GOVERNMENT HAS SIGNED two licences with BHP Billiton, clearing the way for the Australian oil giant to explore for oil and gas offshore Barbados – Nation Newspaper

Are we there yet? After 8+ long years the government inked a deal with BHP Billiton to permit exploration in our waters for hydrocarbons. The length of time it has taken to acquire a partner to kickstart the offshore petroleum sector  is synonymous with the slow pace the Fruendel Stuart government seems comfortable.

For many years BU has posted concerns about the sprouting of weeds on the lawn. We have moved from a society where doors were left open without fear of trespassers or catching the ‘last bus’ and having to walk long distances, sometimes on tracks between canfields, to a society where fear of being a victim of crime has forced us to redefine what is Barbados.

Daily the news is routinely filled with reports of violent crime and the authorities appear to have no effective response. In fact the minister of Home Affairs Adriel Brathwaite is often quoted in the media expressing helplessness at the crime situation. Yesterday the Queen Elizabeth Hospital was terrorized by a gunman, and before that another gunman fired shots into a crowd  who were attending a fete in Silver Sands injuring five.

When BU has raised our concerns – supported by our observations of moving around Barbados – we were accused by the DLP YARDFOWLS as being too negative. We are being real!

Instead of focusing limited resources on key problems we have minister Donville Inniss and cohorts suggesting they will be coming after blogs. BU was referred to the following report as the source of Inniss’  obsession with trying to curtail freedom of expression by Barbadians – see article  HE wasn’t expecting the Spanish Inquisition! Six officers arrest 71-year-old Monty Python cameraman for lampooning politicians.

Barbados has too much to lose if we permit lawlessness to take root. We are not having the hard conversations to inform action plans to arrest the crime situation. Again BU calls on all stakeholders to accept that we have a rising crime problem and the pressing need for society to fight back.