Children making major $$ but parents struggling to repay school loans- Premier
Those children fitting that situation were described by Premier and Minister of Finance Honourable Andrew A Fahie (R1) as "wicked wretches".
Premier Fahie was at the time debating the motion at the 13th Sitting of the Second session of the Fourth House of Assembly (HoA) at Save the Seed Energy Centre in Duff's Bottom, Tortola, on July 28, 2020, for the establishment of a committee to lead the reforming of the VI Constitution.
The statement was used as an analogy to reference the struggles of those who fought for freedom from slavery.
"That's the problem with some of our people.When they come back they gone up on the ladder and they don't want to see their mother and father. They kick down the ladder; they don't want to see nobody else come up.
"Nobody must move with them. They nose up in the air and they wonder when they fall why they fell," Premier Fahie remarked.
Wicked wretches
Hon Fahie added that he knows there are parents still fighting to pay loans for their children because they sent them to school “and the child come back making major money still leave the loan to their parents and never take it up."
It was at this juncture he said of those guilty, "What a set of wicked wretch."
According to Premier Fahie, the tendency of a Virgin Islander is to sacrifice all they have to make sure their children are properly educated.
“Even if they (parents) didn’t go to school they would sell a piece of land to make sure that their child go to school.”
He argued that his reasons for taxing remittances leaving the Territory through money transfer services are justified.
"That is why I will take that seven percent from Western Union and build that old people home for some of them that their children turn their back on them."
"Ayo could do what you want there with that because it hurts an old person when they know that when they spend all they had to send a child to school and they get back and they are speaking the Queen’s English and they forget about the people who send them."
In a rhetorical mode, Premier Fahie challenged persons to picture their ancestors seeing the VI in its current state, knowing that they had fought to get the Territory to where it is today.
"But if we don’t move forward to get it better, they would just turn in their grave and realise that we have no respect for the blood that they shed in the dungeons they were in and the murders of them fighting coming forward so that we could be free and move to the next level."
41 Responses to “Children making major $$ but parents struggling to repay school loans- Premier”
It's BVI culture thing.
that I have my big time job in the States, I can afford to deposit $2,000 per Month in their account that I set up to take care of their expenses. Not all of are Wicked Wretches towards our parents.
Trust me I'm reaping the sweet from my parents today because I was not ashamed of them they didn't have the money to send me to school overseas like some other parents were able to do for their children in those days.
Today I'm eternally grateful for all the time and the tears, toys food and clothes and for sucking out the cold from my nose so I can breathe properly. I can hear you saying "yuck" this person couldn't find a better word or sentence? I want to tell it like it is. Don't push them away inspite of how they look or how disgusting that may seem to you. They are the ones through thick and thin stuck with you. It's your turn to stick with them. Many days I wish my parents were still here I am bless to have had wonderful parents they kept me on the straight and narrow road.
Hats off to all those of you who takes care of your parents you will reap if you faint not. Blessings will run you down and over take you. Those of you who don't you are not going to like your portion. So try your best and do what is right. We owe a debt to them pay it or loose your blessing.
Father help us all.
Just saying.
Many times I felt like giving up, but I didnt. I soldiered up and fought the good fight; their sacrifice always in the back of my mind. Today I am duly employed because of them, and doing what I love. There is nothing and no one that can stop me while I am on this green earth, from taking care and giving back to my family. I try to make all the time in the world for them because they have always made the time for me.
Not every Virgin Islander has behaved in the manner described by the Premier, but I do know of many people who went abroad and did not return home. It's not that some of these people are not supporting their families here; but for some the conditions to return home to provide a contractual service were not met. Whilst I am not beating anyone who wants to get that experience and earn the monies that would truly amount to their service, I still think at some point they should return to provide that service that they agreed to provide from inception.
Sometimes we seem like we are prospering but what goes around comes around. We must be careful how we treat our elders because we may live to regret it in the worse way.