by Cippy Gibbs
Save our institutions, save our jobs, save our heritage. What does it take for Grenadians to wake up and be aware of what is happening in our country?
What will it take to end the disrespect, perpetrated by foreign entities? Energy, communications, banking, hotels, we have lost it all.
Where are the elected men and women who are supposed to give us a better and brighter future? Grenada has now become the playground for the crooked, the unscrupulous, aided and abetted by weak institutions, impotent NTRC, an inept union and an ineffective, self-seeking political leadership.
The pride of country is being sucked out of our nation and is being replaced by a silence that’s deafening.
Remember the phrase “Grenada to the world” well the truth is the world has come to Grenada, and we suddenly realise we are out of our depth.
Can the reality be that governments are unable or unwilling to confront these foreign owners?
The latest company to ride roughshod over the nation is Liberty Global the owners of FLOW/LIME.
What is taking place at this company should never have been allowed to happen, and questions must be asked of the role the government played when Liberty Global bought LIME, who previously bought Columbus Communications and promptly sold it to Liberty Global.
Question: Why was LIME allowed to return to Grenada when they previously embarked on a down-sizing programme by drastically cutting the workforce causing hardship and an uncertain future?
What role did the government play in those negotiations? Was there a merger and acquisition committee set up to look at the dealings of these companies and ensure competition in the industry? What was the role of the NTRC? Were there adequate laws to challenge these sales?
While I’m playing the blame game, let me also say that what is happening at FLOW1 with the workers losing their jobs and CC6 on life support, is a direct reflection of the poor leadership showed by successive country managers – Kirley Prescod, Gail Purcell, Claudette James-Newton and James Pitt who, over time have advanced their position within the company instead of developing the potential and creativity of the human resource.
Is it fair that these workers should be sent home? Maybe not, but this is not just about those who lost or are losing their jobs at FLOW1, this is about how a nation is treated by a foreign company who is here to minimise to maximise. This should be the catalyst to say, “it has to stop” and we are making a collective stand.
When people are treated respectfully, they respond in the right way. A late fee charge was levied on cable subscribers, but no compensation for poor service. A petition and demonstration against the increase of the internet charges were organised, but it went ahead anyway. It seems we’re on our own, abandoned by the powers that be.
Now, this is the time for affirmative action against this company. A collective response is needed and the most effective way is for all domestic cable subscribers to withhold their monthly payment as a protest at the way this company operates in Grenada. They will try to intimidate but stand firm, for a corporation regardless how strong will never defeat the will of a united people
Make this part of the political narrative for the upcoming elections, make the politicians you vote for understand what is happening in our country, and if they fail to address the problem or deliver they will be voted out. This is the time for change and a new consciousness of self-worth.
Please act now, take this opportunity or we will be forever subservient.
Cippy Gibbs is a former Host/Director/Producer and Programme Director CC6.
