More things change, more dey remain de same

FROM DE TIME one-ahtwo people tell Grampa Nay-tun dey read his letter to de Prime Minister, ah know he will be sending more messages, so said, so done. He wants to reach Dr Fry-dey more directly. So ah wrote down ah FB contact fee him: He read it aloud on “sore shell. me dey yah”.

Den he gave me ah cynical smile and said ah have ah ting-ah-two dat ah need to tell de NDP, actually Doc Fry-dey.

No 1: Twenty-five (25) years ago Sir James’ NDP left de incoming ULP Govenom- mint wid money in de treasury. So much so, dat de incoming ULP Go-venom-mint was able to help our troubled sister island Domonica wid liquid cash. No 2: On de contrary, in April 2023 when de “Mr World Boss 14-1” (so named by his “Pad-nah in cry me ah river Done-all-Chunp). So recognizing den he was losing Power, he made M.T boast in Par-liar-mint of “Putting ah hook in (we) de people’s gill”. Dat “hook in de gill” is ah $3.5 billion “Nahshun- all death dat he left de people of SVG.

No 3: NDP Govern- mint has had to call hurry-hurry sale of Chatham Bay lands foh EC$ 54 million (EC $12.50 per sq. ft), to help clear off part of de inherited national debt burden of roughly 113% of GDP. Bad Governance!

And now de latest is dat NDP Govern-mint has inherited ah ULP death of EC$10 million to Jet Blue.

No 4: Grampah said he is anxiously awaiting to see de NDP Govern-mint set up ah foreign-sick audit or Commission of Enquiry into de past (ULP) addmini- stray- shun.

Finally he call out his list of sales or give-aways beginning wid ah 300 year ole Folklore or Nansi Story. Paramount Chief Joseph Chatoyer was owner of ah rock wid ah beach in Villa, he almost went crazy over ah majestic looking White stallion belonging to Sir William Young, the British Governor of de island. Dey cut ah deal made an fair hand-shake. Chief Joseph got his gift horse, and Governor Young got de piece ah rock and named it Young Island!

In 1966, Two hundred and fifty years later, Hon.

E.T. Joshua, den SVG’s first Chief Minister met one John Houser of de Hilton Hotel Chain. Houser was more crazy about Young Island dan Governor Young. SVG didn’t have ah single decent hotel. Joshua guaranteed Houser if he freely built SVG ah mini Hilton Dream Hotel on Young Island dat will attract millionaires to SVG, den de island will be all Housers. Young Island today after sixty years, is still ah millionaire’s dream. Thanks Mr Joshua.

Palm Island and PSV But Joshua did not stop dey. De story is dat again in 1966, ah yacht owner John Caldwell (“Johnny Coconut”), and his wife Mary, fell in love wid Palm Island originally known as Prune Island in de Southern Grenadines. Dey managed ah one dollar ah year lease wid Papa Josh for 99 years on condition dat de Caldwells built ah hotel on de island to create employment foh Vincent-shuns.

Palm Island the swampy island in 1966, remains active and developed today. Robert Milton Cato, Premier and first Prime Minister replaced Joshua.

But Cato, unlike Joshua remained Adam-aunt, and maintained a strict policy against selling State (Crown) lands to far-rain entities or private individuals, particularly in the Grenadines!

Den Sir James came and summed up his opponent Joshua and Cato wid de carry beyond proverb/ quotation: “ No better de beef, no better de barrel.

Six ah one, half ah dozen ah de othe!” Equally land flawless. But Sir James was over generous wid Grenadines lands, sold out approx. two thirds of Can-one to Infestors. Next came Gone-Soft! He criticized Mitchell foh selling out Vincentian lands especially Can-one lands but no sooner he took office, he sold some of de same Can-One lands. In fact he sold lands at Mt Wynne to far-rainers up to his last year in office. De more Ting change. Ah asked Grampa what message he got foh Doc Fry-dey. He told me St Vincent is not ours to sell. Yes do like Joshua, Lease but doh sell. To do otherwise is like being “No better de beef, no better de barrel” de more ting change de more ting remain de same”. And wid dat is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy

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