Dear Editor,
I wonder who else agrees with me that Gaston Browne should resign with immediate effect following this awful tragedy.
I do not expect any of his Cabinet colleagues to call for his resignation they don’t have the balls for that.
What a tragic and embarrassing series of events that Gaston’s decision to welcome direct flights from Africa has had on the image of Antigua and Barbuda.
The red flags were waiving in the winds when talk of Antigua Airways first surfaced. All right thinking Antiguans raised concern about it at the time.
We knew all too well that no wealthy Nigerians wanted to come to Antigua for vacation. Gaston knew this too.
The real reason behind those flights is a mystery that will soon come to light.
Antigua now has an international emergency on its hands. Gaston’s decision has threatened the security of not only Antigua and Barbuda but the entire region.
He must resign. His role in commencing these flights was hasty, reckless and negligent. I need not rehash the horrible details of when the air charter landed and the events to date.
My heart goes out to all those who lost loved ones in this tragedy. May their soul rest in peace.
Antiguan 4 Life
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ABSOLUTELY, HE HAS TO RESIGN NOW, BECAUSE HIS LEADERSHIP HAS NOW BECOME UNTENABLE …
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@ Brixtonian: Let’s hope that it is not the hostile & antoganistic behavior f UPP towards these Africans that made them not feel welcomed here and cause them to jump ship to migrate else. Remember, the blood & souls of these Africans who have their lives during this tragedy will be on UPP! IT IS VERY UNFORTUNATE THAT UPP DOES LIKE FOREIGNERS!!
Most of the African illegal migrants don’t read the local newspapers, watch the local news or immerse themselves in local politics. The UPP is not at fault at all. Most of the ABLP is not at fault. Whoever was behind “recruiting” the illegal migrants from their home country are culpable.
As the bible said dough fool.
Is there nothing that’s labor party and it followers take responsibility for.
It is obvious that Upp & its supporters are grasping at every straw they can find…. ( lmao)
Please do not make yourself a fool. Fools will eventually laugh after their folly!
Now did Gaston initiated this illegal trip?
Was it Gaston who navigated the boat out of Antigua?
Was it not Gaston who is making all preparations for the Africans to be legal & comfortable residents on island?
Obviously its the choice of the Africans who decided to take the risky chance?
Why fingers are not pointing at the captain of the boat?
32 persons along with luggage had to be to heavy for the boat.
@Bluddy Bloke: It was because of the Sham Antigua Airways the PM’s brain child why they are/were here in the first place. Whatever happens to them while in or fleeing Antigua falls squarely on the PM shoulders also. He acted in concert with the
Nigerians fraudsters at the outset. He must accept his part in this mess. Even if he was unaware of this latest escapade, he cannot be absolved from the part he played that led up to this. If he has any decency at all, he would accept his responsibility for the part he played. Antiguans are generous and forgiving people — But continuing to skirt around that issue makes him look like a degenerate.
You are not innocent Mr. PM; as humans we all make mistakes, own up to your part in this mess — it will allow the forgiveness and healing to begin.
I totally endorse everything you have said and will stand with you and call for the immediate resignation of the prime minister. He is nothing but a total embarassment to this our country.
If he doesn’t we the citizens of this country need to close this country down ASAP.
I agree wholeheartedly, Gaston is liability to Antigua and the entire Caribbean basin. I have made several assertions that he, the Governor General, the chief immigration officer and the employee at the Ministry of Argiculture should be removed from their position.
Indeed, we the people should stage peaceful demonstrations to affect the same. Gaston should not be allowed to remain in office to continue with causing embarrassment to our nation. He is a loose canon and lethally dangerous. He must be removed.
I endorse everything you’ve said about the PM resigning. No confidence
don’t think anything
Why you dont move RH.
Gaston tell them go on Boat?
I totally agree with you…these asses are just jealous of Mr. Browne. Every little thing is just so negative. Things happen all the time. It is not his fault. Such a tragedy.
It’s people like you @ Justice and I-Man that continually condones the Prime Minister’s behaviour, and you’ll do or say nothing until it personally effects you or your family – damn sheep🐑 all ah unna!!!
PUT YOUR COUNTRY FIRST FOR ONCE …
Move ya RH Brixtonian!!! Anybody tell dem dunce RH go pan one boat pan rough seas!!! Dem fully dunce Lanka ya RH!!!!
Touch a raw nerve @ .. I also note with interest that you’ve sent no condolences to the victims or their relatives in this terrible tragedy.
But then, why am I not surprised you bigger RH …
Oh wow. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the intellect of the Africans. I guess it’s not UPP alone hates them.
Prayers for the families. Time for Gaston to go! Can’t wait to hear how Gaston Browne spins this story to blame UPP. The UN Mission is right on time to look into this human trafficking fiasco.
Gaston brings nothing to the table but trouble.
TO THE WRITER OF THIS ARTICLE, I COULDN’T HAVE SAID IT BETTER, YOU TOOK THE WORDS OUT OF MY MOUTH.
AT FIRST GASTON SAID THEY WERE RICH AFRICAN MEN READY TO INVEST.
THEN GASTON SAID THEY WERE AFRICAN TOURISTS,
THEN GASTON CHANGE AGAIN AND SAY ANTIGUA AIRWAYS WILL LINK AFRICA TO THE CARIBBEAN AND THAT SAME AIRLINE WILL HAVE AN AGREEMENT TO WORK WITH LIAT,
THIS IS THE SAME GASTON BROWNE WHO IS NOW CALLING HIS OWN AGREEMENT “DEFUNCT AND OPPORTUNISTIC MIGRANTS”.
THOSE WERE HIS WORDS, NOT MINE.
ANYONE IN ANTIGUA WHO QUESTIONED GASTON BROWNE ABOUT THE AFRICANS HE WOULD DEMONISE THEM AND VERBALLY ABUSE THEM ON HIS RADIO STATION, HE SEEMS TO HAVE CONTEMPT AND A HATRED FOR ANTIGUA PEOPLE.
MY QUESTIONS TO HIM
GASTON BROWNE, WHERE IS YOUR BLACK CONSCIOUSNESS NOW?
GASTON BROWNE DO YOU STILL HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS?
GASTON BROWNE, ARE YOU AWARE THAT YOU NOW HAVE BLOOD ON YOUR HANDS?
PEOPLE OF ANTIGUA, THIS IS JUST THE FIRST CHAPTER OF GASTON BROWNE’S HUMAN TRAFFICKING SAGA, THE NEXT SHOE IS GOING TO FALL AND ANTIGUA WILL BE CAUGHT RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE
GASTON REALLY FULL OF SHXX AND NEED TO RESIGN IF HE HAVE ANY SHAME AND DECENCY.
this “author” is baseless, useless and pointless like the crappy letter they wrote! Resign for what? He got kickbacks from John Ashe?
I await the findings of the UNHR refugee council
“The UPP leadership including Baldwin Spencer had an obligation to ascertain from Dr John Ashe, the ultimate source of funding for the monies being donated …
Former Antigua –Barbuda Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer Linked To UN BRIBERY SCANDAL involving Ex Amabassador John Ashe
“Therefore, for the UPP to state it never knowingly accepted the donations as the proceeds of any crime, is tantamount to an acknowledgement of what is known as wilful blindness in anti-money laundering theory and practice. The UPP leadership including Baldwin Spencer had an obligation to ascertain from Dr John Ashe, the ultimate source of funding for the monies being donated as such monies would have been clearly over and above the income level of Dr John Ashe.”
Here’s another clown putting Gaston before country.
The Prime Minister now has BLOOD on his hands, and yet people like @ Hmmmmm, I-Man and Justice believe that Gaston Browne has no links in this tragedy whatsoever.
I NOW FULLY UNDERSTAND HOW THE PRIME MINISTER WAS RE-ELECTED BACK IN JANUARY.
I will continue to pray 🙏 for my beloved Antigua 🇦🇬
@Hmmmmm
Why don’t you launch an investigation and take the matter to court. You should resurrect Dr John Ashe as your prime witness. You people head not right, you can only dwell in the past but the present is above your pay grade.
Hmmmmmm Gaston Browne did not get kickbacks from John Ashe but he got from the Nigerian Marvelous Mike and millions from the Odebrecht bribe money. Tell him to have an enquiry into Odebrecht and the African human trafficking and not just the recent boat tragedy with the Africans off of St. Kitts.
One would have to have a conscience in order to do what you are asking…”will Gaston Brown resign?” , The answer is NO he will not.
After telling Antiguans the Africans were wealthy investors, then tourist, and finally refugees, the PM recently referred to them as “Opportunistic Migrants.” Why should any international organizations afford Antigua any financial assistance for “opportunistic migrants?” Legally, there are major differences between migrants and refugees. Sometimes, the truth comes out unintentionally. After such a comment, who could blame the Africans for trying to escape from ANU.
Why doesn’t the prime minister get on national TV and address the nation?
When is he going to do this?
When is the people of antigua realize that right is right and wrong is wrong.
Public inquiry now!!
Chief of staff…I’m so ashamed of you…
Your Government has no conscience..sad!!
Why doesn’t the pm address the nation concerning this mess!!
When is antigua going to realize that wrong is wrong no matter the party you support!!
We need a public inquiry now!!
Chief of staff you have no moral authority or conscience..
You will pay big time for your negligence, public inquiry now!!
Remember karma falls on the unjust..
Be forewarned!!
Condolence to the family of the deceased…
The Gaston haters are full of energy. Hope they can keep it up for another five years in the first instance and thereafter another five and so on.
I guess the UPP didn’t make the Cameroonians feel welcome here and therefore some decided to leave at any cost. Even though our government has tried to make them feel welcome and granted them special status. This is the result of the hostility from the UPP and their cronies towards these immigrants that are trying to flee the horror of death in their country.
Maybe people would be more welcoming if we had answers to these questions:
How did these Africans end up stranded here in the first place?
Can the agreement between Antigua Airways and the Government of Antigua be made public?
Why did Gaston Browne lie and tell us that these were wealthy tourist?
Who is the agent that took their money? Why didn’t the plane return to pick them up? Who promised these people a connecting flight to Suriname and charged them additional money upon arrival?
What are the circumstances for declaring this government entity defunct? What is the process?
What is the status of the CIP Passports?
Did UPP dupe the government as well?
FROM THE SIDELINE you need to find out from Gaston why the Cameroonians are here in the first place. He needs to answer questions about the genesis of Antigua Airways. An inquiry into this matter is absolutely necessary, but just like the Odebrecht scandal Gaston could never sanction any such inquiry. History will not absolve him. He will be found as guilty as hell.
@ From The Sideline
You are nothing but a bull-shitter for Gaston.
How pathetic are you- do you have a soul? Or even that Gaston has total control over.
“What a tragic and embarrassing series of events that Gaston’s decision to welcome direct flights from Africa has had on the image of Antigua and Barbuda.” says the article writer
Condolences to the family and friends of the deceased. They are all apart of us since as short shirt reminded (our Africa in the caribbean) most of us in A&B have a connection to Africa. I myself also have connections to Cameroon, since one of my brother in law’s hail from there. Re the writers quoted statement: I gather Mia Motley should also resign since she too is an advocate for direct flights from Africa:
“On September 1, during her keynote address at the launch of the first ever AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum (ACTIF) host Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados called for direct air links between the Caribbean and Africa saying the two regions “have business to do” and underscored the urgent need for connecting the Caribbean and Africa through airbridges )see Direct air linkages between Caribbean and Africa NEWSDAY REPORTER THURSDAY 8 SEPTEMBER 2022
Gaston keep leading, and ignore the haters. Africa is too important a continent to our region for us to not seriously engage
Tenman, it is not air linkages between the Caribbean and Africa, it is Gaston can’t helping himself from getting in bed with shady characters. One wonders what is the shakedown. Mia Mottley is no pretender and has the letters to back her. When she makes the linkage, it wii not be with no marvellous mike but with a reputable airline like Ethiopia Airways.
@DC where was your statement re shady characters made by the Antigua4Life? Suspect you well know much of what he/she wrote is not factual. Places in Africa eg Nigeria do have wealthy persons. Do you think it was an accident that the video for Davido’s song Assurance was filmed in Barbados where he and his wife vacationed? All one needs to do is use google as a research tool and you can find articles pointing to the importance of Caribbean islands to targeting that market. In addition to Barbados, the current PM of Jamaica and a former one (Patterson) are on the same page regarding the importance of direct airlinks between the Caribbean and Africa. Take a read of Caribbean eyes Africa for tourism growth, jamaicaobserver by Brittny Hutchinson.. “Holness added that an African-Caribbean tourism trade model would present a tremendous opportunity for both regions to achieve shared economic growth and development, create jobs, increase bilateral investment, and improve infrastructure.”
No condolences for the victims or the relatives @ From The Sideline – Now that’s real HATRED!
By the way, do you have any views on this awful and terrible tragedy?
I thought you were religious …
@ Sideline that is what you are JUST A SIDELINE.
@From The Sidelines: We knew y’all would try to find a way to blame the UPP for this fiasco, how pathetic! Whatever the PM did or wanted to do for these people was his responsibility to do. It’s because of him why they are/were here — they had never even heard of Antigua before. If the PM wanted to help people fleeing from death why didn’t he tell that to the nation from the outset? Why try and bamboozle the people of A&B about them? You are trying to humanize the PM who has shown he has absolutely no empathy — If he doesn’t give two shits about the indigent in the country he governs, you think you can fool us into believing he cares about poor Africans? How about they left after the PM called them “Opportunistic Migrants” or better yet, the ones that came in with fake passports tried to flee before the international investigation. You ought to be ashamed of yourself with the crap you’re writing on this thread; but people without conscience don’t feel shame. I’m willing to bet your pseudonym is one of many used by a certain high ranking politician who can’t stand criticism…. LMBO 🤣🤣🤣
look at that awful human being looking to score political points in the midst of human tragedy. Wonder if your real name is MJ? You post soemthing similar on Facebook, but remember YOU are the one with the case before the court, not the PM!
Deepest condolences to their families.
That boat man seem to be a LOVER OF MONEY! Greedy, selfish and no care about quantiy of people and baggage aboard the vessel.
It is shameful, though not surprising that ALP supporters would be bold to defend Gaston and his incompetent cabinet for the shame they have inflicted on Antigua.
The actions of the late John Ashe was deplorable, he went on and did the right thing…he departed from decent and civil society.
However, the corruption of Ashe cannot compared to the late Lester Bird and the Guyanese Renegade, the former High Commissioner to London.
Incidentally, when the Guyanese Renegade left office, some antique pictures of olden Antigua, disappeared and ALP failed to contact or to report the theft to Scotland Yard. I wondered why?
TENMAN would any conscious Black person be against forging closer links with Africa? Do you think the establishment of Antigua Airways by Gaston Browne and some Nigerian fraudsters made any sense? Yes, we are all supportive of transportation links with the Motherboard but not in the way your icon Gaston went about it. Only an inquiry will provide the answers to this scandalous African migration fiasco.
@Tabor- Nigerian fraudster connected to AA? When has the police in any country charged any of those persons with such? Guy this is not the John Ashe situation where the US prosecutors stated that Baldwin Spencer was involved in illegal activity. You recall the direct payments to his personal account and the diplomatic passports given? Others involved and charged have pleaded guilty and a few are now in prison
I am in full agreement with this article. Never mind the Labourites whose heads are up this guys behind. This idiot has endangered Antigua and Barbuda, the region and those in the US, Uk and Canada are watching this with interest.
Let’s be honest. There is nothing about Gaston Browne to make any rational thinking person jealous. What the hell has he done to merit such a post? Asot Michael, and he should know, has stated emphatically that this clown had nothing prior to 2014, and now he boast of being worth 300 million. Where did he get it from? He has not viable business to speak of.
The man is an embarrassment to Antigua and Barbuda and the region, and we would do well to be rid of him before it gets any worse.
Hes quick to say “investigate the boat captains because what he did was illegal.”but, i think an investigation is needed on his side as well because i cant understand how this whole deal with the airline really go….. we need answers… so start by sharing this deal u made with the airline
How could such a venture exclude the powerful Nigerian Government and an audience with then President Buhari? If you believe that there was credibility in the whole episode, then our PM is Jesus Christ!
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