UWP Leader Edison James Challenges the DLP Government to Accept Parry Bellot’s Productivity Report & the Responsibility for Failing to Secure a Productive Public Sector, or Fire Him 

Reporter: Marilyn Isles Date: Friday, January 27th, 2012

UWP Leader and former Prime Minister Edison James believes the report made by Government Productivity Consultant Parry Bellot in regards to the productivity of the Public Sector is most unreliable, due to the method used to attain it. He says however, if Bellot’s unfounded allegations were true, that would confirm what the opposition has been declaring for years, that the DLP government has failed to demonstrate any leadership for the public service, or to uphold its responsibility in managing public affairs. UWP President and former Prime Minister James added that the Skerrit led DLP government must now decide whether or not to accept Mr. Bellot’s findings, and claim responsibility for failing to secure a productive public sector, or reject them and dismiss him from his post for reasons of gross incompetence, and for being completely unproductive.

Local Entertainer/Comedian Franklyn Moses & Social Worker Francis Joseph Speak about Mental Health Treatment to Q95’s “Hot Seat” with Matt; fine line Between Sanity and Insanity                  

Reporter: Marilyn Isles Date: Friday, January 27th, 2012  

Entertainer/Comedian Franklyn Moses says there is a fine line between sanity and insanity, and Dominica’s institutions which are responsible for the treatment of people with mental illness, must begin to establish the necessary framework for treatment of these individuals as human beings, who need to be re-integrated into society, rather than ushering them into mental institutions which are not equipped to address their needs. With respect to appropriate treatment of individuals suffering from mental health disorders, Social Worker Francis Joseph comments that inserting persons automatically into closed institutions, and not treating them as human beings, is not the best answer to get results.  Joseph says these institutions have a role to play in identifying the appropriate methods of treatment that is necessary to meet a person’s needs, rather than institutionalizing them and forgetting about them. Joseph raises concern that Dominica does not have the appropriate social networks required to aid recovery of individuals.

Back to top

Teachers say they are Pleased with the Lessons the Students Learned from their Involvement in Junior Co-operative Month, as it Encourages and Instills Cooperative Attitudes in Them

Reporter:Marilyn Isles Date - Friday, January 27th, 2012 

January is marked as Junior Cooperative Month. Students from six local schools including, Convent Prep and Salisbury Primary in Roseau, and Wills Strathmore Stevens Primary and Wesley Primary in Marigot, participated in a Drama competition eliminations, in which ten students from each school were required to perform dramatisations of the effectiveness of cooperatives. The Convent prep emerged as the winner of the eliminations in Roseau, and Wills Strathmore Stevens was the winner in Marigot. IYC Coordinator, Ms. Melisha Davis stated that the aim of Junior Cooperative month is to raise student’s awareness and understanding of the benefits of Cooperatives. Teachers from the Convent Prep commented that they were pleased with the lessons the students are getting from their involvement in this event, as it encourages cooperative attitudes from the children.Nominations for Best Actor and Actress awards were made during today’s eliminations and saw for students from two schools recognized, Jamahl Joseph and Brier Evens from Convent Prep and Aurel Pierre and Micanda Dorsette, from the Will Strathmore Stevens School. The competition finals will be held in early February.                                                                                                                           

                                                                                                                           Back to top

Investigative Journalist Lennox Linton says any Issue Involving Low Productivity from Public Officers, is a Reflection of the Poor Leadership and Bad Management of the Public Service

Reporter :Marilyn Isles Date: Friday January 27th, 2012

Investigative journalist Lennox Linton says any issue involving productivity in the public service, is a reflection of the current poor leadership and management of the public service. Linton believes that productivity development in the public service, under the supervision of DLP government appointed Productivity Consultant Parry Bellot has been a dismal failure, and he should be removed from that position. Linton was sharing his view on Parry Bellot’s self proclaimed productivity report, which he admitted was not based on proven professional scientific methods.  

                                                                                                                                                                                                               Back to top

Dr. Griffin Benjamin Consultant Psychiatrist & CMO (Ag) Questions DPP’S Statements to Justify his Discontinuation of Case of Sara-Lynn Augustine who Killed her 2 Small Children

Reporter: Press Release Date: Friday, January 27th, 2012

Dr. Griffin Benjamin Consultant Psychiatrist and Chief Medical Officer (Ag) says DPP’S statements to justify his Actions in discontinuing the Case against Sara-Lynn Augustine, who killed her two Small children, are demeaning, unethical and wholesomely unprofessional conduct that is not expected to come from such a prestigious office. He says … “On Monday January 23, 2012, the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) defended his decision to discontinue the court matter involving a client of the Community Mental Health Team. Benjamin says a few statements used by this senior judicial officer to justify his actions could be considered demeaning, unethical and wholesomely unprofessional conduct that is unexpected from such a prestigious office”. Dr. Griffin Benjamin contends that “the Public declaration by the DPP that he had discussed the matter with the Consultant Psychiatrist is incorrect. The Consultant Psychiatrist was ordered by the court to present a psychiatric report to the court on completion of a court ordered admission (Section 8.1). This report was submitted to the court October 4, 2010 and represents the only communication between the offices of the DPP and the Consultant Psychiatrist.  It was very unethical that the DPP could read out to the public the words of a confidential medical report that was issued by court subpoena”. Griffin says “the courts in Dominica rely mainly on the professional discretion of a Consultant Psychiatrist to determine the fitness of Dominicans to offer a plea in court when there may be doubts of the individual’s mental competence.  In accordance with the Mental Health Act 1986 Section 8.1, the court orders that any person before the court who is presumed to be mentally unstable be admitted for a period of time until he becomes well and fit to plead.  Unfortunately, the statements by the DPP indicate that he may not understand the issue of mental competence to stand trial.  Every month, the Community Mental Health Team treats dozens of persons with Mental Health problems and makes them fit to stand trial”. He says the “DPP has the authority to discontinue any matter that is before him.  However, he must be able to justify his actions in a reasonable manner without pulling down his own social support system.  The CMHT has successfully provided care and support to this client over the past eighteen months. Therefore, the decision by the DPP to refer this client for institutional Mental Healthcare in another country was unnecessary. This senior officer is not in a position to condemn the Dominica Mental Health Services”. Dr. Benjamin concludes by saying … “the decision of the DPP to discontinue a case of double infanticide secondary to Post-partum Depression is well supported by medical rationale.  It is probably the most honourable action to take.  The CMHT has the professional capacity to provide professional mental health care to all of Dominica despite the negative views expressed by the Director of Public Prosecution”.                                                                                                                                                                                                         Back to top

Dominica Public Service Union General Secretary Thomas Letang Condemns Government Productivity Consultant Parry Bellot’s Statement that Public Officers Productivity is at 20%

Reporter: Lakisha Labassiere  Date: Friday January 27th, 2012

General Secretary of the Dominica Public Service Union, Thomas Letang, has condemned statements from Government’s Productivity Consultant, Parry Bellot, suggesting that productivity within the public sector is at a low 20%. Letang says Parry Bellot had no scientific means of arriving at this figure and questions his credentials and qualifications to be holding the position of productivity consultant in the first place.He says Mr. Bellot has never had anything positive to say with regards to public officers. Letang states further that Parry Bellot has failed to recognize the tremendous work and sacrifice being done by public officers in Dominica. He says while he is not suggesting that there are no public officers who need to pull their weight, these sweeping statements by Parry Bellot are totally inaccurate.  

                                                                                                                         Back to top

Dominica Police Force has Confirmed that Early Yesterday Morning, the body of a man was found in the Les Pointes area Located between Mahaut and Massacre on the West Coast                                                                                                                                         Reporter: Marilyn Isles  Date: Friday, January 27th, 2012

The Dominica Police Force has confirmed that earlier this morning, the body of a man was found in the Les Pointes area, located between Mahaut and Massacre on the West Coast. They have reported that their investigations are ongoing, and everything is being done to get to the bottom of that matter in due course.Q95 News will bring further information on this development as it becomes available.  

                                                                                           Back to top

                                                                                                        Jamaica at pivotal point in its development, says minister                 caribbeannetnews.com - Tuesday 18th March 2008  

Minister of Energy, Mining, and Telecommunications, Clive Mullings, has said that Jamaica is at a pivotal point in its development, largely defined by an enhanced capacity to access and disseminate information. Mullings, who was addressing the recent opening session of the Jamaica Community Access Point (CAP) Network Conference, attributed this development to the contribution of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in enhancing government business and enriching people's lives. "Worldwide access to information and communications technology is critical to poverty reduction, because it provides the opportunity for new sources of income and employment for the poor. It also will assist in improving the delivery of health and education services, and the competitiveness of our economy," he told the audience. Against this background, the Telecommunications Minister said it is essential that a realistic approach be taken to bridging the ICT gap, as this divide impacts "not only on matters such as income inequality and education, but also on issues such as location, whether rural or urban and infrastructure, as it relates to our e-readiness as a society". Mullings said the government is well aware that one of the downsides of the technology revolution is the potential for increasing the disparity between the "e-haves and the e-have-nots". "E-inclusion is critical to the mandate of our government and we will continue to maintain an emphasis on e-connectivity and access for all members of the society. E-government, e-connectivity. are going to be terms that are going to be a part of the language of societies the world over.the paradigm has changed and we need to ensure that we are at the forefront of that change," he stated. The Minister said however, that there are great prospects for modernization, particularly in areas such as the deployment of the submarine optical cable network in the Caribbean.

                                                                                                                         Back to top

Protestors converge on St Kitts over allegations of animal abuse    caribbeannetnews.com - Tuesday 18th March 2008   

Holding signs reading, "Ross University: Stop Torturing Animals", members of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) will hold a series of protests against the alleged maiming and killing of animals in laboratories at Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine. PETA wrote to officials at Ross - which is owned by Chicago-based DeVry, Inc. - outlining students' concerns and explaining that other veterinary schools have switched from using animals to modern, humane alternatives, but the school's president has failed to take action. PETA pointed out that the experiments might also be in violation of St Kitts' cruelty-to-animals law. The first protest will be held at the university on Monday, and other protests will follow at RLB International Airport and the Government House: Because St Kitts law forbids causing "unnecessary suffering" to animals, PETA asked Attorney General Dennis Merchant to investigate the allegations and prosecute any offenders, but that request also went unanswered. "Ross veterinary students are forced to cut open dogs' stomachs and other organs, sever donkeys' nerves and ligaments and conduct other unnecessary procedures on animals before they kill them", says PETA Research Director Kathy Guillermo. "Ross should be teaching students how to heal animals - not mutilate and kill them."                                

                                                                                                                         Back to top

Chavez goads US over terrorism blacklist and sanctions                      caribbeannetnews.com - Tuesday 18th March 2008 

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez dared the United States on Friday to impose sanctions on his OPEC nation as a terrorism sponsor after US officials said they were investigating his support for Colombian rebels. The probe could prompt the Bush administration to put the self-styled socialist revolutionary on the list and impose sanctions on the major oil supplier to the United States. "They threatened to put us on the list of terrorists that they've got there. Great, let them make their list and shove it in their ... pocket," Chavez said with a pause for comic effect. The United States, which clashes with Chavez over everything from oil prices to arms sales, has pledged to investigate Colombian allegations this month that a rebel's computer files show Chavez offered the FARC $300 million (150 million pounds). The leftist, anti-US Chavez expresses sympathy for Marxist FARC rebels and has called for the United States and the European Union to stop labeling the group as terrorists, causing friction with neighbouring Colombia, a US ally. This year, Chavez has negotiated the release of six high-profile hostages held by the FARC. He says accusations he sponsors Latin America's oldest insurgency are part of a US plot to destabilize his OPEC nation. Five countries are currently on the US list: Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan and Syria. Venezuela is an ally of Cuba and Iran and has improved ties with the three other countries since Chavez came to power in 1999. It is not clear if blacklisting Venezuela would disrupt US purchases of its crude. President George W. Bush criticized Chavez this week as a demagogue who wastes record oil income in a country where there have been periodic food shortages in recent months. "The empire boss is desperate," Chavez said at a political rally in response to Bush's statements.

                                                                                           Back to top