We are awaiting your contribution, Dr Friday

Editor: Back in 2013 the Hon Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines pledged $10,000 towards the refurbishing of the pavilion on the Clive Tannis playing field in Bequia. The Prime Minister asked Dr Friday to match his contribution and today we are still waiting for Friday’s response, other than his chuckles.{{more}}

The Prime Minister stated at a press conference a week after he made his promise “I haven’t written it yet, but I will write the cheque today. I tell Dr Friday I am waiting on his 10 thousand,” Though Dr Friday was the one that asked about it in Parliament, he refused to contribute towards it. However, today the pavilion is finished and is in use up to this day, sheltering its patrons from rain and the sun, thanks to our Prime Minister.

The question still arises, why did Dr Friday refuse to match the Prime Minister’s contribution? As a man who says that he is a community man, a man of the people, there is no interest in repairing the pavilion, a place the local community of Bequia uses ever so often, whether it is for sports or other events.

What if the prime minister refused to keep his word? Would there be a new pavilion today? Would people be safe sitting in the stands as it was before? The young people today are so comfortable with the new repairs, the new bathrooms; it is an encouragement for them to come out to the park and train and do their sports.

It makes you wonder whether Dr Friday is interested in the development of the young people. Our island consists of few persons who have benefitted from being able to portray their talents, whether it be in football, basketball or cricket. These people have been able to travel the world and come back home to our little island accomplished; these numbers can rise so much more if we have better conditions to work in, better opportunities to do so, thank you to our prime minister, who is working hard to make sure that young people, who are the future of this country, capture every given opportunity they get.

Dr Friday has voted no to the Education Revolution! Each year dozens of students get the opportunity to go to Taiwan, Cuba, UWI and many more to study, because of all the scholarships available to them; hundreds of students graduate from the Community College each year and the numbers keep increasing due to the Education Revolution! How can a man of the people vote no to something like this? Wake up people of Bequia and choose the future you want for your children.

The goal of our Prime Minister is to have a university graduate in each home in St Vincent and the Grenadines, along with many other goals. Do you not want your children to have this opportunity? They say Bequia is NDP all the way, but does the Bequia community see their representative other than when he is invited to speak at an event or when elections come around?

The Northern Grenadines is in need of a willing and present leader, someone who is there when needed, not someone who refuses to do the work because their party is not in power. Mr Speaker, will the gentleman from Northern Grenadines, Hon Dr Friday, please state if he is going to match the $10,000 contributed by the Hon Prime Minister towards the refurbishing of the pavilion at the Clive Tannis playing field? And if not, will the gentleman state his just reasons? The people of Bequia await his reply.

Bequia youth