London says: Independence is more than Freedom

Chief Secretary of THA
Orville London

Chief Secretary of Tobago Orville London is calling on Tobagonians to appreciate the relative good fortune and quality of life we have enjoyed in comparison to many other developing countries of the region and the world. In his annual Independence Day message, London said the good fortune the country has experience has led to increased life expectancy for Tobagonians and a lower rate of poverty.

The Chief Secretary also boasted of the fact that Tobago has more health facilities, more recreational facilities, more community facilities and better apportioned educational facilities than any of its regional neighbours.

"However, as we celebrate, we must also be mindful of the mistakes made and repeated, of the opportunities created and lost, and of the pettiness and the prejudice nurtured and disseminated. So we must celebrate but, as we mark this anniversary of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, we must simultaneously be aware that it is the mindset, the posture, and the contribution of each individual which would have been the major factors determining our rate of development in our journey over the past 50 years," he noted.

And these selfsame qualities will continue to be the major factors in shaping our progress in ensuing decades.

Reflecting on the autonomy Tobago experienced under Great Britain, London said "Tobagonians owe it to our history, and to all those who would have been involved in the struggle, to remain steadfast in our quest for internal self-government. We must not be bribed or bullied into accepting anything less than what we deserve and what our predecessors envisaged for the island and its people."

Independence, he added, is more than freedom and involves how one utilises that freedom.

"Remember, independence means that the choices we make in the coming months and years will determine whether our children, and future generations will stand or sit, or even be forced to lie, in years to come. So I say to you, let us all as Tobagonians make those choices and take those actions that will label us as worthy of 50 years of Independence".

He highlighted a number of Tobagonians who have made the island and country proud, adding that Tobago's potential for significant contribution to the national economy must also remain a priority.

article reproduced verbatim from Tobagonews,