OFFICERS in the Ministry of Youth are being warned to shape up or ship out.
This message came from Minister of Youth, Family and Sports Stephen Lashley as he spoke to a roomful of mostly empty chairs at a Symposium On Crime And Violence organised by the National Youth Forum, which was held at the Barbados Workers’ Union’s Solidarity House yesterday.
The minister vented his anger regarding the extremely poor turnout at the event by the public, especially the youth.
“It is a public warning I am sending to the officers in the Ministry of Youth: get on board. You are not being paid to sit at a desk or pursue your own policies and agenda. Get on board with the policies of this Government.
“And I am very serious. I intend to do something about it. I intend to ensure that if there are systems in the ministry that are not workingto change [them]. It is as simple as that.
“I didn’t want to say this publicly but I have to because I have been entrusted [with] the responsibility of youth affairs in this country and I intend to ensure that the policies of this Government are carried out.
“Those who are currently in the Ministry of Youth Affairs who don’t intend to step up to the plate and work, I encourage you to find somewhere else to go.
The media can carry it; they can carry it fully in its full context,” said Lashley.
Meanwhile, Dr Ivan Henry, adviser to the forum, told Minister Lashley that he was disappointed at the poor turnout. He noted that he had worked the members of the forum “hard” in preparation for the event and that the forum had sent out invitations to “every single young person who has shown an interest in the National Youth Forum since July 4”.
“I suspect it is because the date was postponed from October 30 to November 20. I personally drafted a letter . . . to the 21 secondary schools in the island to send people here.
“We have also asked through the permanent secretary to ask every single youth commissioner, 32 of them, to bring ten people from their communities to this function. I need to ask where those people are. I know the youth . . . . they are professional people; I need to know what has gone wrong.”
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Senator Maxine McClean also expressed her disappointment with the poorly attended event.
She said that “the minister and eventually Cabinet will be criticised for failing to deliver”.
“The minister does not invite, the minister does not coordinate participation, and the minister relies on not only volunteers but paid officials to deliver,” said McClean.
