Frank, Sonia Lewis, Doris Mc Intosh et al. Netball was played at every conceivable level, Clubs, Firms, Districts, Schools. At one time SVG reigned as champs at all levels, National seniors, Under 23, Under 16, OECS Club Champs. Back den de secret to SVG’s supremacy was a nursery in de Primary School. Hermina Cambridge was like de Agronomist, she was attached to de Ministry ah Sports way she conducted ah serious netball program in de Primary Schools. From dat level de kids went into secondary schools prepared foh ah serious level ah competition. When Bishop and GHS met it was bigger dan any national club finals. So we have lost Hermina and de Primary School’s program, de foundation of SVG’s Netball, and now it is all coming out in de wash. We have to go back to basics. When all de successes and failures in Sports are added up, dis ULP administration will be found wanting. Would somebody tell my friend Dr Care-not John dat he will get his Tri Tri next Friday. If all yuh thunk is Tri Tri alone ah could predict, ah just waiting till de fellah “call de date”! And wid dat is gone ah gone again. One Love Bassy.

Bassy Alexander is a land surveyor, folklorist and social commentator.