PNM must honour Dr Williams

Dr Eric Eustace Williams, the country’s first prime minister, is not being honoured.

At least, that’s the view of Reginald Vidale, chairman of the Dr Eric Williams Memorial Committee.

Speaking at a wreath-laying ceremony at the heliport, Chagauramas, for the 38th anniversary of Williams’ death, Vidale begged the government ministers present to celebrate the life and legacy of Williams as a founding father of the country and Caricom.

In attendance were Minister of Trade and Industry Paula Gopee-Scoon, Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister, Ayanna Webster-Roy and parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Public Administration, Maxie Cuffie.

Vidale called out Government for their lack of enthusiasm in honouring Williams. who died on March 29, 1981, and founded the ruling PNM party. He said: “This is the only occasion where he is honoured. Nothing else is said, nothing else is done… I do not understand why the Government do not declare a day of remembrance, not necessarily a public holiday, to reflect on his contribution. Every day, we set aside something for something. Why can’t we celebrate Dr Williams?”

He also criticised Caricom for not doing its part to recognise Williams.

Speaking to Sunday Newsday after ceremony, Gopee-Scoon she did not agree with some of what Vidale said, adding, there were many occasions when the PNM commemorated Williams’ life, visions and contribution.

Asked about a remembrance day for Williams, Gopee-Scoon said it was “something that can be considered”.

In her address, Webster-Roy, spoke about the “we versus them syndrome” and said there is only one TT.

She added that like Williams, the country must champion nation-building and Caribbean-building as expressed in the watchwords – discipline tolerance and production

“. We can’t afford to fail our past generations like Dr Williams by not looking at the sustainable development of our future generation. We need students who think critically and challenge existing theories and perspectives. We don’t want students to simply regurgitate information, we want them to create knowledge and become innovators for positive and sustainable change. This is what Dr Williams would have wanted,” she said.

Vidale in honouring Williams and the other founding fathers of Caricom – Barbados’ Errol Barrow, Guyana’s Forbes Burnham, Jamaica’s Michael Manley – awarded them with a Father of the Nation gold medal.