Black Immigrant Daily News

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The President of the National Principals’ Association (NPA), Valerie St. Helene-Henry, has called on the Ministry of Education to spend more money on school security.

She spoke on Monday after masked bandits targetted the Castries Comprehensive Secondary (CCSS) and the Sir Ira Simmons Secondary schools last week, escaping with computers and other devices.

“There’s need for some serious attention to be given to school security and safety. It’s not business as usual. The Ministry of Education needs to be ready to increase funding as it relates to school security,” the NPA President told St Lucia Times.

St. Helene-Henry has spoken out before on the need to beef up school security, indicating the need for an upgrade in the level of security officials at learning institutions.

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She pointed out that they are unarmed and have no defence or protection.

“All they are there to do is to watch and after an incident once they have not been injured they call the police,” the NPA official told St Lucia Times.

“We need to look at preventative measures so that people who come in are caught on the compound or as quickly as possible,” St. Helene-Henry observed.

And although noting that CCTV cameras were present at the CCSS and Sir Ira Simmons School when the bandits struck last week, she noted that the intruders were skillful.

“They come to get rid of the cameras,” St. Helene-Henry observed.

She also spoke of the need to beef up school infrastructure to make access to certain parts of a learning institution difficult.

The NPA President specifically mentioned Learning Resource Centres, which house large screen televisions, computers, and other electronic devices.

She felt such areas should not have the doors, windows, and locks that traditional classrooms have but ones that make it difficult for criminals to break in.

“I think they are too relaxed and they need to heighten focus on school security and it needs to be done swiftly,” the NPA President said regarding the authorities.

“Look we are going into vacation and maybe be some criminals may be planning to target specific schools during the vacation. The Ministry of Education needs to put a strategic plan in place,” she declared.

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Las autoridades lograron extinguir el fuego que se reportó a eso de las 8:38 de la mañana del martes en el Hospital Menonita de Caguas.

Según la información preliminar, el incendio comenzó en el área donde se ubican los tanques de oxígeno. Los mismos se ubican en la parte posterior de la institución médica.

Además, se informó que no hubo desalojo y que los pacientes y empleados están seguros.

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Un hombre murió ahogado a eso de las 3:00 de la tarde de ayer en el Río Guatemala de San Sebastián.

Según el reporte de la Policía, Hermelindo Soto Rodríguez, de 68 años, residente de Mayagüez, se encontraba junto a su familia y amigos, cuando fue arrastrado por la corriente.

Los paramédicos de Emergencias Médicas Estatales indicaron que no tenía signos vitales.

Agentes de la División de Homicidios de Aguadilla y la fiscal Belinda Brignoni se hicieron cargo de la investigación.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

Prime Minister the Hon. Gaston Browne has expressed shock at the assassination of former Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe on Friday who was shot at a campaign event in the western city of Nara, near Kyoto, an attack which has shocked Japan where gun violence is virtually nonexistent.

“I want to take this opportunity to extend condolences on behalf of the government and people of Antigua and Barbuda to the government and people of Japan on this very sad event – extremely unfortunate event in which the former leader, former Prime Minister Abe, was assassinated.”

Prime Minister Browne recalled meeting Prime Minister Abe months after being elected into office in 2014, recalling that he had  very good discussions about strengthening both the bilateral relationship between Antigua, Barbuda and Japan, as well as the relationship between Japan and CARICOM.

“In that meeting, we made significant progress on a number of areas of cooperation, even in the area of climate change and that was as an area in which we agreed to cooperate fully. As you know, Japan, Antigua and Barbuda have had very strong bilateral relations for over 40 years from since independence, and they have helped us to build capacity in a number of areas. In fact, the fish landing and distribution facilities that are scattered throughout the island, those facilities are funded by Japan including the one in Barbuda,” noted Prime Minister Browne.

The country’s leader also highlighted the recent assistance from Japan of two million US dollars to assist with recovery after Hurricane Irma in addition to two million US dollars to assist with the acquisition of equipment to manage the sargassum seaweed plaguing the coastline of Antigua and Barbuda.

“The Government and people of Japan have been very kind to the people of Antigua and Barbuda. And we certainly share deeply in this senseless loss in which an individual committed this most unfortunate and very senseless act and would have literally snuffed out the life of one of the most significant citizens in that country,” said Prime Minister Browne.

“It’s  very unfortunate. In the region we must be very vigilant because there are  many people, who, without rhyme or reason, are  likely to do things that are very heinous. And I just hope that this type of violence will not find its way within the Caribbean region. Last year we had the unfortunate situation of the assassination of President Moise in Haiti, but we consider that to have been an aberration, and I hope it stays that way,” PM Browne concluded.

The funeral of late former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe took place today at Tokyo’s Zojoji Temple, following his assassination last Friday in the city of Nara.

Shinzo Abe was Japan’s longest-serving prime minister before he stepped down in 2020 citing health reasons.

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