Hon Marcella Liburd
Honorable Marcella Liburd Chairperson of the SKNLP is expressing the view that the country lacks leadership. Speaking to Freedom Fm’s news desk via the telephone on Monday morning Liburd indicated that there are a number of problems facing the federation at the moment. She indicated that crime was indeed at the top of this list. Liburd noted that the Prime Minister the Honorable Timothy Harris in his capacity as Minister of National Security refuses to take leadership in regards to crime fighting initiatives.
Liburd also spoke to the situation at the BHS. The federation’s Largest High School, the BHS was closed late last year by an arbitration panel, after numerous tests failed to identify a single cause for a series of likely health symptoms among staff and students that pointed to an environmental issue. The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) has reported that the cause is likely to be multi-factorial in origin, and it recommended that the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) be approached for assistance.
During the Prime Minister’s Press Conference held May 27, Minister of State for Health Honourable Wendy Phipps updated that the team of experts from the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO)-funded NIOSH had concluded its investigation into possible sources of contamination at the Basseterre High School (BHS), and a report was being awaited. However during the most recent Parliamentary sitting Deputy Prime Minister and Minister with responsibility for education revealed that his Ministry had in fact received that report and that Cabinet had to review it before its release to the public.
Liburd is of the view that citizen and specifically parents are facing too much uncertainty as school is schedule to reopen in September and yet the public has received no words from the Government.
Liburd also called for a new budget. She noted that the Prime Minister the Minister of Finance has yet to produce a budget or even comment on the state of the economy some 6 months after being elected.