I was flicking channels the other morning when my eyes landed on the face of present Minister of Education, H. Patrick Faber, sitting in among the early morning Wave TV crew. I hadn’t heard a peep from this gentleman since he got egg all over his mug for “interfering” in UDP Belmopan City Council business last year, so I thought, well, what’s he got to say for himself now? A mouthful!
Speaking on the way GoB distributes its financial assistance to schools, H. Faber said: The current system is not something that is desirable at all. Wow! Minister Faber had mucho to say about other things that are not going so well in the education system…about the way scholarships are given out, and the system of study leave, and teachers who are not serious about improving themselves, and about schools across the Jewel that are not delivering quality education to our children. Change is coming soon to the education system, and the Minister seh hihn noh kay who bex.
He’s not alone on this offensive either. During the show the extremely powerful Brother Frazer of the NTUCB called in and expressed solidarity with the Minister’s mission.
Ai, was it so long ago, while teething in the H of R during the last administration, that he was the favorite PUP whipping boy? I mean, just about everyone in blue teed off on young H. Faber as he struggled to prove himself worthy alongside their eloquencies, H. Barrow and H. Finnegan. We could sense that the youth had his heart in the right place, that he was sincere, but my, how naïve could he be, “some” thought, to deliver that dreadful filibuster.
Congratulations must go PM Barrow’s way for placing his chips on young Patrick, and sticking with him. I tell you, in his first seasons I didn’t see nothn’ in that young brother…looked like he’d never be anything more than a singles hitter. And you know what happens to them when they lose their speed! That’s all behind him. Now he’s Sultan of Swat, and Belize is depending on him to hit the big homerun. H. Patrick swings…hammered to deep left field…it’s going…going…
Yap, H. Patrick is all grown up now, and his heart is still in the right place. And he doesn’t care if he has to ruffle feathers… ‘cause a man’s got to do what a man’s got to do to represent people who put their faith in him. Hey, put this Minister alongside H. Melvin and H. Castro. H. Patrick Faber sounds like the real deal. And he doesn’t care if he is “unpopular.”
After ten years, finally
Ten years ago the sugar cane farmers were told that they needed to step up their game. Incredibly, farmers had to bring the industry to the “brink” last week before they got assured of the assistance they needed. MoAF (Ministry of Agric and Fisheries) technicians never helped sugar cane farmers to improve their field management. MoAF technicians helped farmers if they wanted to try their hands with pepper or vegetables or pig production, but not with the production of sugarcane.
Technical assistance for farmers for sugar cane production came by way of the Cane Farmers Association. Everyone in the industry knew that the BSCFA did not have the capacity to sufficiently provide technical assistance to its farmers.
So, finally, MoAF has decided to step in to help the cane farmers step up their game to meet the new challenges. The details are yet to be worked out, but it is to be hoped that the MoAF will also bring in the Taiwanese, and CARDI, to help get needed services to the farmers.
My “strike”
I’ve been around many workplaces. I’ve seen a lot of balking, heard a lot of tough talk; lots of tough talk. But on my watch I have experienced only one “strike.” I have to put my strike in quotes because it wasn’t much to boast about. Those of you who are regular readers of this column (from Sixes and Sevens days) will have read a piece of this story before. So, a little patience.
My boss saw that I went the extra mile to take care of my workers. He said to me, I used to be like you. He said to me, one day I couldn’t satisfy my workers and they turned on me. One day they will turn on you, just like they turned on me. I told my boss, I don’t care. I do what I do because I love them, not because I need them to love me.
My boss gave me three work gangs to manage, the first, a group of about 25 men in their primes; the second, a group of about 8 very young men; and the third, a group of about 10 elderly men.
One day the group of old men called a “strike.” I said to them, okay, I will go and bring the big boss. He will decide which of us is right. They said: yes, go and bring him. My boss came and listened to our stories. My boss looked at the old men and said: that boy (me) is very green, “still wet behind the ears.” The old men had a big laugh at me. They rumpled my hair, and gave me lessons about the cost of living.
After they had had a sufficient laugh, I told them I was glad for them. They asked me, why then you didn’t give us the rate we had asked for at the beginning. I told them I offered them what I thought was fair, that I had a responsibility to the people who hired me too.
Red, Blue, or…Golden Yellow
It’s all quiet across the nation right now, but in a week or two we can expect the temperature to start rising for the March 4 elections – City Council and Town Council elections. The VIPees say the people in Garden City are telling them that they are ready to make the real change.
Hey, this corner is riding VIP all the way in 2009. God spare life, and I still have this column in 2012, and 2013, I’ll not show my hand any color way. (Politics will be very sticky then.) But in ’09, VIP! I have my friends, good people, on the Red and the Blue tickets in Belmopan. All I can say is…they should be running for real change too.
I am going against the Red and the Blue in PGee too. Ride with Wil’s PNP…All the way. On Sefe’s Island, Benque Viejo, I am riding with the UDPees Ana Melita Castellanos. And in Dangriga, I have a vote for the PUPees Jose Villafranco. Ana and Jose are major talents.