The following is a New Year’s message from the Hon. Jerome Roberts, Adviser to Chief Minister Hubert Hughes. It was sent to the media for publication on Monday, December 31, 2012.
Fellow Anguillans and in particular the Residents of District # 2 I bid you New Year’s greetings
As we approach the commencement of another New Year we ought to all give thanks to God the Almighty for spared lives to see this day. God has been gracious and good towards us that despite our unworthiness he has allowed us an opportunity to see this new year with the hope of us recommitting to his grace and favor for our lives.
Anguilla is indeed bless and to God be the glory honor and praise for his divine guidance granted to our Leaders be they political, religious or otherwise for their fortitude and tenacity to plow through these difficult and uncertain waters which we have all weathered in 2012.
Fellow Anguillans it was not an easy road to travel but we have made it through and I am optimistic that though we are still not out of the woods that we have a lot to be thankful for.
All around us we hear the cry for food to be put on tables, clothes to be put on backs and shoes on the wounded feet, it is an International,Regional and National cry and we are all in this together my friends.
This Administration has being doing all in its power to keep this nation afloat amiss the obstacles that are thrown at us from all directions , those who are hungry for power and sit in the wings waiting, the FCO who continues to neglect our accomplishments but seek to drive daggers into a firm truck and daggers from within. Through it all with God’s help we were able to fight those evil powers off and today we are able to share in another New Year.
Anguilla will overcome someday these rough waters of growing unemployment, senseless criminal behavior and a rise in social degradation with in our homes and wider society.
You have granted us the opportunity to lead you for 5 years, and that we are committed to doing fellow Anguillans. Each and every day of this Administration‘s life has been dedicated to looking out for the interest of our Anguillan people. Ongoing investor discussions and negotiations are taking place, MOU’s are being agreed and signed, all in the interest of getting the economy moving once again. We are doing our best to get the wheels turning again but this will require all hands on deck fellow Anguillans. We are in no way isolated from what is happening around us regionally or internationally and this we ought to always bear in mind. The pundits and power seekers will try and tell you that they can do better. I hasten here to say remember from where we have come in 2010 fellow Anguillans. A bankrupt treasury resulting in new tax measures being enforced to keep this Island afloat.
This New Year must see a change in the way we conduct ourselves as Anguillans, it must see a higher level of maturity being displayed, a sense of pride for Country above self. While politics is very much still in the air since the last elections of 2010,I call on all politicians and aspiring politicians to be true to the information being disseminated to the public, be honest and transparent in delivering your points. Sadly we are becoming very polarized and that in itself does not speak well for our Island and for those Heroes and Heroines who fought for Freedom and peace in 1967.
Fellow Anguillans I wish to close by saying that 2013 must be looked at with a sense of HOPE, hope that something positive will happen that will make our people regain confidence. It is no time to fall down and play dead, we are a resilient people, a people of strength even during times of adversity and as we have struggled and survived from 2008 until now we shall overcome.
Residents of District # 2, the path ahead is still bleak and I urge you to be vigilant in your day to day operations and to use wisdom at all times.
We will continue to weather this economic storm and I ask of you to watch and pray.
In 2012, as a Government we were able to sign 2 MOUs, namely Ce Blue at Crocus Bay and Ku in Shoal Bay. We are working to bring closure to the Malliouhana situation and are drawing closer to the signing of an MOU with the potential Developers very early this month. The National tourism master plan is now before us as a road map to Anguilla’s tourism development. We were able despite the many detractors to see the return of the Dolphin Fantasy to Anguilla. Anguilla continues to be marketed in more ways than one and the shooting of the Real House Wives in Anguilla again has added valve for our tourism Product. Our investment again in the area of tourism with the construction of a new port facility in St. Marten has added much value to the product we seek to promote, fellow Anguillans. This Port facility has brought with it the return of a late night service that can now ease the access to Anguilla without the need to overnight in St. Marten as a result of flights that would have arrived after 7pm into St. Marten. In the area of Electricity, work is moving on finding alternative sources of energy namely solar with the completion of a study which was done under the watchful eyes of the Ministry of Infrastructure. We were also able to meet our target of a balance budget as requested by the FCO at the end of 2012. You played a vital role in us achieving this milestone and for that we say thank you fellow Anguillans.
I have mentioned these achievements just to refresh your memory of the work which your Government has being doing and this is by no means all that we were able to achieve under these tough times.
Brothers, Sisters, Friends , let us seek in 2013 not to destroy each other but rather strive to build each other and in so doing Anguilla will reap the rewards of such peace and unity which is so lacking.
These fruits will be spread around the land and we will individually and collectively all stand to reap the fruits of working and respecting each other.
May 2013 be a blessed and prosperous year for us all.
God Bless you and may God bless Anguilla.
