Prime Minister Gaston Browne said his administration is continuing to build on
legacy of the late Father of the Nation, Sir V.C Bird, in providing economic and
social benefits for the people of Antigua and Barbuda.
PM Browne was speaking Monday at the annual VC Bird Day ceremony held at
the Bust of VC Bird on Lower Market Street as hundreds gathered to celebrate the
life of this extraordinary man, who is still loved and admired some twenty-five
years after his death.
“Sir VC Bird was a transcendent hero; he made the single largest contribution to
the socio-economic development of our country, standing ‘head and shoulders’
above all others. That is why we insisted that VC Bird Day should be a stand-alone
holiday, separate from the others as we celebrate the achievements and
contributions of our late Father of the Nation. It is unfortunate that our political
opponents continue to disrespect Sir Vere by refusing to honour his contributions
on this, the day set aside in his honour,” PM Browne noted.
The prime minister recalled that the UPP Administration had abolished the VC
Bird Day and instead substituted it with National Heroes Day. However, he
revealed that this was a move which the ABLP opposed and when the party was
returned to office in 2014, it re-instated the VC Bird Day holiday.
“It is very fitting that we continue to celebrate his contributions and his
achievements to inspire our generation and future generations to higher levels of
achievements. He was a courageous man who was self-taught with significant
wisdom,” PM Browne observed. According to the prime minister those individuals
who attempt to make the case about the need for higher learning by using the
example of Sir VC Bird, they are just wrong!
ABLP Chairman E.P Chet Greene also spoke at the ceremony noting that VC Bird
was that leader who took Antigua and Barbuda from a sugar plantation economy to
one of diverse activities led by tourism.
“He championed education, recognizing that the key to unlocking our nation’s
potential lay in empowering its people. Today, free primary and secondary
education is a right we enjoy because of the groundwork he laid. Sir Vere must be
proud of the addition of tertiary education to the mix of educational opportunities
readily made available by today’s labour administration.
“He modernized our infrastructure, paving roads, building homes and constructing
the airport that now bears his name and is the gateway that is connecting Antigua
and Barbuda to the rest of the world,” Greene noted.
President of the Antigua Trades and Labour Union, Bernard DeNully, made a call
for the involvement of young people in the Labour Movement, that link between
the AT&LU and the ABLP.
“Youth involvement in 2025 within the Antigua Trades and Labour Union is most
critical now than before. The reality of the situation is that Union's Membership
has aged considerably and soon will need the energy and drive of our vibrant,
intelligent and influential youth members to take on leadership roles in the various
positions of our executive and internal staff of the Antigua Trades and Labour
Union. As the president of AT&LU, I sincerely encourage the Central Youth for
Labour to prioritize their time and start to become fully involved in steering the
ship of our mother institution of the Labour Movement, the Antigua Trades and
Labour Union,” he stated
