By Yves Ephraim
I usually prefer to comment on principles rather than the utterances of politicians but this time I have to make an exception.
I recall my secondary school days when I would sometimes gaze outside during a class and completely miss the essence of what was taught that day. I also recall the poor grade I would get at the next class when the teacher would give a pop quiz. Of course, I failed miserably and that made me feel quite the dunce.
Today, I heard on the radio excerpts of an interview with the Minister of Public Works where reasons were given for not stepping down to give way to an independent investigation.
Two reasons I thought I heard the minister give were:
1. The idea of a $15M dollars scam was somehow concocted by the Opposition;
2. Anyone seeking answers has every right to request documentation through the Information Commissioner.
Hey guys, is this one of those times when I was gazing out of the class room window?
Was it not the Honourable Prime Minister who mentioned the $15M scam? And how can the Information Commissioner offer answers to anyone if there is no inquiry? Did the PM himself, not admit that he has not plumbed the full depth of this scandal? Where will the Commissioner get the information to give the public?
Am I just being a dunce again?
Can someone please give me the correct answers so that I have a better chance at passing the next pop quiz?
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Nice one Mr Yves Ephraim, I definitely like the cut of your jib 👏🏾
The double speak from Gaston Browne and he wife about the vehicle acquisitions procurement scandal just beggars belief.
That must mek the two ah we dunce then 🤣
@Yves Ephraim… “Am I just being a dunce again?” Since you asked the question, let me provide the uncomfortable truth. Yes, Yves, you are just being a dunce again. The reason is simple: the Information Commissioner is empowered under law to request information about government matters. There is NOTHING in the law which says that a Commission of Inquiry is a prerequisite for the Information Commissioner to request and/or provide information that is requested of his/her officer. So, on that point, you were clearly gazing out of class when the lesson was being taught.
Secondly, at no point did the PM ever say that there was a $15 Million scam; those are the words of the UPP. The problem here is that you, Yves, have been in the echo chamber for so long that you are having difficulty deciphering reality from the utterances of those who sent you. So, on that other point, you have been caught gazing out of the window instead of paying attention.
Bless your luck that you don’t have a headmaster like the great Teacher Sampson of the old Point School to blaze your behind for being inattentive during class!
Very good article Mr. Ephraim. One correction please- There is no Information Commissioner in Antigua. That just a title given to some idiot, who is collecting our tax dollars for doing nothing, to pretend to the international community that we are democratic country.
An information commissioner that operates under a state capture can ever request information from ALP and Gaston when all captured civil servants ,.police and judiciary and even the banks take instructions and supervision from ALP and Gaston?
The information commissioner would be surely losing their mind to go ask the boss questions.
And don’t get academic about this crap about creature of constitution which are just flourishing words.
Let us put this non issue to rest and get on with the business of building our nation which has many regional and international challenges.
Real patriot are we going to continue to move on with scandal after scandal in this little country, when will we ever address them?????You might be drinking the red wine also
@ Wash an’ Basin.
Assuming what you ascertain of the law is true.
What is the practice in Antigua and Barbuda before you call Mr. Epigram names?
In my experience with FOIL one makes a request and doling it’s not government proprietary information or a disclosure of person information
the information is provided to the party making the request for information.
I recall Raddy Hill saying that office is closed and unstaffed for the Government has not provided any founding.
So “ Wash an’ Basin” we know who Mr.Ephraim is we don’t know who you are, and may never know as you attempt to besmirch his character.
Until you step forward with your given name and address the issue of access to the office with your statement
“the Information Commissioner is empowered under law to request information about government matters”
You know very well it is a critical arm of Government created to provide information to expose graft and corruption and it’s not as a functioning.
To say it exist knowing very well it’s not functioning is the standard disingenuous utterance of Gaston’s puppies
@ Poor Antigua, @ the [Fake] Patriot sounds like someone who shys away from taking any responsibility in life.
His children – if he has any – would walk all over him, he probably does menial work that hasn’t any responsibility, and probably needs help in running the finances at home as well.
He sounds like a kowtowing simpleton!
That’s probably why he wants to move on from this serious matter of the vehicle acquisitions procurement scandal.
Is it any wonder in the past that when a financial trickster like Stanford came to Antigua, he almost bankrupt the country, and had many politicians tripping over themselves to accommodate him.
We Antiguans are already perceived around the globe as a “do nothing society” when it comes to failed financiers and pursuing transparency from our deceitful politicians.
WE NEED TO ADDRESS THIS MISCONCEPTION
Transparency from this government,yeah right.. 😂
I have given up hope of that long long time ago. I personally just want this scourge to go, before Antigua is destroyed and wouldn’t even be recognized as the Gem that it is 15 years from now.
This scourge has to go people, plain and simple. I will take a honest person any day, over a swingler, any day, and twice on Sundays.
This “Ponzi Scheme” got to be brought down.
We already have evidence as mentioned @Brix as to the massive damage these schemes can do to hard working citizens.
The scamming got to be stopped!!!
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