Group urges top Caricom award for Eric Williams

BY COREY CONNELLY
A committee of Caricom took a decision in 1990 not to grant posthumous awards, including the Order of Caricom, to the founding fathers of the regional integration movement, a prominent member of a civil society organisation claims.

However, Reginald Vidale, chairman of the Dr Eric Williams Memorial Committee, is insisting that the award be reinstated and presented posthumously to Dr Williams, T&T’s first prime minister, in time for the 45th anniversary of this country’s independence on August 31.

“He is deserving of it and if South Africa can see it fit to grant that country’s highest award to Dr Williams, 26 years after his passing, why can’t Caricom at which he was one of the founding fathers do it?” he asked in a telephone interview on Friday.

Vidale said he was “reliably informed” that the Caricom committee had taken the position because they did not want to give the award to Dr Williams, T&T’s first prime minister.

“I had written to former Caricom chairman Dr Ralph Gonsalves on June 25 about the issue and have not yet got the courtesy of a reply,” an irate Vidale said.

“He has been coming to T&T for all sorts of help and he does not have that courtesy... I want to tell him don’t come to Trinidad for anything.”

Vidale said he had since written to new Caricom chairman Barbados Prime Minister Owen Arthur about the matter.

“I am now asking the new chairman to have the decision reversed so that at least Dr Williams can get Caricom’s highest award.”

Vidale said former Caribbean leaders such as Williams, Errol Barrow, Forbes Burnham and Michael Manley had paved the way for the much-touted Caricom Single Market and Economy.

“That was their vision, not Ralph Gonsalves’ or Owen Arthur’s, but a decision of the founding fathers,” he added.

Niggas will do anything to not only full dey fockin black arse wid things that doh belong to dem eh!

Eric Williams fock up this country more than anybody else.

Eric Williams was responsible for creating the laziest setta niggas in the world, which is an almost impossible task. Considering that niggas all over the world is the same pests.

The man create ah lasting nigga mentality in an entire civil service. Go for anything from a birth paper to a driving permit and you will see what ah mean when you have to face these big lip half deaf niggas. Eric teach these fockers to demand without working for what dey want. Eric is responsible for turning out ah setta nigga dunces from schools across Trinidad and Tobago today.

Now to make matters worse this cont want to also award Forbes Burnham, the man that fockin bull Guyana in its bottom.

What the fock really wrong wid this Vidale cont. Why somebody doh look for ah wok for he?