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Prime Minister Gaston Browne has revealed that the late hotelier Sir Rob Barrett, in his final moments, conveyed a message praising his leadership.
“Tell Prime Minister Browne that he is an extraordinary leader and that he is taking the country in the right direction,” Mr Browne said, recalling the words shared with him by a trustee of Barrett’s estate.
Speaking on The Browne and Browne Show on Pointe FM, the Prime Minister described the message as “one of the most appreciated compliments” he has received in his political career.
“When a man on his deathbed, a very wealthy man who doesn’t have to impress, is going out and has nothing to lose, and he extends such a compliment… it speaks to the genuineness of the thought,” Mr Browne said.
Sir Rob Barrett, a longstanding investor in Antigua and Barbuda’s tourism sector, was one of the country’s largest private employers, with a portfolio of hotels that played a critical role in the hospitality industry.
“His businesses would have resulted in the bulk of the air travel into the country, the bulk of employment as well,” Mr Browne said. “I would imagine within the various hotels, Rob probably would have had at least maybe a couple thousand people working for him.”
He described Barrett as a man who “lived and breathed tourism,” noting that his investments extended beyond Antigua to other parts of the Caribbean.
“He was the single most successful entrepreneur who relied on accumulated capital from early ventures to finance succeeding hotel and hospitality projects,” Mr Browne said, adding that the government had previously recognised Barrett’s contributions by conferring one of the nation’s highest honours upon him.
The Prime Minister expressed hope that Barrett’s estate would continue his legacy, ensuring that his properties remain integral to Antigua and Barbuda’s tourism industry.
“The last thing we want is for them to sell off all of his holdings and for the businesses to become dissipated,” he said. “His hotels have been at the core of our tourism product for a very long time.”
Barrett, who migrated to the Caribbean decades ago, was a naturalised citizen of Antigua and Barbuda. Mr Browne noted that he continually reinvested in the country rather than seeking opportunities elsewhere.
“For many, he may have been seen as an expatriate, but I saw him as one of us,” he said.
An official memorial service will be held in Antigua to honour Barrett’s life and contributions, though the details have yet to be announced.
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This trio is one of the most diabolical that has ever hit Antigua. The question is, will it expire before they finish us off.
Those two must have been really close for him to be thinking of him on his death bed
It’s not every day you hear such words of praise, especially on someone’s deathbed. PM Browne must feel proud to have earned Sir Rob’s respect.
I better that Browne feels like his sitting on a throne right now …. LMAO
HONESTLY, Am i the only one who thinks that the only reason why Sir said that is because he and Browne were good business partners. I personally dont agree with his compliment….
You are a trustee of Sir Barrett. He is giving such a ringing endorsement of Gaston Browne’s stewardship and you are not happy to recall your identiny. Satan has a nice room in his apartment for all associated with this news portal. He has special bread for the narcissistic Gaston. If he wanted you to keep his final words a secret why did he tell you. Who is that trusted person who was at Barrett’s dying bedside? Could it be Sir Robin Yearwood taking instructions on how to follow Barrett? If it was Sor Robin he would not have remembered that message. In fact that message was NEVER SENT.
I think Sir Rob’s praise for PM Browne speaks volumes about the kind of leader he was. It’s good to see that respect being passed on to the next generation of leadership.
WAW… It’s inspiring to hear that Sir Rob Barrett left those words of praise for PM Browne. It’s a reminder that great leaders always leave a positive mark on the people around them.
Did he really say that? asking for myself
Yes, the Hospitality sector has been very heavily invested in by the likes of the late Robert Barrett (RIP sir 🙏🏽) and his ilk who continue to lobþy our government in this particular sector.
However, wouldn’t it good if other sectors like Manufacturing & Engineering; Agriculture; Construction, or even in Information and Technology were given the same input by this government?
Antiguans have already witnessed the utter chaos when the country was in lock-down, and we were too over reliant on the Hospitality sector that laid off/or suspended many workers at that time.
Being praised is all well and good for our Prime Minister in his efforts towards “servile” nature of Hospitality, but the other aforementioned sectors also requires the same – if not more – attention!
Think outside the box more Gaston, Antiguans are a lotvMORE than Hospitality workers l …
Who on this planet wouldn’t muster the energy, even on his deathbed, to endorse someone who allowed him to grab hundreds of acres of beachfront lands and repatriate scores of persons from Asia to marginalize the locals? I don’t think that he has ever met a more docile bunch.
You see lie???? That is lie!!!
Distasteful & unnecessary over-sharing, even if Sir Robert said these words.