In an apparent attempt to discredit the allegations of migrant trafficking that surround the hundreds of West Africans stranded here, Prime Minister Gaston Browne says Antigua and Barbuda is seeking to do more business with the African continent, including people-to-people exchanges.
While presenting the Appropriations Bill, 2023, in Parliament on Thursday, March 2, Browne spoke about forging a relationship with the African Export Import (Afrexim) Bank, saying this country has an exciting opportunity to forge a meaningful partnership with the bank.
A cooperation agreement with the financial institution is to be executed; and this, according to the prime minister, will provide the region the opportunity to access US$1.5 billion in funding for development.
The Cabinet and representatives of the Afrexim Bank recently held discussions, during which several projects were considered for implementation.
Browne says his administration will leverage this new affiliation to explore support for infrastructure development, investment in tourism, establishment of an agro-industrial park, and the re-capitalisation of LIAT.
However, glossing over the reality of the stranded Africans and the calls for a public inquiry, Browne says now is the time for Africans, and he scoffs at allegations that the offence of human trafficking has taken place.
However, in several radio interviews, even the West Africans, themselves, have admitted that they expected Antigua and Barbuda to be merely their transshipment point to other destinations, such as North and South America.
Many have shared their desire to leave this country, but are unable to do so because of restrictions on their travel, while others have been turned back by neighbouring islands.
Meanwhile, the Cabinet announced on Thursday, March 2, that a preliminary report on the West Africans who have been here since December has been compiled.
According to the previous day’s Cabinet Notes, “the Cabinet held an intense discussion on the likely future of the hapless migrants who have found themselves stranded in Antigua.”
But, again, the Executive appears to be relying on a Trinidad & Tobago High Court decision that has denied that government the right to deport several Cameroon nationals to their homeland.
The Cabinet claims that only a few of the “visitors” in Antigua have indicated a desire to return home.
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Fellow citizens of Antigua, please read the 3rd paragraph (and read it slowly, so that it really sinks in), and tell me if you can see similarities ahead with unaccountability, just like NAMCO AND CIP.
Haven’t autochthonous Antiguans been down this road before? Especially when Gaston mentions US$ 1.5 billion in funding for development!!!
For over 2 terms of office, all you hear from he is “funding for development”. Tarl!
WATCH OUT, WATCH OUT MORE GASTON LIES DEY ‘BOUT …
@ Brixtonian, it is very much a case of deja vu. He said to the nation that Antigua Airways will bring to our shores “rich Nigerians”, but so far we have seen planes of fraudulent West Africans.
The PM has consistently spun webs of lies to the points where nothing is making sense, he rattle on like a mad man.
With regards to the so called stranded Africans, they are waiting for the expiration of their 90 days and then they will apply to regulate their stay as refugees. They know what they are doing.
In the meantime, Dundee United, a borrowed word from Yoruba language meaning complete idiot and his team will continue with their misguided, misinformed propoganda saying the things that they believe the public want to hear and believe.
Sometimes when i read your comments i feel very ashamed, reason being that it’s almost impossible to see a grown up man sounding like this, no 3 months stay was issued to this Africans and since they landed in this country our economy is booming, our youths are lazy and uneducated,unlike these people, we in this country don’t know nothing about other countries we are cursed with a short and limited horizon, above all we are selfish, complacent and arrogant.what a disgrace for us as a nation.
This shows how limited your vision is, did you ever travel out of this country? You are just blind and sounds more like a kid.
From Liberia in the 1800 to present day developments in Shashemane, Ethiopia to Ghana, there has always being a connection between Africans on either side of the Atlantic.
Therefore, what Gaston Browne is saying is nothing new. What matters is not WHAT YOU DO, but HOW YOU DO IT. How, the Gaston Browne administration is going about trying to reconnect Africans on either side of the ATLANTIC is very questionable and must be thoroughly investigated by International Crime Fighting Agencies.
Even some members, of the original #One_Love Rastafari Camp from JUNGLE, had built a boat and tried to sail to Africa in the 1970, even though, they only make it to the USVI.
So, Gaston Browne please try and fool those #who’re your golden roll of TP.
Ras Smood aka Jumbee_Picknee
De ‘ole Dutty Peg Foot Bastard
Vere C. Edwards
Let every man be a liard a gaston the king liard of them all who pretends to always speak the truth
If we doing people exchange, ah better me switch. When is the first flight out?
No other foolie country out there I can show up and just live? And be welcomed on arrival with fanfare. Please somebody give me suggestion countries.
@D…
…😀the next #DAGGALAG leaves for REDONDA on March 15th, 2023. It departs at 3:00am!
@Ras Smood, how many passengers can that Daggalag carry? Cause right now, Redonda is so much safer than Antigua….🤣😂🤣
@Sugarapple…the #Daggalag capacity is Pi(3.14256323 or π) people.
Three(3) passengers and 0.1424632 is the Captain of #Daggalag_Express.
T’anx….Me jus lub dis – me laugh till me cry!
Them man’s barely here 6 months and started scamming each other.
Welcome to Nigeria in the Caribbean. Scam centeal
Scamming and fraudulent activities goes hand in hand with Gaston Browne, as the saying goes birds of a feather flocked together.
The Nigerian that is employed at the Ministry of Agriculture stated that he and Gaston are “tight “. That same Nigerian was one who used government vehicle to ‘meet a friend ‘ on the flight that arrived in Antigua at 2AM outside normal hours of the airport.
Didn’t Gaston say the country was in so much debt that he couldn’t entertain loans from the African Export Import bank? What the rat can’t resist the cheese dangling before it? Remember there is always a rat trap.
Interpol should be on Magic Mike’s, Samson’s, Elabanjo’s, and Olorunfemi’s backs (just saying…)
Be sure to befriend the local Africans before this plan backfires. The more you know…
The madman rages on. He had an opertune moment in parliament to discuss this at length and put some facts on the table, but he came up with a dismissive statement about opening up Antigua to Africans. As a born Antiguan I believe it’s enough damage by ALP. Antigua is for Antiguans and we need to take back our country not have it overrun with any other nationality .
My sentiments entirely @watching.
This is two completely different issues. The treatment meted to our African brothers and sisters is a completely different issue than how they how they got here and those that could be implicated in criminal dealings if any investigation is launched.
Similarly doing business with the African bank has nothing, has no linkage with the wicked and illegal acts and actions that have our African brothers and sisters suffering, knocking about facing povert and abuse etc .
Please thank you for doing something to educate those short sighted individuals
It started with the announcement that Antigua was establishing an airline with a printing company in Africa. Most of us said it didn’t sound right and of course it didn’t end right.
Two entities with no aviation experience starting an airline. An idea spawned in shadiness can only hatch crookishness. Let’s be honest, did any rationale person expect this deal to end up any different? Crook meets Crook! This is a weak scheme, even for a seasoned crook like Gaston!
Is this bafoon and his henchmen still claiming they were duped? Now they trying to use the bothers and sister crap to justify fooling the people about rich tourists who turned out to be refugees
It is my belief the in addition to canceling the cargoes that came on those plans, it was their intention to import a new block of votes for the next election. They know that Cameroonians are part of the commonwealth and will be able to vote in due time.
With Africa having 51 countries,they could not find not one to go and see asylum? I guess they are not brothers and sisters to anyone in any other African countries.
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