(Barbados Nation) Minister of Culture and Sports Stephen Lashley has voiced his disappointment and disagreement over the sale of the Barbados National Bank.
In the Emancipation Day message during a ceremony in Independence Square yesterday, Lashley said it was “quite sad that within the context of modern Barbados we see some struggling evidence which to my mind impacts on our emancipation as a people”.
He indicated that the sale of the bank was one example of a threat to Barbados’ emancipation that must be faced head-on.
“And while we may be watching the horizons for threats coming to our shores, I believe we have to look internally at those things that are threatening our own livelihood.
“Our national assets need once again to be secured for our people. Hopefully never again would somebody seek to sell off an institution . . . ,” he said.
Lashley also alluded to the fact that Emancipation Day marked a turning point, at which Barbados started on a long and often tragic and painful journey towards true cultural, political and economic freedom.
“In this regard, there is no doubt that we deserve support from the former colonial powers. We often hear the term reparations.
“We should be careful not to interpret this in a way that would mislead us. Nor should we make the assumption that any demand for reparations would of necessity be confrontational,” the minister pointed out.
