Making Ministers and Prime Ministers

Lie-Za was telling me dat easy, easy like kissing hand, Anesia Baptiste, wid-out much effort will be handed a seat in Par-liar-mint, and who knows might one day mek Prime Minister, all because ah Administration blunders. Dey meking ah set ah silly mistakes and playing right into she hands. From de time dat young lady hit de scene, she made no apology of her intention to seek public office if given an opportunity.{{more}} During de Vote No calm-pain, she actually became de focus of attention from all quarters but some bright sumbody in de Guv-ah-mint camp, who can’t come to grips wid dis “lickle girl” from ah ordinary tenement yard in Roseau Village could swing de Calm Pain away from de Guv-ah-mint four million dollar financing, figure dat de best way to frustrate any pull-it-tek-all ambitions she might have, was to target everything she says or does, chant down her Chose-han religious belief, attack her in de Press and Radio station, and den trump up some draconian charges to drag her in front ah Tribe-urinal.

So ah told Lie-Za dat if and when Anesia wins ah seat in Par-liar-mint, she would not de first Public Servant to be handed ah seat in ah platter. Way back in de 1960’s ah young and bright Surveyor name Stinson Campbell was acting in the post of Crown Surveyor, de post was advertised and a gentleman from Guyana was given the job. Immediately ah cry of injustice circulated thru-out de City and Campbell, out ah pride resigned. Within months de election bells rang and de same rejected Campbell, who was called all kind ah demeaning names “lickle boy” (rings ah bell eh) easily won de Kingstown seat foh Joshua’s PPP, he dethroned de incumbent Rudolph “Sir Ruddy” Baynes, ah man who was perceived to be unbeatable.

Somehow my lickle story from whence we came in polly-ticks, tickled Lie-Ze and she too had her own story about an easy way to win ah seat and even mek Prime Minister. She said dey was dis men-tell-he ill chap who locked himself in de building dat housed de Prime Ministers and some ah his ministers. De Permanent Secretary (PS) was first to bump into him sitting in de corridor playing with his feces. “What do yuh think yuh doing?” said de P.S. “Who me?” he asked, “ nuttin, ah just trying to mek ah Permanent Secretary”. Enraged de P.S. went and come-plain to de Junior Minister and told him what had transpired. So down de corridor de Minister headed, he found de chap still playing wid de filth. “What did you say yuh doing wid dat Sh—t” de Minister asked. “Oh well, ah trying to mek ah Junior Minister!” Dat was when de Sh…t hit de fan. Dis was too much foh dem to handle, de P.M. has to be told about dis non-cents. Enraged wid what he heard, de Prime Minister started to rant and rage: “Let me go and see dis lunatic myself, if he think he’s some kind ah ‘man about town’ dat come in hey to mash up my Cabinet, he Lie”. So de P.M. along wid his P.S. his Junior Minister and his security guard headed down de passage-way. “Comrad man, way going on!” de P.M. said, “I hear yuh been disrespecting my Staff, say how yuh making dem out ah yuh Sh…t, I suppose if I ask yuh what yuh’re making, yuh going tell me yuh making a Prime Minister too”. Nervously de man looked up at de P.M. and said: “ No Barce, not at all, ah will need ah lat more Sh.…t to mek ah Prime Minister!” Ah beg dem already to leave Aneisa, but dey prefer to do Sh…..

LOOK OUT FOH JOE

Patrons at Gospel Fest dis year in foh ah big surprise as Joseph “Joe” Caesar, an unknown Gospel Singer out ah Bagga will be coming in from his adopted home in Canada to participate. Before Joe left our shores 35 years ago, he worked at de Lands & Surveys Dept as ah Chainman/ Labourer. He was attached to my crew and yuh couldn’t help liking de guy’s wuking spirit; he journeyed from Bagga every day to wuk for $5. 00 ah day, and was never late. Talk bout girls and movie all de way from town to Sandy Bay, but we never credited Joe wid ah singing talent, he never sang foh us, but talk, yes. He migrated to Canada and ah never heard from Joe foh over 30 years, when he called one night to make some contacts and bring me up to date. And what ah success story Joe has!

He told me he got saved and accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior 32 years ago. Immediately he began his singing career/ministry with the then : Temple Aires String. He den moved over to the United States in 1979 where he attended the Bolshoi Conservatory Music School in Brooklyn New York. There he studied “Voice Mastery and Culture”. Joe didn’t stop dey, he attended de Medgar Evers College, graduated wid a BS (Business Administration). He holds an MS. International Relations (St.Johns University) and a Masters of Divinity (Rochville University). He’s also an Ordained Minister, ah dying to hear Joe preach. He has appeared in the Myrtle Whitmore gospel program “Your Sunday’s Best on NBC TV in New York.The B-Cat TV gospel program. He was among de cast dat acted in the Titus Walker Off-Broadway production “For the love of my Black Woman”, and “Raise Your Gaze” by Dillon Burgin at the Paul Robson Theater. He ran a segment for 99.3 FM Radio (Your Sunday Morning Breakfast). Last but not least, Joseph has finished and released his gospel CD “The Oracle”. I am really touched by Joe’s success and humility, he left SVG wid only ah Primary school education and wid God’s help he made it. Local gospel singer and organisor, Paul St. John has heard his music and thinks he’s good. Look out foh Joe at Gospel Fest dis year. And wid dat is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy

Bassy Alexander is a land surveyor, folklorist and social commentator.