Permit me to speak briefly of the nexus between the Hon. James Ronald Webster’s two greatest contributions to this country, and to explain why the Social Security Board has felt it a duty to be so involved in the activities surrounding the State Funeral for Mr. Webster. In ancient Roman religion and myth, Janus is the god of beginnings, gates, transitions, time, doorways, passages, and endings. He is usually depicted as having two faces, since he looks to the future and to the past. It is conventionally thought that the month of January, looking back at the old year and forward to the new, is named for Janus. So it is that we stand here in January 2017, looking back at the first fifty years since the Anguilla Revolution, and forward to the future; looking back at the life of the Father of the Nation, Hon. James Ronald Webster, and forward to our nation’s future without him. This is truly a time of transition, of endings, and yet of beginnings. Ronald Webster was a champion of beginnings. This year, as we say goodbye to him, we also celebrate his greatest beginnings – the Anguilla Revolution 50 years ago, and the Social Security System 35 years ago. We are here today, in this place, in the presence of the last mortal remains of Mr. Webster, because of the success of the 1967 Anguilla Revolution. There wouldn’t even be an Anguilla House of Assembly had it not been for the Revolution. We wouldn’t be celebrating the 35th Anniversary of the Social Security System if it wasn’t for the economic transformation of Anguilla following that Revolution. And we would not have had either without this man, lying in state, here.
Let us look at how we came to have a Social Security System in Anguilla (we no longer refer to Social Security as the Scheme). In 1967, the year that Barbados introduced a social security programme to protect its workers, Anguillians decided that enough was enough, and broke away from the State of St. Kitts-¬Nevis-Anguilla – claiming centuries of neglect – when Anguillians were forced to seek employment abroad because of the harsh economic conditions at home. This was due in large part to the unproductive nature of the island’s soil in an age when agriculture was king, and to an unconcerned Government in St. Kitts. An industrious people fashioned out of the severity of those conditions, Anguillians made rapid progress wherever they worked, and contributed to the development of societies in the US Virgin Islands, Curacao, Aruba, St. Martin and other Caribbean islands, as well as the USA, the UK and even further afield. Those who remained in Anguilla were mainly the very young and the elderly, and were often dependent on remittances from those who worked abroad, since little employment or economic activity in the formal sense existed at home. Decades of protests against the unholy union had fallen on deaf ears, and with the specter of Associated Statehood and eventual independence looming ahead, Anguillians found strength in unity and carried out the first successful revolution in the English-speaking Caribbean as the island broke away from the rest of the State on May 30th, 1967. Mr Speaker, let us not for one moment underplay the significance of the Anguilla revolution, not just to Anguillians but on the world stage. It was one of only four successful secessionist movements in the 20th Century, and there were many, many other attempts. The revolution was the catalyst required to awaken Anguilla’s potential. It was the springboard to progress, a watershed moment in Anguilla’s history. The bold move meant that Anguillians were solely responsible for their own affairs – there was no longer a distant Central Government to look after the provision of public services such as education, health and law-enforcement, or for that matter, to blame for Anguilla’s underdevelopment. With great resolve, they set about – in the words of the revolution song – “To Build a New Anguilla”. A Public Service was established, and many persons returned home at great personal sacrifice to contribute to the mammoth task of nation building. Gradually, the tide of outward migration which had characterized Anguilla over the decades diminished as more and more young persons found or created employment opportunities at home. By the advent of the 1980’s, with the promise of a tourism industry beginning to take root, Anguilla was rapidly changing from being an exporter of labour to being an importer of labour, and going abroad to seek employment was no longer the preferred option for Anguillians. Such was the climate in which legislation to establish a Social Security System was introduced in the Anguilla House of Assembly.
The Social Security System had its beginnings in the vision of Anguilla’s revolutionary leader and then Chief Minister Hon. James Ronald Webster and became part of his government’s agenda. On November 3rd 1980, Mr. Webster moved that the Assembly pass into law the Social Security Bill, 1980. He stated that it was the concern of Government to try to ensure that there was adequate provision for the security of workers and their families against hardship, by introducing, for the first time in the history of Anguilla, a Scheme called social security. Such a Scheme, he said, was essential to the well-being of the workers of Anguilla and other beneficiaries, and would mark an important step towards a better life for the people of Anguilla. Government, he stated, pledged to guarantee protective measures so that such a Scheme would be safeguarded.
The motion was seconded by Hon. Albert (Albelto) Hughes, who passed away 12 days after Mr. Webster, on December 21st. It is a most interesting and unprecedented coincidence that two of Anguilla’s legislators, Mr. Webster and Mr. Hughes, both the mover and the seconder of the Social Security legislation, were laid in State in this House within days of each other – Mr. Hughes on January 5th and Mr. Webster today January 11th.
In the debate on the Bill, the Minister of Natural Resources, Tourism and Communications Hon. Hubert Hughes stated that the idea of social security was a great ideal for any country to have in mind but there was a misconception in the minds of a lot of people about any scheme of that nature. Such benefits to people must always be discussed within the context of reality and rationality. A scheme where employers and employees paid contributions from wages could only be effective if there was guaranteed employment over a long period of time, and therefore Government must aim at creating and maintaining prolonged employment. He concluded that such a scheme could only be implemented in a limited way at the beginning, since in practical terms such a scheme would be a very slow process in the implementation. Already, he said, the administrative structure of Anguilla was large and cumbersome and he did not see why the island should copy from other countries by introducing new departments – Anguilla should remain unique in the whole idea of administrative development in so far as creating new departments was concerned. The Minister of Social Services, the late Hon. Colonel Claudius Roberts, was even more unconvinced and stated categorically that in his opinion the social security scheme proposed was too ambitious for Anguilla at that stage, a scheme was needed but nothing as ambitious as the proposed one. After Mr. Webster’s response, Mr. Hughes, on a point of order, stated that while he fully supported the scheme in principle, any social security scheme could only be implemented in the context of the island achieving certain financial goals and therefore the implementation would be slow and realistic. It is noteworthy that at that time there were two Ministers in addition to the Chief Minister (who presented the Bill), and they both were, at the least, unconvinced about the early introduction of a comprehensive social security scheme.
I have quoted extensively from the record of the debate to demonstrate the level of skepticism Mr. Webster faced even from his own Ministerial colleagues and to show that bringing the legislation to the House of Assembly was a visionary step, one of great courage, and his timing was absolutely perfect. It was a visionary move because Mr. Webster recognized that as backward as Anguilla was at the time, economic growth would come and workers and their families would need the protection against life’s uncertainties that a social security scheme promised. His timing was perfect because the legislation was introduced and the Scheme implemented at precisely the time that the island’s economic takeoff occurred. It was a step of great courage because of many reasons. Many viewed the introduction of a social security system for as small an island as Anguilla as an unworkable proposition. There were others who saw a compulsory social security scheme as a system of taxation designed by Government to take disposable income from employed persons and their employers under the guise of collecting contributions. There was a perception that the reserves of the fund would exist for Government to raid at will and abuse to cover shortfalls of revenues required to cover its budgetary expenditures. There were many, particularly among the ranks of the Public Service, who openly stated their distrust and opposition to the proposed scheme.
The argument made by Hon. Hubert Hughes that such a scheme could only work if there was employment in Anguilla was perfectly sound, and at that time employ¬ment was restricted to the Public Service and a few other small establishments. It might very well be true that a scheme as proposed was, at that time, unworkable. No actuarial analysis was conducted at the time, so we will never know what would have been its findings. Mr. Webster must have known that his colleagues harboured such thoughts, but persevered notwithstanding. His courage won the day, courage which has been justified by the realities of the System’s performance over the past thirty-five years. But, Mr. Speaker, don’t just take my words for it.
Mr. Colville Petty O.B.E., the Scheme’s first Director and prominent historian, has stated “Mr. Webster defied the myriad critics and enemies and single-handedly imposed it on the people. He was convinced that the Scheme was good for Anguilla and endured much political stoning in his efforts to make it a reality. That is the quality of the man who brought Social Security to Anguilla.” It is right to pay homage to Anguilla’s social security pioneer, to give him the praise and honour he justly deserves for his courage and vision in pioneering social security at a time when economic conditions in Anguilla did not provide the environment necessary for a Social Security scheme to work. The promotion and passage of the Social Security law was therefore an act of faith, defined as “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” or, paraphrased, “being sure of what we hope for, certain of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11: 1)
The Social Security Scheme, right from the get-go, began to prove its detractors wrong. Despite the perhaps well-founded fears of Hon. Hubert Hughes and Hon. Colonel Roberts, the implementation of the Scheme was neither “slow”, “very slow,” “in a limited way” nor “a very slow process”. The first Social Security Board was appointed on January 22nd 1981, with Mr. Fabian Marcel Fahie appointed as Chairman, Mr. Colville Petty as Director, and Pastor Davis Lloyd, Mr. Allister Richardson and Mr. Franklyn Richardson as Members. I was employed as the first member of staff on February 1st with the job title Administration Officer and additionally performed the role of Board Secretary. The provision of certain office space for the Social Security Board by Government contributed to a feud within the ruling party, causing the Government to collapse just over one year into its term, and leading to the dissolution of the House of Assembly and new elections. This did nothing to help the promotion of a social security scheme, but provided instead the opportunity for even more “stoning” of Mr. Webster and his plans for the Scheme. Mr. Webster’s return to the post of Chief Minister and Minister for Social Security however ensured the continuity of efforts to introduce the Scheme.
In spite of all these goings-on, a process of registration of employers and employees was started, and January 1, 1982 was designated the Appointed Day for the introduction of the Scheme. In spite of all, the Anguilla Social Security Scheme became functional eleven months to the day after its first member of staff assumed office! Not one cent of preliminary expenses was ever charged to the taxpayers of Anguilla, for the EC$28,000 advanced to the Board was repaid as soon as the Board established its own accounts! No experts or consultants from the ILO, the United Kingdom or anywhere else for that matter were engaged to guide the Scheme’s implementation, as was the norm in other Caribbean countries. No extensive, expensive studies into the feasibility of establishing the Scheme were commissioned, yet the parameters established for the Scheme, such as the contribution rate, were in the main most appropriate. Importantly, the Anguilla Scheme avoided the retrograde step of implementing a National Provident Fund as a first step to implementing a full social security scheme, the unsatisfactory route taken by many of our neighbours. I conclude that despite the existence of a great number of forces working against it, the implementation process under the eagle eyes of Mr. Webster was an overwhelming success, and without equal in the annals of Anguilla.
There have now been seven Actuarial Reviews, each of which has indicated that the System is financially strong and in fact continues to exceed expectations. It has come a long way since its inception, when it was viewed with skepticism and often, outright hostility. It has built up a solid foundation. Chief Minister and Minister for Social Security Hon. Victor Banks has stated that he has no doubt that Social Security is “the single most important institution for the economic security of our people.” Mr. Petty calls it “a developmental showpiece, continuing to impact heavily on the general wellbeing of the Anguillian people. It has become a linchpin in the sustainable development of the Anguillian economy and the bedrock of the future security and happiness of our people”. Mr. Fahie says that “Social Security is recognized throughout Anguilla as playing by far the most critical and important role by providing an effective short-term as well as long-term safety net for the working people of Anguilla.” What is left for me to say? Suffice it to say that I heartily agree with them all.
Every system, every development starts with an idea, a vision, a dream, and so it is appropriate that we recognize that visionary, former Chief Minister, Revolutionary Leader and Father of the Nation Hon. James Ronald Webster, whose vision is the reality that we now celebrate. The dream of life with dignity when one is unable to work because of the uncertainties one may face such as sickness or disability, or in one’s senior years after a lifetime of employment, or when the breadwinner in the family dies, is one that is common to mankind, but all across the world there are many for whom it remains just a dream. In Anguilla, we are fortunate that we have built on those dreams to create a strong, sustainable social security system which has in $350 million in reserves to deliver on its promise of economic security, social justice and dignity. And it is working! In 2016, over 1,000 persons were on the rolls receiving fortnightly pensions – age, disability, survivors and old-age noncontributory pensions, which totaled over $11 million. Added to this were Short Term benefits (Sickness, Maternity, Funeral) of almost $4 million, plus Social Security Development Fund expenditures, which over the years have funded sports, health, youth and culture, plus a number of other areas of social development across the island.
The implementation and growth of the Social Security System cannot however be attributed solely to the faith demonstrated by the Minister, Board and the administrative staff. It most certainly also needed, and has subsequently gained, the faith – the acceptance and support – of the people of Anguilla. I therefore express appreciation to all those who have helped in any way in the creation of Anguilla’s strong and sustainable social security system, who have been part of this success story in whatever capacity – Pioneer, Legislator, Minister, Chairman, Board and Committee Member, Staff, Actuary, Auditor, Anguilla’s Employees and Employers, Consultants, Media, Regional and International Colleagues, Partners, all. Many of those I just listed are here in this room, and I wish to say a personal thank you.
I wish to say thanks to the Government of Anguilla, and to this House of Assembly, for agreeing to my proposal to create a National Heroes Park and to designate it as the final resting place for Mr. Webster. As his nephew, I had discussed with him what arrangements he had put in place for his burial when that time comes. He told me that he has purchased a plot in the Sandy Hill Cemetery for his and his wife’s tomb. I was aware of the location of that plot, and while it may be viewed as being fitting as a “Man of the People” to take his final resting place among “the People”, I believed it was not optimal in light of his status as “Father of the Nation” and his unmatched contribution to this island and to its people. I therefore discussed with him and his wife my idea for the designation of a national site for his final resting place, naturally his wife of over forty years to date would also have to be buried next to him. Because of the delicate nature of the subject, you would appreciate that these discussions took place over a period spanning several years.
The model I proposed was one which has been applied in some other islands where a special burial place has been designated for the “Father of the Nation” or for other outstanding heroes. In Antigua, for example, the site so chosen has been designated “National Heroes Park”. After careful consideration, I came to believe that the site east of the Queen Elizabeth Avenue and west of the road leading into the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School Campus B is the perfect site for designation as a National Heroes Park and site for the Websters’ tomb. While it may never be necessary to have any other person buried there, there is sufficient space to erect other memorial(s) to other past and future heroes, as well as to provide properly landscaped and architecturally relevant structures to encourage reflection and homage by those who would visit. The rocky outcrop overlooking the park that bears his name would be the perfect place for the location of the tomb, as it were anchoring him to “The Rock”, his beloved Anguilla, and allowing a vantage point over the Ronald Webster’s Park where his words galvanized our people into revolution and nation building. It would be positioned in a prominent place relative to other significant buildings in the area including the island’s only Secondary School (Campuses A and B), the University of the West Indies Open Campus, and the Princess Alexandra Hospital. I discussed this idea with Mr. Webster, his wife Mrs. Cleopatra Webster and his children Rondie, Palona and Frankie, and they all consented to me approaching the Government of Anguilla with this proposal. Mr. Speaker, I repeat my gratitude to Chief Minister Banks and his government for their acceptance of my recommendation, and for permitting the reality that it is today.
I thank the former Social Security Board under the Chairmanship of Mr. Alkins Rogers for supporting my proposal to make the National Heroes Park and Burial Site a reality, and additionally for committing to Mr. Webster’s care in his final years in recognition of his outstanding pioneering contribution to the implementation of a Social Security System in Anguilla. I thank the present Board for committing the funds for the State Funeral and for the Burial Site. I must thank Mr. Vanburn Brooks for his outstanding work in the design of the Mausoleum and supervision of the site preparation and construction, Grieg Hughes and his construction team for an outstanding job, including completing the superstructure in a mere 8 days; Cleophas Gumbs of Anguilla Native Stone for his beautiful and symbolic stone work and Juan of Klassique Carpentry for the Door; Desmond Paul (Unique Landscapes) the landscapers, Emo Reid, tilers, Miguel Casilla for the elegant columns, Hugo and Moran Rey of Rey’s Funeral Home for the funeral arrangements, Bishop Brooks, Kenneth Hodge and all others involved in the overall planning, Hi Tek Signs for printing of Funeral Booklet, the Royal Anguilla Police Force, and of course Mr. Speaker, to you for this very impressive Special Sitting of the House of Assembly. As Susan Best Richardson just sang, all the glory goes to God!
In my opening remarks, I spoke of Janus, who represented beginnings and endings. It is up to us to ensure that Mr. Webster’s beginnings are sustained for the future benefit of our people. Management Theory describes a type of leadership that is sustained. It is called Level 4 Leadership, which is really about people development – leaders become great not because of their power, but because of their ability to empower others. Level 4 leaders use their position, relationships and productivity to invest in their followers and develop them until those followers become leaders in their own right. The result is reproduction; Level 4 leaders reproduce themselves. My greatest takeaway from this theory is that Level 4 leadership is sustainable. Mr. Webster has done his best, his duty. It is up to us here and our future generations to ensure that his beginnings are NOT ended. Anguilla has lost its greatest son, but his legacy lives on and will live on forever in our history books, and in our minds and hearts. We love you, and will miss you. Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Farewell!
