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Tempers flare at ministry
Minister of Youth, Family and Sports Dr Esther Byer-Suckoo addressing the Press conference at Government Headquarters, assisted by Minister of Social Care and Constituency Empowerment Chris Sinckler.
Published on: 7/10/2009.
by BARRY ALLEYNE AND LEIGH-ANN WORRELL
THE SUMMER CAMP CONTROVERSY between the Ministry of Family, Youth and Sport and the Israel Lovell Foundation's Camp Kuumba has flared into a police matter.
Police confirmed yesterday they are investigating complaints of alleged misconduct against former Cabinet minister Trevor Prescod at the Elsie Payne Complex at Constitution Road, St Michael, last Monday.
Prescod, head of the Foundation and administrators of Camp Kuumba reportedly went to the complex which houses the Ministry of Family, Youth and Sports to register their concern about the very late arrival of food for their campers.
On Wednesday Camp Kuumba was pulled from the list of national camps supported by the Ministry of Family, Youth and Sports.
Minister of Family, Youth and Sports, Esther Byer Suckoo, in defending the decision to dump Camp Kuumba, said she was quite disturbed about the alleged behaviour of camp representatives at the ministry's headquarters.
"My staff was threatened. They accosted my staff, and the language from all the reports I've received, was abusive [and] the behaviour was aggressive," she said at a clear-the-air press conference called at Government Headquarters yesterday.
According to her reports, the administration of the Israel Lovell Foundation came to the ministry Monday afternoon and caused a disturbance due to the fact that their camp did not receive any lunch.
Also yesterday, an irate Prescod had his say about the camp being dumped by the ministry.
"I have been a minister of Government, and you know I have also been a consultant to Mr (Hamilton) Lashley, and we can extrapolate a lot from that but the major one that will come out is obviously the intention is to jettison not only me, but all those affiliated with the Israel Lovell Foundation," Prescod claimed during a radio interview with Starcom Network.
"It is very clear to me that all persons, as soon as there a suspicion that somebody is affiliated to the Barbados Labour Party, then out goes you."
Suckoo said that she could not allow individuals who behave in an "abusive" manner to be a part of an initiative that she is in charge of, regardless of their political affiliation. She also noted that no camps as part of the ministry's national plan would be discriminated against because of political affiliation.
Chris Sinckler, Minister of Social Care and Constituency Empowerment, who also attended yesterday's press conference, declared that the actions of the administration at the Israel Lovell Foundation were aimed at destroying the camp programme.
"Don't get tied up with any of this. This is clearly an attempt to destroy the camps programme by certain operatives and we have set a course to sanitise it from politics," he said.
26 comment found!
Fire in the camp : 7/10/2009
Very shocking and spiteful behaviour, I must say. We need to climb above party politics; both sides should be severely censured. This is despicable behaviour, to say the least.
Who these two trying to fool? : 7/10/2009
So let me make sure I got this right! An adult behaved abusively and all the innocent children were punished. Wonder what would've happened if he had kept his mouth shut and let the children continue to go hungry. Chris Sink-lower: Stop giving the children at one camp food because of a former politician's behaviour and you guys are sanitising camps from politics. Like you said though, I won't get tied up with any of that!
CAMP.. : 7/10/2009
Ppl Talking But The DLp Did something really wrong hear...Free Camps...Parents Jus Sending the children to camp because it is free...My opinion...if the camp is free...parents can supply the children with a little snack if government is being soo gracious..but that is bajan for u... the children at camp simply wastes the food.. that money that government has too spend out they gonna need it back...children now a days have it soo good they dont even kno it..and just because little food was late ppl wanna get on...soo ungrateful they are..
Stupid : 7/10/2009
Sad situation when children have to suffer because of the politikin here. De minister has a right to scold mr prescot, or even sanction his, rightfully he was probably upset and hot headed. But to remove support of the camp altogether is a sad move on the part of the gov't. Shameful. What kind of leadership do you have where a minister is pulling support of a summer camp beacuse of the behavior of the camp head. Who suffers here ? Mr precott you are probably wrong, but Dr byer-suckoo, two wrongs do not make right for de children - put aside de stuopid ego and SORT IT NOW !!!!
THE ALMIGHTY NEVER SLEEPS! : 7/10/2009
Good piece, "Tired of the Politicization of Every Last Thing." I'm on the same page with you on this one. Politics in Bim sometimes sickens me. All the "stuppidniss dat does guh on" in the name of one party or the other. It is so counterproductive and against the best interests of our nation. We need a cadre of a new breed of politicians who will put GOD first, then our country. This would require statesmen/women. Could be wrong, but don't see any on the horizon yet. I'm neither "B" nor "D", but "C" as in Christian. If the children were not being fed that is wrong and somebody in authority should be held accountable. Corrective action should be taken so that it doesn't recur. If Mr.Prescod misbehaved, he was out of order and should be censored in some way. The children were caught in the middle of this nonsense brought on by silly-acting grownups. Are they any big people left in our country? Sometimes I think not.
Tempers flare at ministry : 7/10/2009
So Esther Byer Suckoo,is defending the decision to dump Camp Kuumba. What she is really doing is defending her and staff shortcomings, The real victims are the kids. Where is the apology for letting them down like this? This is something they will never forget. all of a sudden they are out of the picture now the focus is on people who behave in an abusive manner. The abuse started with her staff what excuse can they possibly have for over looking camp Kuumba? Prescod, head of the Foundation and administrators of Camp Kuumba did what any parent would want.
Disappointed : 7/10/2009
I'm very disappointed in this Government that I helped to vote into power. At the end of the day the only ones who will suffer are the children who were attending this camp and their parent. This looks like politics, sounds like politics and smells like politics! Come on Minister Suckoo, you need to do better than this …
WHO IS "KIDDING" WHO : 7/10/2009
Everytime I happen to speak about the atrocities being committed by this bunch of DLP buffoons, my posts are relegated to obscurity. In the same manner the kids, who should be the focal point of the exerise, are relegated to obscurity. Sinckler and Suckoo are square pegs in round holes. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out. The mere fact that they cotinue to blame the BLP for every mistake they make is evidence of their lack of know-how. The people spoke and the government changed. That is respected. But if they are bunbling idiots at running the government, let's call the DLP spade a spade. It's time for Barbados to demand more from this group of lackeys. It is time to stand up Barbados. The honeymoon is long over. This DLP goverment is engaging domestic abuse at a national level.
: 7/10/2009
Where did the whole issue of BLP vs DLP come from? And since it was brought up what happen to all those people who were disadvantaged for the past 14years when the BLP was in power, simply because they were DLP supporters? Let fair be fair. This is just the BLP's way of trying to making the DLP look bad.
The DLP is the real threat to children : 7/10/2009
Minister Suckoo's inexperience and hod-head and the DLP's arrogance, is showing. That the DLP now starves children just to make a political statement - is inhumane and a new low. In some counties, this would be considered: "child abuse." Food is a basic human right. So much for the right to choose. Note that this is happening at a time when in a America, children were banned from a swimming pool because some felt they were too "BLACK." The Minister said last night on TV news that the children at the Israel Lovell camp are "TOO AGGRESSIVE." Do you see the similarity?
Somewhat Amused : 7/10/2009
I guess its true what they say: "ah hungry man is an angry man".
Conflict Resolution Is the Perfect Solution : 7/10/2009
If Mr Prescod behaves in this manner because he does not have his or think he is not having his way......then how do we expect those young campers, and furthermore "YOUNG PEOPLE" to behave when they are faced with any kind of adversity. I refuse to imagine... if this is the way our leaders behave and heralded as heros then we have no future
Confusion : 7/10/2009
What the heck is going on wid the summer camps?!?!?!?! Am I missing something here? Dont the camp organisers know in advance whether or not they will be receiving govt support so that they can prepare accordingly? And what is with the apparent last minute pulling of govt support to something like a summer camp for kids? Or am I missing something here? what is the whole story regarding this mess.
: 7/10/2009
Do your thing people, they want to see it fail..Keep on keeping on. The BLP wants the public to believe that things will only progress once they are in charge.
So much for our children : 7/10/2009
I think this situation is RIDICULOUS!! While I agree that the matter of the late arrival of food could have been handled differently, the decision to dump the Isreal Lovell Foundation as a nationally supported camp will not hurt the administrators or the ministry or Trevor Prescod. All the Ministry of Family, Youth and Sport has succeeded in doing is hurting the children and families that they claim to be working to benefit. There is no way that this matter should turn into a political stand off. I think that the Ministry should reinstate its support for Camp Kuumba and find another way to deal with the matter rather than punishing the children for the actions of wayward adults.
Camp : 7/10/2009
Not surprising! Time longer than twine. Pressy keep th flag flying.
The real scandal is the spnding of upwards of $2.9 million in six weeks on food alone : 7/10/2009
Listen chap! The Camp Programme was started by the BLP. That it has now deteriorated into a "slush fund" for hand-picked DLP operatives, who will now be paid - at the expense of persons who worked for free for more than 15 years - is another matter. The "scandal" is not persons going to the Minister to ask questions, but the use of $4.1 million of our tax dollars - $2.9 million of which will be spent on food in six weeks. This is the scandal. These are DLP camps; operated by hand-pick DLP people (part of the fatted calf) but spending upwards of $4.1 million of the taxdollars. By the way - what does the Minister mean when she say that the children from the Isreal Lovell camp are aggressive? Is this Iran? Is this Zimbabwe? Have we reached a statge now - where we are locking-up the Opposition for telling the government that it should stop distributing the pork?
Why no food ? : 7/10/2009
All that talk from both Ministers......but note that there was no explanation given as to why the ministry did not deliver the food for those children. Leave the politics to another forum, those are the kids of hard working tax payers that were deprived and left hungry.
New Kids On The Block : 7/10/2009
Minister Suckoo, who yuh really punishing...Prescod or the children in his camp? Surely there are better ways to handle this...in the Ministry of Youth, surely the the of Youth must be paramount whether D or B...
"For the sake of the children"?????? : 7/10/2009
I am disappointed with both sides in this issue. Did ANYONE think what was best for the children? Or were egos hurt, political swords drawn too early? Who will ever know? Being realistic, didn't the Minister realize that people would be upset if children were not fed? What economic sense would it make drop the camp now if you in your words "thousands of $$ were spent"? Did it make sense For Mr Prescod to be the face of I.L. Foundation knowing how foolish things turn around when anything remotely political is involved? What happened to compromise? Is that in anyone's vocabulary? Final Score: Politicians - 1, The Children - 0.
MADNESS!!! : 7/10/2009
It is not fair to the children of this camp to go hungry. the Ministry has the right to treat each camp as fairly as possible. This whole situation is the result of the political madness and in my opinion, they (the ministry thus government) is not focusing on what is important - which is the children. SHAME ON YOU!!!!!!
Why : 7/10/2009
Why must the children be the one to loose in all of this.
Illusion : 7/10/2009
Thank God for this alleged abusive occurrence by Trevor Prescod if not for it management would have nothing to justify the exclusion of Camp Kuumba. Based on all the previous stories nothing concrete was indicated as the reason for refusing to fund the camp until now, after the decision was made. The only "OPERATIVE" I can clearly see is the second chair at this press conference.
: 7/10/2009
Esther you lucky it was not the parents coming to complain about their children not being fed, not only did the camp directors have to go down there more than once to complain about food not coming, they were getting the usual government run around, that is enough for any person to get hot. It was also highlighted in the media which led to the demise of the camp and others camps with BLP associations (political cleansing). Esther should put herself in other peoples shoes if it was her children I know she would be looking to kill and cure.
No Bee : 7/10/2009
Here it come, if you are not a Dee do not apply, this is how the game is played with these fools currrently in government. They can't match the Bee so they hurt kids to get some attention.
REVERSE MIDAS TOUCH : 7/10/2009
This lame Government continues to destroy everything it touches. I call it -'THE REVERSE MIDAS TOUCH'.It is time to call general elections.
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