Did You Hear, Child?
You know how it is… sometimes you’re waiting around for coconut water (hi george!) and you hear a bit o this and a bit o that. Maybe it is true, maybe it is part true, an maybe it is nothing but a cane cutting tale.
And maybe somebody is telling the story because they have an agenda. Best think on that before you get too excited about what you hear!
But we all love the latest gossip doan matta!
Here are two gossips we received today. Make of them what you will – just you remember that half the reason you come to the side of the road in front of the new office building is because of the gossip. Good coconut water you can find anywhere… but for some fine cane stories you come ta here.
Now if you will excuse me as I get back to chopping and filling. Did you bring your own jug today? Good…
Gossip #1: Customs Officers Being Bad Boys At The Airport
Dear BFP: I’ve heard that the new airport building is actually designed to facilitate intransit passengers but the Immigration and Customs departments (having signed off on the plans in the planning phase then refused to allow the airport to use the facilities for intransit. So forcing passengers to enter Barbados then walk around to check back in.
Also I’ve heard that customs officers regularly park in the spaces for tour buses, which then get ticketed for parking in the road. (because the spaces are taken up by the customs officers)
I’ve also heard that Customs are a law unto themselves at the airport refusing to go through the scanners or any other type of security screening.
Gossip #2: Cabinet Split Over Corrupt Activities
Dear BFP: I heard that Prime Minister David Thompson is increasingly becoming cut off from his ‘elected’ Cabinet Ministers and cowering to Hartley Henry ‘appointed’ and ‘Super’ Ministers. Deals a flowin thru HH and his Super Ministers.
Elected Ministers are getting vexx and more vexx as they become more powerless by the day to the Henry chosen Super Ministers. Elected MP John Boyce, Minister of Transport, Works, and International Transport is emerging as the leader. Health Minister David Estwick his most vocal supporter.
Seven elected Ministers met last week at Boyce home and vented their frustrations. Surprise attendee at the meeting was William Layne. It is rare for public servants to be openly political.
Loud complaints were heard that Ministerial decisions being ignored and overuled. Lone lady minister Esther Byer Suckoo was heard to complain that if she had known it would be like this, she wouldn’t have accepted.
Plans were made to block Henry initiated contracts. The oil sector is one of his main targets and talk was not good about his favoured Texan. Talk was sums paid to him sounded small but the cost to the country could be big.
John Boyce is being seen as long term alternative to David Thompson who is even being sinecured in his own Cabinet. He is not seen as either decisive or powerful. Decisions are coming from the Henry appointed Super Ministers and at Boyce house it was stated that Thompson is fast becoming a nonentity in managing the Government affairs.
“David is distracted by pleasures of the flesh and leaving the running of government to Henry”, one Minister said at the meeting. Estwick said Thompson is too sly and not to be trusted. Senior Civil Servants are also beginning to more openly criticize the administration because their advice is not heeded. Rules are being severely bent daily on orders of the Super Ministers and bank accounts are startin to be filled.
Boyce is planning a press conference to reveal how and why the laws of the land are being subverted and broken. That Hartley Henry is involved in arrangements is totally true but lets also wait and hear what the elected PM has to say about the latest development before rushing to judgment.