Rev. Morris not participating in Independence celebrations
OUTSPOKEN cleric Charles Morris says he will not be participating in the 50th anniversary of Independence celebrations.
Delivering the featured address at the Barbados Labour Party’s 78th Annual Conference at the Lester Vaughan Secondary School on Friday night, Reverend Morris told the delegates that he has been “reliably informed” that the cel-ebrations have cost the economy $33 million instead of the $7 million previously stated.
“That $33 million could have paid for students’ education at UWI,” he told the party faithful in attendance.
Reverend Morris contended that the attainment of Independence back in 1966 was an “unnecessary sell-out”.
“Our Independence was granted to us at a time when Britain wanted to divest herself of her colonies. But what is more, there was nothing gained by us at Independence. The status quo remained intact. There was no land reform and it was business as usual.”
According to the Reverend, “I cannot celebrate because on examining the social and economic problems of Barbados today, we are worse off today, especially within the last eight years, than we were in 1966. We now have a plethora of waters saturating our country with still water, coupled with the non-collection of garbage exposing us to diseases, even the dreaded cholera.
“Even the standpipe days were better. Our health system has virtually collapsed and our economy is at its worst ever. Added to that there has been no national discussion on the way forward for Barbados, but we have been treated to a mishmash of celebrations which appeal to my emotions and not my intellect, and which continues to be used as a football to promote the interest of a broken party.
“We will celebrate for one whole year, but one day the fun will be over; the music will stop; the cast will take its final bow; the curtain will be drawn; the show will be over, and then we will return to face reality. We will realise our troubles have not gone away; we have ignored them for a year and now we face them all over again. We realise that our last state is worse than the first,” he said. (JH)
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