The Ralph Gonsalves government will bring to Parliament a bill to ensure that annually, the 10 best performers at the post-secondary level be awarded scholarships named in honour of nine dead politicians and educators.
The nine will be in addition to the Prime Minister’s Scholarship, which will top the list, acting Cabinet Secretary, Angie Williams-Jackson said in a press statement on Wednesday.
The other scholarships are named in honour of:
Robert Milton Cato — the first prime minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and for whom the main hospital, located in Kingstown, was renamed over a decade ago.
George Augustus McIntosh — whose St. Vincent Representative Government Association held the majority of seats in parliament from 1937 until universal adult suffrage in 1951 and who championed the cause of the nation’s poor.
Ebenezer Theodore Joshua — the first chief minister of SVG, and for whom the decommissioned airport at Arnos Vale was named.
Dr. JP Eustace — who founded the Emmanuel High School, Kingstown, which was renamed in his honour;
Sir Vincent Beache — a former opposition leader and leader of the St. Vincent Labour Party and the Unity Labour Party, which Gonsalves now heads. Sir Vincent, who served as a Minister of Agriculture in the 1970s and 1980s and as Minister of National Security from March 2001 to December 2010, died on Aug. 5, aged 87.
Norma Keizer — a career educator, who ended her career as principal of the Girls High School. In April 2015, the board of directors of Interactive Media Ltd., owners of Searchlight which Keizer edited for years after her retirement, established the Norma Keizer Scholarship Foundation Inc., a non-profit organisation based in SVG, which awards academic scholarships.
Bertram “Timmy” Richards — who, for many years, was principal of the Intermediate High School (IHS), which is still referred to as “Timmy”. In 2012, the Board of Governors of IHS announced the establishment of the Bertram “Timmy” Richards Memorial Scholarship Fund
Yvonne Francis-Gibson — a former educator who was among teachers who were tear-gassed and arrested by the Labour government in 1975 as they protested to press for better working conditions and other issues related to their profession. Francis-Gibson was also a politician and represented West St. George in Parliament under the New Democratic Party administration.
Alban “Decent” Renwick Henry — a lifelong, popular educator within the Vincentian and Caribbean communities in SVG and in the UK. Henry was also well-known in SVG as a local pioneer in promoting awareness in the treatment of kidney disease, having brought a dialysis machine to SVG primarily to treat a condition with which he suffered for many years before his death in the UK on March 19.
The acting cabinet secretary’s statement announced that the Cabinet approved 48 national scholarships, national exhibitions, a special award, and bursaries to students who sat the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination and associate degree examinations in 2019.
“The Cabinet further decided that a bill will be presented to Parliament to ensure that the top 10 scholars will be awarded scholarships/exhibitions annually in the names of the distinguished persons who are listed above; so, too, the John Horne Memorial Scholarship,” Williams-Jackson said.
“The Cabinet considers these deceased persons worthy of the continuing memorials. The Prime Minister’s Award will continue to top the list. Of course, it is open to Cabinet to award other memorial scholarships as the circumstances demand or admit,” the statement added.
The government always bringing laws which aren’t really impacting the lives of the common man/woman in Vincy..the mini bus drivers in Vincy are the most lawless in the entire Caribbean..it’s a disaster waiting to happen .What’s being done to safeguard the well being of all the road users in Vincy because of the carelessness of these drivers?
So many laws and road users go through hell in Vincy day in and day out.That’s more important that giving scholarships in the name of prominent Vincies.
So happy to see Decent Henry’s name on this list.
Bunch of Crap. They have no time for important things that need bills but to ensure that reverence continues to be paid to them, even after sucking the life out of the people. Have no problems with educators and it should be all educators. WHY POLITICIANS?
“The evil that men do lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones.” William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar.
Today we learn of the death of Robert Mugabe, “The Zimbabwean independence icon turned authoritarian leader” confirming the undeniable fact, that all men dies! No matter what we do, there is a thing that we cannot do, and that for sure, is to deny death’s authority, when death comes a knocking, to arrest one.
Many now say that the tyrant is dead for sure but others now also say that his successor, known locally as “the crocodile” is no better at all, he coming from the same stable as the dead tyrannical dictator. And here are many views of the man. Would he have Scholarships or schools, airports, bridges and parks named after him?
Some thought on the ways and life of the Man!
“Robert Mugabe: From liberator to tyrant”. From hero to zero!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-27519044
Zimbabweans react to the death of Robert Mugabe. The Zimbabwean independence icon turned authoritarian leader, has died aged 95. Mr Mugabe had been receiving treatment in a hospital in Singapore since April. He was ousted in a military coup in 2017 after 37 years in power.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-49604152
“Mixed reactions in Zimbabwe to ex-President Mugabe’s death. Many Zimbabweans call Mugabe an autocrat and divisive while others remember him for anti-colonial liberation struggle”.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/09/mixed-reactions-zimbabwe-president-mugabe-death-190906102229071.html
“’Only God will remove me’: How Robert Mugabe massacred his opponents and rigged elections to cling to power for 37 years and leave Africa’s former breadbasket in poverty”
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7434315/How-Robert-Mugabes-rule-Zimbabwe-dominated-murder.html
“Zimbabweans blast Robert Mugabe for ruining the country as the former president dies aged 95 and criticise him for seeking medical care in Singapore ‘because he never built a good hospital when he was in power’”
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7435011/Zimbabweans-blast-Robert-Mugabe-ruining-country-dies-aged-95.html
“Will ‘Gucci’ Grace Mugabe now be prosecuted? Dictator’s widow faces arrest for stealing Zimbabwe’s wealth and sharing it with her playboy sons after the death of her husband and protector”
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7434493/Grace-Mugabe-face-prosecution-stealing-Zimbabwes-wealth.html
“The Mugabes’ $1BILLION property empire: How ex-President and his wife gathered assets including 25-bedroom mansion in Harare, Hong Kong villa and stolen farms while Zimbabweans starved”
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7434753/Robert-Grace-Mugabes-1BILLION-property-empire.html
What has the Gonsalves family ever done for any cause anywhere?
Even when the 1979 eruption took place their name never appeared anywhere as subscribers to repair funds or anything else. Those that did are well documented, every last person who gave is listed.
Other names
Names are givenf special relationship to task and not for Political Expediency (Not for Electioneering).
There men and in SVG whose contributions to Education, health and Social Development of our SVG in last in our memories, but I will refresh your mind to these people who should be honored and Scholarship in their names.
JOHN HORNE. T greatest Minister of Education this every had and all cultural development to SVG.
DR GUN MONROE. People’s doctor, man sail all over SVG, and any condition to save life
Lawyers RADIX, and Danny Williams,
Poor people lawyers, men who will stand up and Represents people who did not have money ( (Kudo for Lawyer Marks, who is following in that league)
Levi Latham. The people’s Representative
The man who give off his shirt for his people in hay days of bananas.
E.T Woods
Herman Young
Mr Williams,: Sanitary Inspector from Calliaqua
Principal Teacher Nurse SVG/Barbados
Headmaster C Lewis: From Belair who taught and run the Calliaqua Anglican for Year and did produced a lot of scholars in the different disciplines, and not like the amount of failures we are having today in Education Revolution age in Calliaqua.
Lawyer Hughes. One of the greatest House Speaker who sat in the chair of House of Representative. He was honorable, impartial, no bias or political leaning in ruling. We all knows his affiliation. Jomo please study your predecessor and have you may learn few things going forward and enough respect will come back to you ,when last did you hear the name Hendricks Alexander mention?.
The names should be consider too and not Polical names only, for when history is written and dust is clear, what contributions did Vincent Beach make to SVG, other than turning over Labour Party to an arch enemy of the Late Milton Cato.
Called pay back time, which he cleaverly killed and have all the Labour Party executive in his wing in jobs, onboard, or given jobs in regals matters, it called control of mind and belly.
My two cents
Sime. of these politicians has no integrity or moral. and almost dont care one thing about God Jehovah or his laws and his words they are bold face thief and liars some will go as far to commit muder to stay in power and more. To have a scholarship Name after the abuser of the poor and the Godless SYSTEM they Plage to up hold. is not a Good thing.
I’m a bit confused about one scholarship. Alban Henry and Decent Henry are two different individuals. In whose honor is this particular scholarship given?