After three-and-a-half years in Anguilla, Governor Tim Foy, OBE, will be leaving the island to return to the United Kingdom. The Governor, who shared a tremendously good working and personal relationship with the Government and the Anguillian population, has disclosed that he, and his wife, Dr. Dina Foy, will be leaving Anguilla on December 30.
“I am afraid to say that my time in Anguilla comes to an end on the 30th of December, but it has been three-and-a-half amazing years to be on a journey with Anguilla,” he told media representatives on Tuesday, December 8. “It was a journey through the storm [Hurricane Irma], out of the storm, through all the economic difficulties we had, and Covid-19.”
Commenting on the Anguilla Programme, in which he played a key role, he said: “It is not just about buildings, new schools, or expansions to the hospital. It is about a new relationship between Anguilla and the United Kingdom Government, and where the UK Government is going to stand by its overseas territories during difficult periods of time. For me, that is so important to re-defining the relationship between the United Kingdom and the people of Anguilla.”
Asked to comment on the new Governor, Ms. Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam, Mr. Foy responded: “I have had a few telephone conversations with her. She seems very smart, very bright, very able and very capable. I know that if she gets half of the kindness and charity that I have had from the people of Anguilla, she will be a very lucky person and she will do the job.”
Governor Foy was asked to comment on the reduction of the UK foreign aid [and its impact on Anguilla] which led to the recent resignation of the Minister, Baroness Sugg. He stated: “We will have to wait and see. I think the important thing is that the reduction in official development assistance won’t affect Anguilla because we are not an official development assistance qualifying territory.
“I have been speaking with the Premier, over the last couple of weeks, to make sure that there is a continuation of financial assistance into 2021. We are going to need it because this …virus, that some of us thought would burn itself through in June or July, is still hanging around – and is getting worse. So we need to get that support, and I am confident that we will get it.’”
Questioned whether there was any specific date for the UK Government to supply Anguilla with Covid-19 vaccine, Governor Foy said: “We are working on that now, and the United Kingdom Government has been working across the Overseas Territories with the Chief Medical Officers and the Departments of Health. The UK Government will provide the vaccine. It will be free of charge.
“They will try to roll it out with the same speed as they roll out in other parts of the United Kingdom. I am not going to give a date because I don’t know when. There is no attempt to slow this down. We have been working very closely with the health folk here – looking at whether we have the right facilities for storage; the right equipment; and the need for syringes. All of those things are necessary to make it happen. I have been very impressed by the Health Department’s scheduling of prioritisation. They have a plan and are ready to roll.”
He could not tell which of the three approved vaccines Anguilla would be receiving. He noted, among other matters, that there was a need for different storage temperatures and the need to have the suitable equipment. “I don’t know at the moment what vaccine Anguilla will be getting,” he stated. “The decision will be taken on the basis of logistics as much as anything else – although I think our ability to handle the vaccines, which need deep cold storage, is actually something we can actually do. I think this is a fantastic achievement for us. This goes to show that although we are small, we are not behind the world. We have done many things which are way above the world. The vaccine is one thing. The other is our testing facilities which are among the best in the world.
“Sadly, we have recorded some people arriving from overseas. They came here with negative tests and we picked them up. That is the quality of the staff in the laboratory – and their dedication of very long working hours to make sure that everyone is tested properly.”
Meanwhile, Governor Foy was pleased that he had obtained a further amount of funds for the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School project. “Tenders have gone out and as soon as they are completed work will start on the science lab which is critical. That is going to be eight rooms, and will give youngsters the full range of science education learning which they previously got – but not as good. That will cost about three-and-a-half to four million pounds.”
The Governor was asked what particular experience in Anguilla he would be taking with him back to the United Kingdom. “As I said, before, it has been on a journey with people. Since the morning I met you [Nat Hodge] after Hurricane Irma, we [the people of Anguilla] have been in that together and that is what I will treasure. It is not just one day or anyone project. It was being together on a journey, and learning about each other and coming to trust each other. I don’t get emotional, but this has been a special journey and I have been privileged to witness Anguilla come through some terrific circumstances.”
