LETTER: Maurice Merchant will be my campaign issue

5

Dear Editor,

I have three children at university. After putting up my home to send the first two abroad I decided to apply to the Prime Minister’s Scholarship committee for assistance for the third.

It has been a nightmare for me and my son. The one-man scholarship committee that is Maurice Merchant has failed to communicate with us in good faith or at all.

When he has communicated through intermediaries, his statements have been far from the truth and in some cases downright rude.

It would appear that the Prime Minister Scholarship programme has been a failure, they apparently oversubscribed it just to say that they have given more scholarship than the UPP, but now they cannot pay.

My son at Cavehill and dozens of students around the world but mainly at UWI, are facing being evicted from their halls of residence and being deregistered from the university.

A full school year is almost over and Gaston Browne and his boss Maurice Merchant cannot tell the worried students and parents about the status of outstanding monies. Some Antiguans won’t be able to write their exams and some will be kicked out of school.

This is not the Antigua I have known. We were always number one but now we have been reduced to beggars and welfare cases.

But I know that in our small communities, one vote can make a difference and all the parents who are here will send a message to Maurice Merchant.

 

Advertise with the mоѕt vіѕіtеd nеwѕ ѕіtе іn Antigua!
We offer fully customizable and flexible digital marketing packages.
Contact us at [email protected]

5 COMMENTS

  1. As a parent of a student who is also a beneficiary of the Prime Minister’s scholarship program, I will agree that the communication between Mr. Merchant’s office and the students / parents may not be the best…… However, in spite of the fact that the monies received are of great help, we, as parents have a responsibility to ensure that our children who are overseas are financially supported by us also. Let’s remember one hand cant clap!! Hence, when the govt drop short we the parents should be able to assist our children accordingly….. I can certainly testify that the monies are sometimes late in coming but it will be definitely be delivered.

    • But if you can afford to support them financially why apply for a scholarship??? Makes no sense what you are saying.

      • You know how we Antiguans are….. Sorry to say we are people with false pride….. We usually resort to that notion of Why buy the milk when u can get free ? Example the school uniform program…. Many of us can afford to purchase uniforms for our children but yet still rush to get uniforms for free……

Comments are closed.