COMMENTARY: Antigua and Barbuda leadership missing in action

By Yves Ephraim 

ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA LEADERSHIP MISSING IN ACTION

It is at the worst of times where the character of a leader is made manifest. 

Anyone can be a leader in good times but it is at times of grave danger that the true character and conviction of a leader is exposed.

It was during the crisis of the civil rights movement where Martin Luther King Jr. demonstrated his determination to stand for his people and to stand for what was right, at great risk to his own life. 

It was Winston Churchill, who despite the ever present prospect of his country’s total annihilation by the German super power, rallied his people which strengthened their resolve to reverse their fortunes.

Both leaders faced circumstances that seemed impossible to overcome. Yet, they did not give up.

I must say that I am very disappointed with the quality of our leadership.

At a time when this country needs its leadership to unite us against a foreign threat, it appears to be business-as-usual.

I do not get a sense that the country is being mobilized to prepare for the worst case as we would facing the threat of an impending serious hurricane.

Antigua and Barbuda, at this time, needs to marshal the talents and resources of all its sons and daughters, regardless of political persuasion to collaborate on the way forward. 

There does not seem to be a sense of urgency.

The people are kept totally in the dark.  

When our leadership was first warned, we were told to trust our leadership and that we need not worry. 

We were assured that the prowess of our ambassadorial team was second to none.

Guess what?

That team failed us miserably and had us all scrambling for an explanation.

We were then lead to believe that our embassy would be working tirelessly these next ninety days to resolve this matter. They were supposed to be working with US officials at the highest level. 

Not sure what “at the highest level” meant! 

We were lead to believe that the agency of the US government with which we were working was unaware of the dealings of another agency that imposed the sanctions.

Then all of a sudden we receive the bombshell of our country agreeing to receive “refugees”, then slapped with the news of a EC$27,000 to EC$40,500 visa bond requirement.

Again our embassy advised us that they were caught off-guard.

We do not know who or what to believe or trust, now.

Our country was signed away without our consent, to be a human dump. Not even the details we can see in the aftermath. 

This matter is personal. 

My country and my life have been forever changed! 

My only allegiance is to Antigua and Barbuda, I have no green card or second passport. I can run nowhere if all hell breaks loose here. I grew up all my life in a relatively peaceful country. Now all that is about to change.

Now I have to live with the consequences of my leaders’ undignified surrender.

This feels like betrayal. A second betrayal, in my opinion. The Barbudan land sell-off was the first.

I now understand how it must have felt when my ancestors were captured by their own people and sold into slavery.

Without consultation, our leadership raised the white flag of surrender, and threw this nation under the bus.

A truly strong leader would have convened parliament and truly behaved as we were at war against a potential invader. 

This certainly would be the time to bring all our people together to fight. That includes political opponents.

This country needs all hands on deck!

We can rally ’round a West Indies cricket team. But Antigua and Barbuda? 

If we care for this country, we would recognized that all of us share a common destiny, therefore we must work together for our common survival against this foreign threat.

Like any family, in our everyday dealings we may have our usual squabbles but when the family is threatened we should unite to defend our family honour.

Here we are, all in a state of uncertainty, waiting for another bombshell to fall on us.

Who will be our Martin Luther King Jr. or our Winston Churchill? 

Until then, our leaders are missing in action.

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