Nicholas says Executive needs to address issue of stranded Africans from economic angle and after ‘copycat’ claims

The issue of the stranded Africans was glossed over during the Throne Speech and treated in a similar way in the Budget Speech, notes Senator Shawn Nicholas of the United Progressive Party (UPP).

But the Senate minority leader says the Browne Administration needs to seriously address this matter, since the country could be faced with even more economic hardship, despite claims of high performance during the last fiscal year.

Further, Senator Nicholas says, financial challenges are not the only concern; there is the matter of the Administration’s claim of having been duped and of three “copycat” flights.

In the midst of residents’ calls for a public inquiry and the circulation of a petition calling for the probe, the Government had not confirmed that an investigation was underway.

However, according to this week’s Cabinet Notes, there is a preliminary report on the West African fiasco – although the compiler of the document has not been revealed.

Nicholas says the people of this country deserve to know the truth about this whole sordid affair – especially since our Citizenship by Investment Programme passports are mixed up with it.

Nicholas, who is also the UPP’s general-secretary, reports that the Party recently had an audience with Governor-General Sir Rodney Williams.  A three-person delegation shared the UPP’s concerns about the airline debacle and advocated for a public inquiry.