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| Nevis Island Administration |
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Premier of Nevis Hon. Joseph Parry
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CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (September 26, 2007) -- Premier of Nevis Hon. Joseph Parry encouraged Nevisians to follow in the footsteps of great Caribbean leaders, namely, the late Sir John Compton, the late Dame Mary Eugenia Charles and Sir Keith Mitchell, whose leaderships demonstrated an interest of the advancement of the peoples of the Eastern Caribbean.
His comment came while he addressed hundreds of Nevisians at Grove Park, on the occasion of the 24 anniversary of Independence of St. Kitts and Nevis.
He pointed to the leaders’ virtue, honesty, humility, courage and love for country which he said were also hallmarks exhibited by the 12 persons who had been singled out for national honour by the Nevis reformation Party - led Nevis Island Administration (NIA), on the occasion of the Federation’s 24 Anniversary of Independence on September 19, 2007.
The Premier said it was in that vein that he wanted the sitting NIA and the people of Nevis to understand the importance of honesty and integrity.
~~Adz:Right~~ “I say that because I also say it to the people of Nevis that we need to be true to ourselves. We need to be an example to the young people of this country.
“You cannot lead by words and speeches you have to lead by example and so I call upon not only the leaders of this country but the leaders of industry, the leaders of this society that we need to hold fast to integrity and honesty,” he said.
Notwithstanding, Mr. Parry used the opportunity to remind Nevisians that his Administration was about people empowerment, a characteristic, he said, that would stand firm with all the development projects expected to commence in the near future. The People’s Agenda he said was about change
“It is about change, change in our mentality, change in our mindset and making us as Nevisians understand what it means to control our destiny, to control our economic destiny to make sure that we are stakeholders and owners of every part of this island of Nevis,”
Mr. Parry spoke to a number of projects that his Administration had embarked on major projects which included Phase Three of the Island Main Road and the construction of the Barnes Ghaut, Jessups and Cotton Ground Village roads.
He also pointed to the Administration’s greatest achievement which he disclosed had taken place in education was designed to ensure that within five years every household would boast of a University graduate.
“What it means is change, change in each household change in the outlook of every community on this island,” he said.
According to Mr. Parry, Nevisians had a reputation of having pulled themselves from their bootstraps and the Nevis Reformation Party in office had done the same through its emphasis on education and training.
“It means that every household will be a money earner, it means that every person will be able to earn more so that every Nevisian will be able to buy his own land, build his own house, have his own car, have his own refrigerator, take a holiday even as far as St. Kitts but he will be able to take a holiday that is the desire and the objective of the Nevis Reformation Party.
“We [NIA] want you to buy into this, we want you to buy into the change for the better and put aside the politics of division, put aside the politics of bitterness, learn to work for your country other than for personalities and you will see the change in yourselves, your families and your country,” he said.
Mr. Parry urged Nevisians to not underestimate their culture, since a culturally strong nation coupled with hard work would succeed as was the case of Singapore an island smaller than Nevis.
“The point I want to make this morning very clear is it is not how brilliant you are, it is not how much gold or silver or oil that you have it is about the social fabric and strength of your community and your family and your society.
“This is not fiction, this is a fact that the people of Singapore are culturally strong, they work hard, they seek honesty and they seek to reward those who excel. I am saying this to say to you, that do not underestimate your culture or your cultural underpinnings, do not underestimate the Ministry of Social Transformation because the intension is to preserve and conserve what we have to keep us together as Nevisians…I am asking you to let us hold on to what is Nevisian,” he said.
The Premier said his knowledge of a Nevisian was a person who worked hard, woke up early and went to sleep early at night, who loved education, who wanted to earn his piece of land to have his own house to close his door and to be private.
“Hold on to those values and let us turn away from the glitter of gold or false gold that goes away from us. Let us hold on to the social transformation where our children are a part of the homework programme, the meals programme, the computer programmes and all the various programmes that we have done last year,” he said.
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