ABLP has mastered the art of self enrichment — Shawn Nicholas

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46 COMMENTS

  2. Kettle calling the pot black as if UPP any better. All of you just want to get rich quick. Y’all don’t give two f##$ about Antigua and Barbuda.

  3. Wait! Hold up! Shawn tillah go?? After the party rendered her useless and unworthy of being a candidate (unlike Sherfield Bowen), she still have the heart to appear on platform with them??? 😲 When your party can choose a drunkard and convicted life-taker over you, then it tells you how much they value you.

    • She nah shame. After them bad play she for that MAN she have the heart to go on their platform and then they have the nerve to talk about abuse women.

  4. SHAWN does NOT have any shame. Poor TING. UPP kicked Her to the curb. She is still around.

  6. Seems as if Shawn is the one being POLITICALLY ABUSED by her own party. If only she had a modicum of backbone like Joanne Massiah, to recognize her worth and walk away from toxicity. Shawn is being emotionally and mentally and POLITICALLY abused by the UPP.

  11. Maybe Shawn Nicholas doesn’t know or understand the meaning of the term self-enrichment. Please look up the dictionary for your own edification. I wish more people start practicing that. But some people want to get rich by getting handouts or robbing from someone else.
    I have enriched myself and my family, by working very hard and investing my monies. I have lost some along the way, but fortunately won more than I lost. The PM has on numerous occasions called on the nation to get creative and create wealth for themselves and that of their family. Antigua as we can see, the wealth is concentrated amongst the Caucasians coming from the USA, Canada or Europe, the Lebanese, and Syrians. The African descendants of Antiguans only control the political power. But anyone knows that who controls the money/economy controls the country. Cause in the end of it all, money talks and everything else walks. The UPP has always made it seem as if enriching oneself is one of the biggest crimes. And have link this to corruption. On that basis they won the 2004 election and were tasked to bring all the Labour Party corruption to light. In the ten years that they were in office not one Labour Party official was convicted of corruption. Much talk about it, but no proof. They are seeing to be going down this very same road again. But again, without any proof. When you look at retired ABLP politicians, I cannot call anyone, safe from Sir Robin Yearwood, that is a rich man/woman. Was it not for government assistants’ people like Sir Lester Bird and Sir John St. Luce would be struggling to make ends meet after tens of years having served the country. This is why the PM Gaston Browne is calling on his team to be creative while in office and set aside monies for their old age. And this call the UPP is taking and making a political football off. But the very same UPP politician like Winston Williams who after his party lost the election had to go beg Gaston for a job in order to make ends meet. Gaston before and during being a public official has demonstrated the ability to enrich himself. And not by stealing, but by being creative in business. And with that brain he is now able to run Antigua and Barbuda, and that is why he is acknowledged even outside our borders, and economists are studying him and inviting him as featured speaker on several economic forums. Attributed to him is the term, “Entrepreneurial Socialism”. Were state resources are used to build wealth for the state. We have seen that with the purchase of WIOC and the creation of NAMCO. Many States Assets are placed in this State-Owned Company. it is sad that getting rich or creating wealth is being made a dirty word. And like the PM I really wish my Afro Antiguan and Barbudan country men/women would start having a more positive look at live in the sense of creating wealth for the next generation of their families. Some have tried and failed. Just to mention some local black families that used to be high on the economic ladder, The Benjamin’s with Benjies Business Centre, the Winter’s with Food City, The Joseph’s with Bargain Centre, Monroe Spencer with Spencer Heavy Equipment, The Martin’s, that story is still unfolding. Willy D and his siblings. We should stop the envy of each other and support one another more.

    • Stop your lies. Lester Bird isn’t poor. You would know this if you were truly his friend. Have a chat with his daughter who is said to control all his assets.
      @Sideline
      How are Antiguans going to find money to invest when most work for government and make about $2000 per month?
      If you are rich, it is because you kiss up to politicians to get some of the crumbs from the table. Just look at all your posts? You never criticize Gaston, the hand that feeds you. Who does well in Antigua? Mostly Labour ass kissers.
      People are too busy trying to survive to have time to be envious of others.

      • I guess you cannot count when you say most. If you say most of the government workers fall in the wage range of $2000 I would agree.
        And regarding Lester’s wealth perhaps you can proof it. Was it not for the fact that he was made a National Hero like Sir Viv all his medical bills would have made him go to the poor house. Remember you guys also claimed Papa Bird had lots of money from years of corruption and that also proved to be false. I note you didn’t challenge that of Sir John St. Luce.

    • The problem with Gaston is he thinks he is smarter than every one else. Why is it that his and his families wealth creation involve crown assets? His farm, the radio station that his wife is a shareholder of and probably getting dividends. The property was acquired with public money. Even south mall have APUA as tenant. These are just some of the obvious ones. What about all the others where corporations and trust are used as front?

  12. FROM THE SIDELINE are you the authority on words and their meaning? Yes, everyone should try to improve their status in life through education and gainful employment and investments. However, when the term self-enrichment is used, particularly in reference to politicians, we are not talking about making money from honest and legal employment and investments. What is invariably implied with politicians is that they use the resources of State to unlawfully enrich themselves. FROM THE SIDELINE if you want a perfect example look at the situation with the SHARE Charity where Maria Browne bought property worth thousands of dollars from the government for one hundred thousand. She then turns around and used the property bought to benefit her husband and they are bought Ministers of government. Gaston Browne can spin and rationalize this issue all he wants. In other countries he and his wife would be investigated and perhaps end up in the same jail. I always give the example of Trump considering holding a G7 meeting at his property in Florida. I am sure you can recall the uproar that this caused. Just think for a moment that the SHARE shenanigans is a million time worse than what TRUMP was contemplating. Only in ANTIGUA corruption by politicians is accepted as normal and do not cause public alarm.

    • Why not proof that government property was bought below the normal rate. Just like the UPP tried to accuse Gaston Browne when they won the election in 2004 of misbehavior in public office when he purchased land in Falmouth. The AG took him to court and lost that case. you want to try that again?

  14. this just shows you what a lousy lawyer you are. The meaning of words is decided by the dictionary and not what you want to use it for. you cannot give any other meaning to a word. Otherwise, why would I say good morning to someone when I could say kiss my ass. Hope you get the drift. That is why when the PM called some of the Barbudan “deracinated imbeciles”, the went ranting and raving not understanding what the meaning was. He probably should have just called them stupid.
    Then you about SHARE purchasing a property worth Millions and in the same sentence you said they paid for it one hundred thousand. Well, I thought one hundred thousand is worth “hundred” thousands. Therefore, what is your beef. Worth Thousands of dollars. You never state how many thousands the property was worth. You are so eager to show corruption, but you have no proof. Go do your homework and then you can speak to the issue.

  16. FROM THE SIDELINE your ramblings to justify the misdeeds of Gaston Browne are always so amusing. I said the property SHARE bought cost thousands (in fact about $1.2 million) and Maria Browne paid one hundred thousand dollars ( 30 thousand for the building and 70 thousand for the land). The fact that the property is worth millions as you rightly said (and that was not a Freudian slip), shows how outrageous the whole affair was. No amount of spinning by you and Gaston can change that. In a country where good governance is adhered to Maria and Gaston would be investigated and perhaps would both be jailed. For your information the meaning of words is not decided by a dictionary. The meaning of words are recorded by a dictionary, but those meanings are derived from the convention of usage and social
    acceptance over time. Perhaps you need a course in etymology, lexicology or philology. After that course you would be better off with the use of words and be in a better position to advise on same.

    • “FROM THE SIDELINE if you want a perfect example look at the situation with the SHARE Charity where Maria Browne bought property worth thousands of dollars from the government for one hundred thousand.”
      The above is exactly what you wrote. You must have gone senile.
      Who valuated the property $1.2 Million?
      You are just making up figures.

  17. @CHARLESWORTH TABOR

    I have been following Tabor on this medium and Tabor I can say that you hate the HON. Gaston Browne. Tabor why don’t you try to accumulate your own wealth and stop the hatred towards Hon. Gaston Browne. I am fed up of your STUPIDITY TABOR. STOP IT.

    • FROM THE SIDELINE is that you now commenting as SAM. Why is it when Gaston Browne is challenged for his failed policies or using the State’s resources to enrich himself, his family and cronies all you guys can counter with is that his critics are jealous, envious or hate Gaston Browne. You guys need to wake up and get a life.

  18. FROM THE SIDELINE you mentioned the issue of the purchase of land by Gaston in the National Park at English Harbour and the subsequent case that was brought against him for misfeasance in public office which he won. I would not have brought a case against him since it was a legal purchase and a system was in place where Parliamentarians were allowed to buy Crown land at a concessionary rate. Now, please read carefully and follow my argument. Let us assume that Gaston bought an acre of land from the government in the National Park for $75,000. He later subdivided the acre into 4 quarter acre parcels. Gaston then sold a quarter acre parcel for an astronomical amount that was far in excess of the $75,000 that he paid for the entire acre. Now FROM THE SIDELINE that is also an example of self enrichment. And by the way, if I were the government I would not be selling land in the National Park or lands that are sold in the National Park should have some serious covenants attached to the sale. That is just another example of how Gaston was able to benefit from the State’s resources. Stop being and idiot and see the light irrespective of your political persuasion.

    • You are accusing a person from being smart. He should not buy government land and sell it for more money. Are you serious? Isn’t that what everyone is doing. A good investor buys things at a cheap price and sells it at a higher price. I mean this is just pure envy on your part. Government is selling land to anyone now at the most $5.00 per square foot. Anyone that want to speculate in land can buy up government lands and sell it at $10 or more per square foot to whomever want to buy it. You really envy the man for being smart. You think Gaston was the only one that is doing this. The ALP government under Lester Bird sold lots of beach front land to locals. I was invites by my friend Lawyer Cyril Maundy to participate in the Willoughby Bay project. They got twenty-five acres of land for EC$300,000.00. And I know of many others like Jeff Hadeed who bought lands in English Harbour. These lands were sold for development. Many are still holding on to the lands not having the cash to develop the lands. When a politician takes up the offer you guys complain, as if politicians cannot do anything to make money. They should remain poor for the rest of their lives. That is for you a good politician. Sorry the private sector doesn’t sell land that cheap. Go try buying land from Wills Martin. Government set the land price, and everyone is eligible even the politician.

      • FROM THE SIDELINE if getting government land at peppercorn price (because you are in government) and then you flip it for astronomical profits is being smart then I will never be as smart as your financial hero Gaston. Irrespective of which politician does it, it is wrong. Politicians should not be taking Crown land to speculate and engage in creative self enrichment. If that is your criterion for being smart, then Gaston is one of the smartest politicians in the world as the deal with SHARE and his wife shows. You need to stop trying your darndest to justify the unjustifiable.

        • Tabor, why you always must try and twist things. No one is getting preferential treatment; the policy is there for everyone, and many have used that policy that is why you lost the case against Gaston in the first place. Even the former PM Baldwin made use of the very same policy. Stop your lying and spinning for once. Government doesn’t sign a contract with no one that says you may not speculate with lands that you bought from the government. Just look at the deal you guys had signed with BauPanel. They were given so many acres of crown land to go and develop for free. Not a dime was paid. And all they did was go and speculate with government lands. Down at Friars Bay the government had to repurchase back the land which you gave away to a so-called investor without him paying a dime. Yet he demanded US One million dollar from the government to give back the land. The Heat Family was given many acres of land at Fort James for a phony exchange of debt, and when the government was seeking to buy it back their price increased to 40 million dollars. So, it seems like you have an issue with Gaston Browne, and it is only not right when he does it. But anyone else can take up government land and go speculate with it. Even foreigners who come here without money and pretending to be big investors. I think you guys were very dotish and gullible to have fallen for these crooks. Just like how you guys fell for the Chinese Crooks that sold you a power plant that never worked. Dunce set of people

        • ERIC ( THE RED ) July 16, 2021 At 9:38 pm

          @ SHAWN NICHOLAS

          Just heard Someone read a Court judgement against You Shawn NICHOLAS. I also went on the Social Media just to prove that it was correct and I found the court judgement on Social Media. I did NOT know that you were that type Person. UPP should stop mention the word “ABUSED”. The word ABUSED spelt UPP and Their Candidates . Bunch of HYPOCRITES….Who is GLEN WEEKES ??????
          Charlesworth Tabor and DESRT THORN ROSE….Any comment ???? Stop Hiding.

          Reply
          LEAVE A REPLY

  19. @ CHARLESWORTH TABOR

    Why are you mixing my comment with ” FROM THE SIDELINE “…I am not hiding. My name is Sam from St.John’s Rural East . Hon. Maria Browne all the way.

  20. FROM THE SIDELINE you just write a lot of long crap and believe you are making sense. I am not talking about preferential treatment. What the Ministers get is what they get and that applies to Ministers of any political party. Let me repeat my position to you again since your head seems to be a little hard. If I were the government, regarding that policy that now exists where Parliamentarians can buy government land at a rate concessionary, I would attach serious restrictive covenants to the policy so that the creative flipping of the land for self enrichment as Gaston did would stop. Whether local or foreign, the use of Crown land for enrichment should stop. Despite all you have said, our short history will show that it is the ALP that has mastered the use of our lands for self enrichment.

    • If you can proof that please do. Cause I have showed you more than one example where the UPP gave their cronies lots of land like the Heat family and the phony investors. I have also mentioned to you Lester Bird’s policy in which locals were given large chunks of land for development. One such is Willoughby Bay Beach Front Land. And that of Jeff Hadeed. You now name he labour party officials that enriched themselves with government lands.

      • FROM THE SIDELINE as I have said before you just keep writing all sorts of crap and never focus on the issue. Firstly, what land was given to Heath. I suspect you are talking about Dr. Lake and that land was given to him for monies owed to him by government. Secondly, is government selling lands to locals for development such as the land at Willoughby Bay to Wyre, Maundy and Dr. Alvin Edwards an issue. These are just two examples of how you bring irrelevant matters into a discussion that makes no sense. It only makes your comments longer, more difficult to understand and more ridiculous. The government does now stipulate how lands sold to politicians at concessionary rate should be dealt with.The question is should government now do that to prevent the speculation and creative enrichment that we have seen in the past by politicians flipping Crown lands. The Gaston Browne example of flipping lands in the English Harbour National Park is a case in point. My question to you though, should curbs be put on that policy irrespective of the Party in power. Focus your mind on the issue and stop writing a lot of crap for writing sake. By the way the Wyre, Maundy and Dr. Edwards matter is before the court since Wyre’s estate through his son Elvis Wyre is challenging the shareholding distribution in the Willoughby Bay project. I am involved in the case so please don’t respond by telling me anything about that. I wonder why you did not take up Cyril Maundy’s offer to become an investor in the project since you are such a financial wizard like your idol Gaston. You had no money or you just talk and have no interest in investing in your native land.

        • That for the correction. It was Lake.
          If I have taken up Cyril’s offer, I would have lost my money and would be embroiled in the same situation. And I did review the feasibility study done by Dr. Henry and thought it was not something feasible. Look how beautifully South Point has been developed. Since the introduction of the CIP, they could gave brought in the financing through the investment option. My philosophy is “it’s better to own 10% of 100 million than 100% of nothing. God knows I assisted them with bringing investors to the table.

  21. @ SHAWN NICHOLAS

    Just heard Someone read a Court judgement against You Shawn NICHOLAS. I also went on the Social Media just to prove that it was correct and I found the court judgement on Social Media. I did NOT know that you were that type Person. UPP should stop mention the word “ABUSED”. The word ABUSED spelt UPP and Their Candidates . Bunch of HYPOCRITES….Who is GLEN WEEKES ??????
    Charlesworth Tabor and DESRT THORN ROSE….Any comment ???? Stop Hiding.

  22. Tabor seems as if you finally silence From The Sideline. I am waiting for him to come back with a reply to your last comment but nutten.

    • I have no respond to someone that has a screwed view of what he believes should be right and what should be wrong. Tabor has said his peace and so have I. What more do you want? I will not ever be able to change his view. That is why he is such a terrible lawyer. Look at the legal advises he has given to Lovell. The man now looks like a fool. Twice he threatens so sue. Once he threatened Donna and then he threatened the PM and Point FM. To date nothing. Nada. Pringle just made himself looks like a big fool in parliament when he debated a small amendment Defends Bill. And Pringle said he got advice from a lawyer. You could not even laugh about it. Just sad to see that level of stupidity displayed in our parliament. And I would bet you the lawyer that gave Pringle advise was Tabor. I have asked him about that, but he never answered. If it wasn’t him why not deny it publicly. Listen what I have noticed with some people, as far as they are concerned politicians should never ever make money while they are in office. Not only from government but even privately. Cause they will be competing with the private sector. They claim for years Papa Bird must be a millionaire because of the many allegations of corruption. When the man died it turned out the man was as good as poor. You think any of them would have the decency to apologize for all what they said in the past of this man. And the same they are doing now. Making accusations and not backing it up with any scintilla of evidence. My friend Johnny St. Luce is living from pension check to pension check. Lester Bird is being taken care of by the state, because of his status as National Hero. Gaston Browne has seen all of that and is warning his colleagues not just site and do nothing, but to invest and use creative means to enrich themselves. And that language they do not understand and link it to Gaston Browne openly calling for his ministers to be corrupt. The English Language is a funny thing. There is no other PM in our history that has been calling us the people to be creative and be entrepreneurs. No matter how small. And he has put things in place for that to happen. But people think they can get up and get free money from government. Like it is some entitlement. Tabor has a personal resentment for the PM and will never see anything good in what he does. But that is his problem. i know envy and jealousy are worse than witchcraft.

  23. FROM THE SIDELINE by saying you have your view and I have mine is a cop out. You just could not counter my argument about politicians using Crown land for creative self enrichment. Sorry to disappoint you but I am neither Harold or Pringle’s legal advisor. Sorry to disappoint you again but if you call your comrade Donna Chaia she might surprise you with certain news. Please give her a call. As I have said over and over again you just say and write whatever nonsense comes to your head. Moreover, you believe that quantity and endless ramblings amount to quality and truth. You are like students I have known that write the longest essays and term papers but end up getting zero. Like you they just engage in writing rubbish.

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