NYC Is At Loggerheads With The Youth Ministry Yet Again
Although the National Youth Awards was an acclaimed success by the organizers, there are some who disagree.
The St Lucia National Youth Council has condemned the Ministry for omitting the President , Marvin Edgar, as a key note speaker.
The NYC claims that upon the arrival of Mr. Edgar, where he came prepared to speak, he was shown blatant disregard and disrespect by staff of the Ministry of Youth, especially when he brought to their attention his omission from the programme.
According to Edgar, no one took responsibility for this serious breach of protocol and neither did anyone undertake to correct the omission.
Mr. Edgar expressed his displeasure by walking out of the awards ceremony in protest.
Mr. Edgar is accusing the Ministry of Youth of continuing its attempt to undermine the NYC.
As a result of what NYC categorizes as a gross insult, the youth umbrella organisation is calling on the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Social Transformation, Thecla Augustine, to deliver a public apology for the incident.
The NYC has also sounded a call to the Youth and Sports Minister, Lennard Montoute, to intervene in the ongoing dispute between the two critical youth interest organisations.
Meanwhile in a press release sent out today (May 5th), the Ministry of Social Transformation, Youth and Sports said it was regrettable that Mr. Edgar felt he was disrespected on the occasion in question.
The ministry says it was informed of the NYC President's arrival and departure midway through the ceremony's programme of activities.
Notwithstanding this occurrence, the ministry says it plans to invite the executive arm of the National Youth Council to a meeting to thrash out this area of concern.
Also in the release, special mention was made to the evening's awardees.
Monarch Sports Club won club of the year, Mabouya Valley Youth and Sports Council took Council of the year, Keidra Phillip was named most outstanding Student Leader and Mary Campbell snatched the Outstanding Youth Entrepreneur award.
Tricia Herman excelled in the most Outstanding Youth in Arts and Culture while Rohan Lubon, the Leon Hess Principal, got the title of Youth of the Year 2007.
Mr. Lubon is the recipient of a two week attachment to the CARICOM Secretariat and the Caribbean Youth Programme in Guyana.