Danielle: Ah Good choice foh Press Secretary

AH WANT TO CONGRATULATE Young Danielle Veira on her appointment as Prime Minister’s Press Secretary. De lickle ah know bout Danielle is dat she is Young! Gifted! and Talented! Has ah very humble and charming personality. Ah know she has been in de NDP Engine room ah few years now.

What ah remember of Danielle is at one of our Nine Mornings Show on Bay Street.

We asked foh ah youth, boy or girl, to come forward and open de programme wid de singing de Nah-shun-all Anthem. Den dis shy looking 8-year ole girl, small or petite, wid ah sweater wrapped around her shoulder walked on stage and waited. We were all nervous, dey was no musical accompaniment, but she brought down de crowd wid her beautiful voice. Dat very morning she sang ah Christmas Carol, ah lovely rendition. We all agreed way back den, dat maybe her parents were hoping foh ah boy to name him Daniel, no problem, dey named her Danielle none-the-less. Thank yuh Dr Fry-dey. Ah good choice. We are proud of Danielle. She will not disappoint. We Have Dis Country To Build Every morning at 4:00 a.m. on de dot. from de comfort of my bed ah could hear de Nine Mornings celebrations at Heritage Square, plus ah does watch de act-shun Live on VC3 TV, Channel 114. Big crowds especially youths. Ah saw La Gracia Dancers on stage. Dey danced professionally, beautifully dressed in bright Christmas colours. What is clearly lacking is more participation from youths in and around de suburbs of Kingstown. Dey’s need foh ah Community Outreach Programme in de communities. Every community should have senior and junior choirs, Musical Bands, Small Steel Bands Dancing, Drama, Drumming; etc. if we doh have proper drums to start, mek use of de plastic containers until funds are made available for building or buying drums. Make use of de people in our communities who are involved in Culture. Dey’s nothing new under de skies, but we must go back to Best Community Competition. Listen again to “De Man Age” Kaiso: “We have ah country to build and if we doh do it who will?” Not de politicians. Maybe some of us Die-us-pooranns, talk-show strong-men who seem to have some of de most brilliant I-dares, answers and solutions foh Poor us in SVG.

Dey should ask dey-self “Why am I not home to put my talks to Act-shun. We need all hands pon deck.

Tek Yuh Licks Like ah Big Man Ralph Elect-shuns finish almost ah month now, dey’s ah clear winner, as well as ah bunch ah losers in denial. Dat is strange. Is like having ah 15 member team wid ah General who is de Captain/Manager/Player and Selector; in addition he claims territorial responsibility foh every square inch of visible space. After 24 years of team prep-array- shun, de team went to battle! And de performance was disastrous. Wid de exception of de General, “all chariot and horsemen fell on de way-side”. Two members bravely accepted defeat. But de General continues to single-handedly hold de Fort.

How well we remember dat post Elect-shun voting recount in Central Leeward Layou in December 2015. Dey was an aggressive verbal exchange of words between Sir Louis Straker of de ULP and NDP’s Hon Arm-in Eustace. Inches away from pelting punches, Straker shouting at de top of his vice, told Armin: “Why you come back?You should tek your loss like a big man!”

Maybe dis could be timely foh Sir Louis, man of “ sound mind and sane thinking,” go to Gorse and visit his former PM, now Leader of de Awe-position, and tell him exactly what he told Arm-in:“ Tek yuh loss like ah big man Ralph!” And wid dat is gone ah gone again. Have ah Blessed Christmas.

One Love Bassy

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