If Da Noh Soh

In  remembrance…

This columnist takes some time out from throwing out the UDP trash to pay tribute to Sir Barry Bowen, a man whose contributions to our nation can never be overstated. His achievements will always be remembered. Nuff respect Sir Barry…!

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Let them eat cake…

And now on to the people’s business of disposing of the trash…! Rumour has it that at some function or the other just a week or so ago one of Belize’s royal princesses from the Barrow clan (well, they sure act like they’re royalty) was holding Court and issued a stern proclamation. According to the princess, she and the other royals of her clan won’t sleep until the staff of our humble newspaper (we dratted PUP) is forced down into the depths of depression and poverty and has trouble putting food on the table. Wow…sounds drastic, doesn’t it? I mean, here at the Belize Times we’d love to oblige the princess. We sure wouldn’t want her to lose any beauty sleep – God knows they need as much as they can get. But hell, why be modest, your royal highness? Why stop at impoverishing the staff of this newspaper? Damn, thanks to that royal clan, more than half of the entire country is having trouble putting food on the table. Your highness, haven’t you read the latest poverty assessment report? That’s the reality out here. And as to your proclamation…well, let’s leave it at that before I’m accused of treason and the Queen Lice orders my head lopped off…If Da Noh Soh!

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Keep ‘em coming…

And speaking of frivolous lawsuits, we got another letter by e-mail today. This time it’s on behalf of the good doctor himself, the one who brutally beat up a minor and then left him on the ground bleeding. Yeah, you know who, the man without a heart who says he can heal yours. Seems he’s pissed off because word of what he did is getting out there. According to the letter, we’re causing him distress and embarrassment. Well, then maybe he shouldn’t have beaten up a child. He’s worried about distress and embarrassment – imagine what the minor and his family are going through. Embarrassment my @$$, we’d love the good doctor to spend some time behind bars for what he did to that minor. Seems like that won’t happen because he has some political connections, but we can always hope. So if the good doctor wants an apology, he needs to go somewhere else. He won’t get one here. And if he thinks that the threat of another lawsuit will intimidate us, he’s even more stupid and misguided that we think he is…If Da Noh Soh!

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From jester to Chancellor

When the previous administration tried to get rid of Cadet Henderson, the UDP decided that it must have been political, so they snapped him up in a jiffy. Not only that, but they elevated the fellow to CEO in the Ministry. But the joke’s on them. That guy just can’t seem to get anything right…seriously. Look at the Kendall Bridge – washed out two years ago and the CEO is still at the stage of talking about proposals for funding. A simple thing like replacing a bridge, and he and his Minister measured it wrong. Now look, they decided to give Castro the bridge and even that they can’t get right. The bridge was too small for Kendall and it is too big for Gardenia where Castro’s land is. So the bright star CEO decided that they needed to widen the creek so that it would fit the bridge…seriously. Ask about the progress on that one? They’re still at it months and months after. And how about the works at mile 7 on the Northern Highway…we can practically see the CEO scratching his head on that one. In fact, it looks like he’s given up. Anybody who can name one spectacular infrastructural and works improvement under this UDP with Cadet as CEO will get a prize…If Da Noh Soh!

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Silent but deadly…

Has anybody seen the rotund minister of the public service lately? Almost seems like he’s gone into hiding. We can’t tell you where he’s been or where he is, but we can tell you what he’s been doing. For the past month, John has been lobbying desperately for the position of Minister of National Security. John wants to be the man who carries the big stick around the country, or at least he wants to command a couple thousand men in uniform carrying big sticks, if the first don’t work. Everybody knows that the writing’s on the wall for the disgraced Carlos Perdomo. Even he knows it and has been slinking ever so quietly into the background. The only reason he’s been kept around so long is that his family has more than a little pull in the UDP, but with recent events, even that won’t save him. Look for it in the next couple weeks…If Da Noh Soh!

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A compromise of sorts…

Embattled and bitter Saint Sedi managed to hold onto his position as Minister of Foreign Affairs against some fierce detractors in Cabinet. Man, those were some heated days in that Cabinet room as just about everyone including the PM’s chief ear-whisperer Lice called for Sedi’s head. Of course we all know why Lice called for Sedi’s head, right? Anyway, as we understand it, a compromise of sorts has been reached. Sedi has apparently agreed to let go of the AG’s ministry without a murmur on the condition that he hold on to his foreign affairs portfolio. The play has already been set. Remember Sedi’s humble apology to the judiciary for his dutty remarks – all because he didn’t want to leave on a sour note. Remember Sedi in the House just a couple weeks ago claiming that the AG’s portfolio is just too much for him and he can’t handle it? Another set play. Again, look for the announcement within the month…If Da Noh Soh!

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Told you it would happen…

Remember not so long ago I wrote in this very same column that the Board of BTL had requested a list of employees suspected of being PUP. I believe we also mentioned that everyone concerned should expect the worst from that bunch of UDP despots. Well, it’s happening. Word out of the Barrow Telemedia Limited is that terminations are being handed out left right and center. One junior management technician who has been with the company for close to 16 years was told that suddenly his post has become redundant. Several other longtime employees were told that their contracts won’t be renewed. And trust me, there’re a lot more in the pipeline. We’ll keep you updated on the happenings inside the red infected BTL…If Da Noh Soh!

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Flooded Dread…

Some residents of Maskall are on the lookout for the man we fondly call Barbie Dread, or even worse at times. See, it looks like the man built some houses for residents at the bottom of a pond which was dry then. But guess what happened when it started to rain. So there’s a bunch of people not too happy with the dread right at this moment. But what did they expect? This is the same man who used mud from the bottom of a lagoon to construct a causeway and the same man who built tilapia ponds right next to outdoor latrines…If Da Noh Soh!

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Flippin’ trespasser…

Word coming out of the beautiful town of Dangriga is that longtime District Education Officer and popular personality Gwen Nunez Gonzalez has been arbitrarily transferred out of that district. Word is that even the UDP Area Rep in Dangriga is not too happy, since he believes that the flippin’ Minister, who apparently made the request, is trespassing on his turf. That’s bad enough, but people are saying that Nunez’s replacement is a political appointee who is not qualified for the job. That, of course, would be nothing new under this UDP government. We use this opportunity to say kudos to Gwen, whose performance in Dangriga has been stellar. We are confident that she will excel wherever she goes…If Da Noh Soh!