UPDATE: Barbados Underground Blog reports that an aircraft is on its way and at least one person is in custody in Ghana over the original charter.
The Pan African Commission is apparently involved in enmeshing the government in an operation that they knew was suspicious.
For details check out Barbados Underground link here
Government’s Continuing Inability To Resolve This Situation Is Giving Barbados A Black Eye
BBC is now reporting that the stranded Africans being detained at a Barbados Military facility are complaining that the rooms have “insects” and they have had to remove the bedsheets. The article is unclear as to the nature of the “insects” but the reference to removing sheets gives the impression that bedbugs are involved.
This is the latest installment in the seemingly never-ending story of the plight of a planeload of Africans who arrived on Barbados on February 1, 2008 and were stranded when their Ghana International Airways charter failed to show up for the return flight on February 15th.
Interestingly enough, when the passengers were first stranded, the Barbados newspapers FAILED TO REPORT THE NEWS until Barbados Free Press and other blogs did so first. One has to wonder when the Barbados media and politicians are going to wake up and realise that this censoring of the news is no longer a viable strategy.
The one thing I guarantee that you will not see printed in the Barbados oldstream news media are any stories questioning the role that Ikael Tafari and the Pan African Commission played in creating this disaster for Barbados. Tafari was happy enough to float his way to a press conference when the flight first arrived and he and his cohorts were happy to take much credit at the time, but since then Doctor Tafari has been strangely silent on the issue.
Last week the African online press first reported that one of the Ghanaian female detainees was sexually assaulted while in custody of the Barbados military. Barbados Free Press linked to that story and received criticism from some readers for doing so. Instead of demanding an explanation from the military or government about how a woman who is in custody could have been sexually assaulted, the readers chided BFP for not covering-up the story.
To those readers we say: sorry… you must have confused us with the Nation News, Barbados Advocate or the CBC.
The international media is beginning to follow the tale of stranded Africans as it drags on and folks around the world are no doubt wondering about the competency of the Barbados government officials who set up this disaster in the first place, as well as the current government’s inability to deal with what should have been a minor incident.
No doubt there will be new human interest stories about this situation appearing in the international media, and no doubt we will have additional guests arriving as it becomes clear to the world that if you can make it to Barbados the government hasn’t got what it takes to send you back.
Further Reading
BBC News: Africans Stranded In Caribbean
36 Comments
May 2, 2008 at 6:34 pm
Stop lying! It is not all doom and gloom as you are painting it to be!
May 2, 2008 at 6:41 pm
I have n’t read the article, yet, but you need n’t take anything the British say, too seriously – except me, that is!
Look, if the beds in Bim have a few bugs in them, so what! Do we suppose the beds in the UK, don’t contain bugs! No, instead they contain MRSA, C-Difficile and every other viral abomination known to man and more! Please don’t get me started!
Oh, I nearly forgot, wha duh doing hay in de firze place?
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BFP says,
Bimbro, the problem is not whether the beds have bugs or not… or whether a woman in custody was sexually assaulted or not… the problem is that this situation is never-ending! Next we shall no doubt see a baby born and then watch the fun as we try to return our new citizen to Africa!
May 2, 2008 at 6:51 pm
Another reason to keep your distance – unless you’ve really, strong lungs, for now!
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article1116797.ece
May 2, 2008 at 7:40 pm
The time is near for them to depart these shores, the time is near for one or two Barbadians to fully explain their role in this scam, the time is near for David Commisong to stop grandstanding, I have little doubt that he would reach the bottom to provide such a story to the BBC such a low life he is.
Of course Doctor Ikeil Tafari must be involved in unravelling this fiasco?
I have little doubt he most certainly is connected to this scam so to Trevor Prescod and David Commisong if you cast your mind back far enough this Ikeil Tafari was involved in hosting a conference that went over budget by over a million dollars, it appears that his ability to manage money affairs is sadly lacking.
It seems to me that there is a close relationship between Prescod and these same Ghanaians
May 2, 2008 at 7:49 pm
Let us not try to put the “Poop” back into the dog.
The notion of this “Black Eye” thing is overblown we have done our best under the circumstances.
The Security Risk Assessment division of the immigration department should have started an investigation after the first (28) days and repatriated them before our laissez fair attitude overwhelmed them.
“Bed Bugs!” some of our law enforcment offices (RBPF) are working in worst conditions, “Give me a break!!!”
May 2, 2008 at 8:04 pm
28,000+ civil servants and no progress yet in resolving this situation. BFP is right; it is only a matter of time before we hear that there is a child or two on the way and this excuse is used to seek the right to stay.
May 2, 2008 at 9:10 pm
wait wunnah cann get rid a dem yet. mekin sport! wha happen dem wuk obeah pun de government or the government toothless. chupse!
May 2, 2008 at 10:24 pm
There are Africans arriving at GAIA almost everyday trying to con their way into Barbados.Ask anyone at the airport about the intransit passenger who refused to board her plane an appeared to be about 6 months pregnant.A Nigerian man was deported from Barbados but was refused permission to transit through several countries and was returned to Barbados where he is now living.
May 2, 2008 at 10:24 pm
I happen to know that the area where they are being housed has a few “forty legs” but it could be a lot worse.
May 2, 2008 at 11:20 pm
I promised my African partner that I would never touch this particular topic, due to my deep feelings for her, but enough is enough. We have a number of visitors here for weeks now that no one in government seems able to do anything about.
BFP readers, as you are all aware it has never been my intention to take prisoners at any cost. The Convention says you got to feed them.
Now I am forced to ask, if my government can’t seem to sort this little local difficulty out, what hope have I got that they have what it takes to lead a country, a modern country like Barbados.
What will it take to get these good folks off this rock? Seems to me that we all got our pants on wrong. We can find six million to give Continental Airlines for nothing. We can find money to buy Concorde and house it, we can find money for all kinds of things and we cannot put these folks on a schedule flight back to their country. I would hate to think that we are keeping this going so as to take peoples’ attention away from high gas and food prices. I am the original Mr. Cynical.
It was a while since I was in barracks at the Garrison, But even then those bed bugs were like the size of cockroaches. I just hope none of these folks think about suing the government for attempted murder by its secret agents the bed bugs. Come on Mr. Sealy and David Thompson sort this problem out pronto.
Johnnietoobad.
May 3, 2008 at 2:32 am
I bet you if these were Indians( re: CWC2007 ) they would be back to where they came from in a blink,ticket paid for and all.
May 3, 2008 at 3:33 am
I understand that there are 30,000 Guyanese here, some illegally.
It is a challenge that sooner or later we will need to face, fair and square, CSME or no CSME.
May 3, 2008 at 7:06 am
Hi John,I think the question is actually even more simple than that.Basically,it is can Barbados effectively controls its Borders or not ?
Most Bajans appear to be getting the concensus that it cannot no matter what sort of immigration arrangement the Barbados Government gets into.
The latest “immigration threat” to Barbados isn’t even CSME anymore,it is actually OECS membership since St.Lucia’s P.M. has invited Barbados & Trinidad to join.OECS member states actually allow its citizens to fly to any other member state without a passports in fact only an ID is usually required to stay in any member states’ country indefinitely.A mini CSME if you will,lol.It isn’t likely though as the Bajan dollar would de-value to 1 US dollar=2.70 Bajan dollars making things in Barbados even more expensive if OECS membership was approved.
May 3, 2008 at 7:54 am
Hi BFP, thanks for the reply. I still have n’t read the article yet, must have breakfast first, but please don’t mention babies being born. You’re scaring me now. The Bajans would be tied up in an endless stretch of soul-searching over ‘how we could deport de poor woman with she lil chile back to africa, ….!!’ Lord, spare us from that!!!!
BTW, is she pretty?!!!!
Laaaaaaaaaaaadddddddddddddddddd!!!!!
I gots tuh go n have my brekfas bo!!!!
BFP?!!! Laaaaaaddddddddddddddd!!!!
May 4, 2008 at 2:19 pm
I NEED EDUCATING. Please inform me…what exactly does the ‘Pan African Commission’ do, besides finding employment for a few people and siphoning off tax dollars.
Standing by and thanks.
May 4, 2008 at 4:12 pm
Centipede
…. it also encourages tourists from Africa to come to Barbados.
May 4, 2008 at 5:40 pm
@ John
Oh good grief!!!!
ARE YOU SERIOUS?!?!?
“Tourists from Africa”…
You mean ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS!!!!!!
Are you not seeing that this is a PROBLEM? The DEVELOPED nations are having a problem! Are you saying that with all the illegal folks coming in from Guyana, St. Lucia & Jamaica, we NOW gotta worry about Ghananians and Nigerians TOO? You must be out of your mind! Do you know WHERE the money goes when these guys get it? NOT HERE!!!! This is a SCAM, pure & simple! The sooner the Government gets them out, the better!
That we should be SOOOOO naive…everyone else is driving us out of our own land! And remember, we’ve go NOWHERE to go, because these same developed countries won’t let US in!
May 4, 2008 at 6:58 pm
I am pretty sure that if they were illegal immigrants they wanted to go to Canada or the USA! That is to say, it is much easier to work and hide out in those countries. If there is no proof for that then, they are probably not lying…
May 4, 2008 at 7:50 pm
To get into the USA, they need a visa which is not easy. To get into Canada they either need a visa or a Bdian or some other passport from another island that does not require a visa for Canada. Was that part of the plan? Maybe that is what was promised. These Africans were not going to leave Africa without some idea as to how to get to US or Cda. I’m don’t think they planned to stay in Bdos.
May 4, 2008 at 10:35 pm
Jay,
The OECS is the only regional body with regional institutions that actually function (see. EC currency union for an example) which is why the US Virgin Islands applied for membership in 1990 ( turned down by the US federal govt) and , Saba and St Maarten in 2001 (application pending authorization by the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
Guadeloupe and Martinique attends the council of tourism ministers (another OECS institution) meetings.
That these countries whose nationals are US and EU citizens see the benefits of becoming part of the OECS speaks volumes and is a vote of confidence in the political and economic viablity of this body.
I dont see those EU or US ‘colonies’ rushing to join CSME. Why is that?
That Barbados sees it only as an immigration threats is their loss and lack of vision . That said, I believe that her admission into the OECS would be disastrous and it would go the way of WI cricket or Caricom.
May 5, 2008 at 1:57 am
The way things are looking these days we may soon have to look to other countries for work like in the 50’s and 60’s.
OECS wouldn’t be a bad option for Barbados and just like how Trinidad been buying up business here local business here have been busy finding opportunities in the OECS countries. We need to get to the point where we work together as a region because if we don’t we can easily slip back in to 3rd world status.
May 5, 2008 at 7:16 am
Rene
“we can easily slip back in to 3rd world status.”
Is Barbados now a ‘First World Country’?
I dont subscribe to the first, third world labels and see them as an extension of the racist and negative imaging of non white countries. Ever notice that there is no ’second world’ catergory?
But I never knew Barbados had been reclassified as a industrialized country.
May 5, 2008 at 11:37 pm
… I watched today as a minibus using the Triangle exited the Shell Service Station with the only option of turning left and going up past Cable & Wireless.
Problem he faced was he really wanted to go the other way so he drove across the road, blocking the line of traffic heading for C&W, crossed the island, and entered the lane going in the direction he really wanted to go.
Barbados can only have delusions of First World Grandeur.
May 6, 2008 at 5:18 am
Barbados can only have delusions of First World Grandeur.
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Did you take a note of his registration number and reported him, John?
Such would assist us to achieve our goal of first world m’ship!
May 6, 2008 at 2:52 pm
… guess not, I am to blame.
May 6, 2008 at 2:56 pm
Should have a traffic cop at that location during rush hour to deal with the idiots.
May 6, 2008 at 3:03 pm
John, certainly not! You’re not to blame just making the point that if we can think and act quickly enough we can try to prevent these occurences from happening, again! How else are we to get ahead?
May 7, 2008 at 5:52 pm
Can you imagine that the afican man at waterworks was planning to replace bajan workers with these aficans. Tank the lord that we won the election and put an end to that. The BLP is no good, for truth.
May 7, 2008 at 11:45 pm
Thank God they are gone. They left Barbados this evening
May 8, 2008 at 1:07 am
Cheeze, give me a break. If the Marriotts in Miami got bed bugs then who is paragon that they can’t have bed bugs.
Again, those africans were arrogant and dishonest in their dealings with this country and should never have been allowed to give this country such a bad name.
They have made the whole world weary of them and they only place left on God’s green earth they can make miserable is the little 2×4 island. Hit the bricks man!!
Rumor is rife that the females from the scammers are pregnant if only to maintain their status in Barbados. Britain has BANNED female Nigerians and we welcoming them with open arms. All of them should acquire a DEPORTEE status so that they cannot return, ever.
May 8, 2008 at 7:57 am
Well said, Warrior. Every single country in the developed and undeveloped world should have a million warning signs around it loudly, proclaiming, ‘AFRICANS ARE BANNED FROM THESE SHORES’!
We tried to help them and that’s what they do to us! I try to warn Bajans about the debauched, nature of those people but usually, get vilified for my troubles! I’m glad to see there’s at least one more Bajan who is n’t going through life with his eyes shut!
Further evidence of the pervasive, ‘close my eyes and pretend I can’t see and hope it’ll go away’, Barbadian-syndrome!
May 24, 2008 at 5:18 am
Once Violence Is Culturally Adopted As A Tool, It Cannot Be Limited Without Changing The Culture
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Too, sophisticated a title for me, bo. All I know is it did n’t take long for a Bajan to threaten me with murder simply for having a different point of view, from his! Imagine, if I’d been from a different tribe!
May 24, 2008 at 9:04 pm
Bimbro have you ever been to Africa??
July 27, 2008 at 1:00 am
Ghana: Agonising Ghanaians in China Cry for Help
A few weeks after the Government of Ghana spent thousands of dollars to airlift “so-called” stranded Ghanaian tourists from Trinidad and Tobago, another set of Ghanaians, this time in far away China is calling on government to save them from Chinese DETENTION camps!
- Adom disclosed that they are compelled to pay over $1200 penalty for overstaying and must be locked up for months after which they buy their OWN tickets to fly home.” Please I hope the government of Ghana will come to our aid and help us all out of this place back home.”
http://allafrica.com/stories/200806021249.html
July 27, 2008 at 1:26 am
The terms First World and Third World came out of the (post-WW2) ‘Cold War’
where the ‘First World’ was the white northern NATO Countries(i.e. USA, UK, France, W.Germany et alumni)..
Second World(rarely heard of)
was the SOVIET BLOC (USSR and its satellites)
..and the Third World was pretty-much-everyone-else(Africa, Asia, Caribbean, S.America, misc. island-nations).
Hope this helps you understand how and when the terms originated.
January 28, 2009 at 2:47 am
Is it true that there are 5 West Africans currently resident @ H.M.P. Dodds, St. Philip, Barbados with charge?