Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said some workers at the Ministry of National Mobilization, Social Development, Family, Gender Affairs, Youth, and Housing need training to deal with the complex issues the department handles.
Gonsalves was the featured speaker at the graduation ceremony for the VEEP Family Life Education Programme at Belle Vue Seventh Day Adventist Church last week when he told graduates about the additional monies that the ministry would ask for and the attitude of some workers at the Social Development department.
“I tell the people in the Ministry of Social Development that if you don’t care, tell me and let me move you from the Ministry of Social Development and put you somewhere else”. Because while you, the participants in this VEEP life skills programme, are being taught anger management and all these life skills, there are some people who work there who need this training, you know”.
“So that it must not be assumed that everybody down there got the training you have; they have a lot of degrees and higher education,” says Gonsalves.
“As I sat here listening to you, a thought came into my head to put it on the agenda for Marissa and her team to look inside themselves. When you, the participant, go there and ask them for help, do they get vexed with you? Do they talk down to you and make you feel shame?”
People shouted “yes” to all of the questions, which proved what the Prime Minister said about how some people don’t care.
“The point that I’m making is that when they ask for additional money, the simple question is, “Do you care?”
Gonsalves said while the ministry of finance may be the brain of the government, national mobilization is the heart of the government.
