I must begin my column with expressions of sadness for yet another young man, Jameal “Judah” Ritchie-Proctor, who passed away as a result of a traffic accident on Monday February 17, 2014. The details remain sketchy — but that seems irrelevant because the facts will bring no comfort as we grieve the passing of this young man (a mere twenty-six years old) swept away from loved ones virtually in the prime of his life. We commiserate with his parents; his siblings; his family; relatives; and friends as they struggle through this period of heartrending pain and anguish. Let us also remember the other young man, the driver of the other vehicle, Jason Hodge, who no doubt also needs our prayers as he continues to relive the tragedy through vivid flashbacks of that fateful Monday evening. But Judah is gone from us to a place far from these earthly trials — and we pray that his soul rests in peace!
I must also follow up those expressions of sadness with omens of hope for our young people. Those omens presented themselves on Tuesday morning, February 18, 2014 as I listened to presentations by students of 3A Band 1 of the Albena Lake Hodge Comprehensive School. I was extremely impressed by the quality of their work as a whole but what particularly impressed me was the fact that the entire class of thirty-four students participated. It was a Human Rights Symposium and Exhibition staged by the English “A” students of Form 3A Band1. The teacher Ms. Maris Edwards acted as Chairperson for the function and was able to motivate her students to outstanding levels of achievement. They spoke about the many abuses of humankind internationally in lurid detail. These included atrocities such as the use of child soldiers; human trafficking of all kinds; domestic violence; violence against women; sexual abuses; prostitution; slavery; bullying; racism; drug trafficking; gun violence; and many other heinous crimes of man’s inhumanity against his fellowman.
I was fortunate to have been personally invited to attend the Symposium by one of the students and though the exercise took up a considerable period of time it was well worth it. The irony of it all is the fact that it took such a gruesome topic to evoke such positive aspects of talent among the students. These are issues that must disturb us all but as we listened to the passionate and compelling presentations of the students it must have occurred to many persons that, were they living in another part of the world, these very youngsters could have been victims as well. But perhaps even more chilling is the fact that many of these abuses such as domestic violence; child abuse; sexual abuse; violence against women; drug trafficking; gun violence; and so on are taking place right here “under our very noses”. Some very revealing statistics presented by the students bring home that stark reality.
The omens of hope to which I referred are that we were able to witness the talent of our students in this exercise and realize that there is still a majority of positive young people in our communities who can secure our future as a budding nation. And even more significant is the fact that young people in tiny Anguilla have joined the cause of stamping out these atrocities throughout the world. It can only mean that the pressure upon the perpetrators of these atrocities is mounting and eventually there will be hope for victims all over the world. The students, teachers and their parents must be commended for this effort. There is no doubt that this is the first time in Anguilla that the level of consciousness about these issues has been raised in this manner. And I sincerely hope that in Anguilla similar abuses will receive appropriate national attention and response.
But the airwaves and the talking spots were also inundated with another important matter, namely, the ECCB control of the indigenous Banks. Focus on this issue was heightened by the recent release from the ECCB that “it had become necessary to extend this control, which was originally scheduled to last for six months”. The release triggered many responses among which was a meeting of Shareholders of the indigenous banks called by Mr. Kennedy Hodge “to protect and preserve the two indigenous banks — and to plan the way forward for both institutions.” It is reported that Mr. Hodge gave a detailed analysis of the situation and presented specific solutions to deal with the high levels of delinquent loans that appear to be central to the issue of stabilizing the banks. Mr. Hodge must be commended for this effort especially in the face of the very complex and technical issues involved in this matter. I too support his urgings for all Anguillians to address the issues more objectively, void of the politics that has been clouding the process. Fortunately, the ECCB’s press release brings a great deal of clarity to the process thus far and must heighten concern for what will take place in the future.
First of all, it must be noted that nowhere in the release is there any indication of the length of the extension of the takeover. Last August when it took place we were told that the initial phase of the process will be a period of six months but now we are simply being told that it has become necessary to extend the control. Unless a clear statement is made at the end of this month it means that stakeholders will remain uncertain as to timing of the process and there will be no pressure on the conservatorship to meet any agreed timelines. This plunges the entire exercise into a state of uncertainty and frustration for stakeholders.
Secondly, we are now learning that despite claims and statements by the Government that suggest they are unaware of what is happening; the release clearly states that “since then (August 12, 2013) ECCB has been in regular consultation with the Government of Anguilla, the British Government, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank concerning the conservatorship”. This means that the questions raised by the Leader of the Opposition in the House of Assembly about the process were not adequately answered. While we do appreciate the importance of confidentiality, it would have been appropriate to at least let the public know that there are regular consultations and that the Government of Anguilla is included in the conversation. It would at least create the perception that Government is in a position to look after our interests in the matter.
Thirdly, we are being told that certain conditions that occasioned the intervention still exist. The question arises as to what those conditions are and how will they be resolved by extending the period of conservatorship. In plain English, is the Conservator making progress? Will the extension of his tenure be sufficient to resolve these conditions or will there be need for expansion of his Office? Stakeholders are already concerned by the restrictions on the services. Will there be further restrictions? And most importantly are the conditions in the economy among those persistent conditions referred to in the release?
Fourthly, we are being told that at some point the final structure, ownership and operations of the banks will be determined by the Government of Anguilla, the British Government and the ECCB Monetary Council. In at least two of these agencies the Chief Minister is a part of the decision-making process. Can we expect the Chief Minister to consider the concerns about the proposed amalgamation of all indigenous banks in the region; the value of the shareholders equity; and the considerate handling of delinquent loans?
Fifthly, we are now hearing about the need for a forensic audit for the first time. The only person who has been talking about a forensic analysis has been the Chief Minister. In fact, as a Member of the Monetary Council it is reasonable to assume that he may have been responsible for the inclusion of such language given the fact that it is a position which he has been advocating. It widely believed that this language might have been included in the release to placate the Chief Minister and get him fully on Board with the process. How far will the Chief Minister be prepared to go to derive some spurious political benefit from this fiasco?
Finally, the release makes it clear that any decisions made about the future of the indigenous banks can only take place with the involvement and complicity of the Chief Minister and the Government of Anguilla. It also confirms retrospectively that this entire process, since and prior to August 12, 2013, took place with his knowledge and approval. We must now call on him to take the lead in furthering the interests of the banks and its stakeholders as this exercise progresses to the other phases ahead. This is “no time for ducking and hiding!” Take charge!
