Today I am indeed honored to stand here on this historic occasion to greet each of you in your respective places and in support of critical work for a noble Institution. Whilst this is only the 4th Annual Meeting of gatherings in this type forum, I commend this Body for its formation, the great strides being made across the region and then I wish to assure you of my support and my Government’s support.
I must congratulate our very own Director of TCI’s Integrity Commission Mr Eugene Otonye on his election as Chair and on our hosting this year’s gathering. Along with the reputation and work of TCI’s Integrity Commission, the high compliance rates for filings for person in public life, this statement of hosting this Conference in our country sends the best messageat the right time: One that says we welcome standards, we support standards and will enforce standards for the good of our country. We have in our short time, have been able to become established leaders in the critical work of ensuring integrity in public life and have been an example for others to pattern and in fact are doing just that. We are proud of this body of work and we want the region and the world to know that we are taking a stance to ensure that we enjoy and practice the highest practices of integrity in public life and that corruption fizzles.
Whilst our work in this area is recognized and whilst regional governments continues to see the important work, much is left to be done locally and regionally in terms of education. This Conference’s Theme, “”Counting the Real Cost of Corruption – Engaging Everyone in the Fight” though inspirational is our greatest challenge that requires our greatest effort otherwise the goal/objectives of our Agencies or this regional body willnot being realized.
It requires the connecting of dots that shows how it affects you as a country and even as an individual. It requires individual, civic organization notably the Church, local governmental, regional and global partners.
My Government has already demonstrated in a tangible way our support in the fight against corruption through the passage of the Bribery Ordinance very early in our Administration. We have accepted that corruption cost more than we can afford or are willing to pay. We have accepted and believe that the Government is critical in this fight and must lead the way. We have seen how corruption cost financially as well as reputationally and as the guardians and stewards of our country’s name and resources, we are resolute in our stance. It is important that we educate even the smallest child on the importance of integrity and make connections in the simplest form as to how it adversely affects systems, governments and countries. We recognize that because of corruption, we can be made to pay more than value for goods and services thereby robbing critical areas of much needed resources; it of course can attract unsavory characters while discouraging the entry of good wholesome investors; it can cost in loss of critical experience and manpower when persons are recruited corruptly and certainly it can cost us in reputation all around. These are but a few but hard connections that must be taught. When this message is captured in a package for all audiences, then and only then will be able to celebrate the achievement of this theme and we must note that this is a continuous goal to be reached.
I note your distinguished Panel of Presenters and know that you will have a productive few days. It is my hope that literature will continue to be forthcoming and that awareness campaigns will only increase.
I welcome those who have travelled to this Conference to our beautiful country: I wish for you a wonderful experience among one time internationally acclaimed Best Island and multiple awards for World’s Best Beach. Congratulations you are on a piece of that exclusive pie. I especially welcome my former Lecturer Dr Trevor Munroe, I am one of thousands who have passed through his hands at Mona Campus UWI and am certainly better and sometimes a little more radical for it.
I say to you as I close, Be steadfast in your work and do not stop for you are doing a great work and these Islands of the Sea will be better for it.
