Letter To The Editor

Dear Editor,

Please allow me some space in your newspaper to share my letter.

 As a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago, I am ashamed! My mother was from Dominica.

For the second time in less than six months, Trinidad and Tobago has the dubious honor of insulting the people of Dominica as she struggles to rebuild in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. Many Trinbagonians have been clutching their pearls this time, as our decision to vote against the waiver of OAS fees was done on an International stage, this however, is not the first time that we have shown our true colors to our battered Caribbean brothers and sisters.

In October 2017, FAME – Caribbean headed by the Ultra Bespoke Master Tailor Andrew Ramroop OBE CMTT, owner of Maurice Sedwell on Saville Row (who is currently teaching a multi-million dollar Ultra Bespoke tailoring course in Macoya funded by the taxpayer), launched “The Green Runway Benefit for Dominica and Barbuda” under the patronage of the Dominican Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, on November 25th 2018 at O2 Park. No one even batted an eyelid back then when the benefit was cancelled/switched/moved and a new production titled ON STAGE, upstaged “One Common Intention” for Dominica and Barbuda.

Instead of a charity benefit, what we witnessed was a state entity sponsored fashion show that featured Prime Minister Keith Rowley strutting the catwalk in sartorial style, wearing one of Andrew Ramroop’s 24 carrot Gold Stripes collection suits. Prime Minister Skerrit, who had already accepted Fame – Caribbean’s invitation and had other whirlwind visits scheduled around that invitation still came. He graciously thanked the people of T&T for our generosity, received seeds to help rebuild his country’s agricultural infrastructure, met with our hurricane relief management teams, attended a Thanksgiving Mass and interacted with the students of Dominica who are currently studying here.

This snub to the people of Dominica went practically unnoticed as Mr. Andrew Ramroop’s enablers turned out in full support on NAPA’s stage, yet many of the same people are now cringing over our vote at the OAS meeting. As one member of the congregation at the Thanksgiving Mass held in Malick remarked in amazement “How do you uninvite a Prime Minister?” Such is the arrogance and the thirst for FAME that we would disregard those in dire need for a chance to strut in a spotlight.

As a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago I would happily donate towards Dominica’s OAS fees in an effort to make amends for this second insult, and to let the people of Dominica know that there are those of us who really do care.

 James B. Solomon

77 Sandalwood Drive

Goodwood Gardens

Diego Martin

768-4331

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12 Comments

  1. Trying to help
    April 3, 2018

    The island on its knees/back and the PM thinks the priority is a FASHION SHOW IN T.T
    The cost of his transport(private plane) and his bodyguards would more than cover the outstanding fee.,with change.
    We need to wake up soon or no future for Dominica.

    • Chester
      April 3, 2018

      What u smoking? Did u read the letter, it was switched in arrogance.

  2. Who feels it knows it
    April 3, 2018

    Boss you need to differentiate the suffering people of Dominica from the greedy and corrupt Roosevelt Skerrit, for whom you singing. Truly Dominica suffered significantly by Maria but based on facts on the ground, aswell as actions of Roosevelt Skerrit, the distrution of Maria DID NOT touch pubic purse and therefore Da didn’t need any waivers from it’s OAS fees, because of the following: Several years before Maria Skerrit succeeded in destroying agriculture as a well as everything we relied on just to ensure the success of his sale of passports. Before Maria Skerrit had over 60% of us depending on him. Maria DID NOT affect his sale of passports according to this article: https://imidaily.com/caribbean/dominica-ciu-already-back-business-spite-hurricane-maria-havoc/ and what his friend PM Gaston Brown of Antigua, who informed his parliament that Da was making over $600 million a month from sale of passports. Days after Maria the first thing Skerrit did was to hire a Bajan accountant

    • Joe
      April 3, 2018

      And Gaston Brown won a landslide. :-P

      • Me
        April 4, 2018

        And Roosevelt Skerrit is not Gaston Browne.

  3. viewsexpressed
    April 3, 2018

    Mr. Solomon, I applaud your stance to talk on behalf of our struggling island Dominica. James, before Hurricane Maria, we had a devasted Hurricane that has brought our people to poverty and begging at the lowest. That Hurricane has been around for 17 years and continues to kill our nature isle. It`s name is “Hurricane Skerrit”, followed by his dangerous corrupted winds of bedfellows who are blind to the see corruption (Bobol) taking place in our island. These band of political thieves have enriched themselves big time, travel the world all over, engaged in nefarious activities that we the people of Dominica know not off and live a high life that our people in poverty would not see in a life time, let alone their children. Skerrit is a big disappointment and has failed us the people of Dominica. He knows not of social development and economic development. He hands out states money to his people, called the Red Clinic, where people in need assembly at government House.
    Skerrit must…

  4. Conscious
    April 3, 2018

    Son you may feel hurt but sometimes you have to punish your brother for continuous wrong doing after helping him for a long period. We Dominicans are suffering while the politicians are having good time and doing wrong with the contributions we have received. Trinidad have to protect you. Do you know of the many containers of wasted food dump for lack of proper distribution? Other countries TAX payers money gone to the dump. I am supporting Trinidad. It is time for real politicians to do what is in favor of their country.
    I reccomend you follow what is actually happening in Dominica so that you heart will not be torn or anger grow within you.

  5. Dominican
    April 3, 2018

    It is every OAS member’s right to vote for a motion as they see fit, I do not know mr. Rowley, the P.M. of Trinidad & Tobago and am in no position to pass judgement on his country’s vote. I do however know the P.M. of my own country and pray this letter is not an expression of rancour, via a third party, for apparently having been slighted at a fashion show. Such behaviour borders on the psychopathic and would worry me greatly and does not bode well for our country at a time when genuine democratic consensus about the management of Dominica is needed more than ever.

  6. Hope
    April 2, 2018

    Sir, we continue to be grateful to our brothers and sisters in Trinidad who continually stand with us; the actions of a few will never diminish that bond. We are confident that when we need help Trinidad will always be there; and we hope that Trinidad knows that Dominica will always be there. Thank you for the kind sentiments, we appreciate it.

  7. It's my damn business
    April 2, 2018

    What was your mother’s name? What part of Dominica was she from? Since ur mother was Dominican, we’re you born in Dominica? Have you ever been to Dominica? Man you sound like a damn political missionary of Skerrit’ responsible for spreading his propaganda. You were in church you said with Skerrit, where you guys gave him seeds to help decieve our farmers and now you talking it to DNO to express concern? Man I put it to you that you that like Skerrit, you don’t care a damn about Dominica except to help Skerrit stay in power to finish destroy our country. If you do concerned about Dominica, I challenge you to ask Skerrit what became of the seeds you said was given to him. Ask him why he took money world bank gave him to farmers and gave majority of it to unknown farmers, no matter what they grow. I wonder if you not voting in our elections even if you said you are from Trinidad. Skerrit has made us the laughing stock of the Caribbean and all of you just laughing at our stupidity

  8. My bad
    April 2, 2018

    @James Solomon, you claimed to be a Trinidadian though ur Mom is Dominican, which to me seems clearly that you are not very proud of Dominica. Unlike you I am a proud Dominican with both my mother and father are from Dominica and I was born in Dominica and though I reside abroad like Mrs Skerrit, I am Dominican first! At Somon, appreciate ur concern but I don’t see the need to post ur letter on DNO. In fact from your letter I can clearly see you are not a supporter of ur Trinidad government while you seem to be a very strong supporter of Skerrit’. I hope you are not part of the RED TRUCKS from T&T, used by Skerrit for his political agenda. FYI Dominicans do not hold anything against T&T for voting against Dominica in the OAS waivers fees, because most of us here know Skerrit has lots of money that he has not told us about. We think of the US$100 million dollars from Venezuela. In fact recently Skerrit told us that money is not a problem because he has .

  9. Faceup
    April 2, 2018

    Trinidad was the one of the first to come to the rescue to DA after Maria so dont worry..Skerro got money he could pay that little 20.000 US dollars. And i say it as it is.. Them there always begging..

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