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Written by C.T. Phipps Benjamin

One Wednesday morning on the picturesque island of Nevis, a dark cloud hung over that island as an ugly financial blow was dealt to the unsuspecting civil servants there.
A hardworking Nevisian civil servant, a citizen of the federation of St. Christopher and Nevis, sought to recover his monthly salary from a financial institution without success. A myriad of emotions must have overcome that Nevisian; but across the length and breadth of Nevis, over 1800 civil servants would share the same fate.

Civil servants in Nevis would experience a jaw dropping, nerve wrecking, stomach knotting moment and in an instant, the political hat worn by each of these civil servants was of absolute irrelevance. Indeed, Wednesday April 23, 2014 was a day of gloom for all Nevisians and their Kittitian counterparts had nothing to celebrate either.

In the eyes of those who oppose Premier Amory and his CCM government, after over a year in government, they have failed the people of Nevis. Irrespective of what explanation Premier Amory proffers, in the mind of those who oppose him, the Nevis Island CCM administration could not deliver to its civil servants and those who oppose Premier Amory and his government had won. But were there really any winners on Wednesday, April 23, 2014?

The unfolding of events on “Black Wednesday” begs the question, what can any government or politician possibly gain when 1800 or more civil servants lose? Could the St. Kitts-Nevis National Bank seek other recourse other than the action that was taken?

On pay day, anywhere in the world, employees have expectations; great expectations! They expect to receive their salaries due to them from their employers for work done over a stipulated period of time. Employees have financial obligations to meet and so one can only imagine what thoughts run through the mind of an individual who is told his check cannot be honoured.

Since Wednesday, there has been a tremendous outpouring of opinions on the matter in Nevis and while many of the opinions have taken a political slant, there are many who have sought to take the high road and discuss the impact of Wednesday’s financial shortfall on the relationship between the Federal Government and the NIA.

To view what unfolded from the perspective of Nevisians is instructive because whether one supports CCM or NRP, it seems many Nevisians believe the power really lies in Basseterre, hence the outcry from those Nevisians who believe they would be better off without the current alliance between St. Kitts and Nevis. The displeasure expressed by some Nevisians about the relationship between the two islands touched on several aspects including the SIDF and VAT.

One Nevisian writer states emphatically, “There is no national identity called St. Kitts. There is no national identity called Nevis. It is St. Kitts (or St. Christopher, if you prefer) and Nevis. Simply put, the money from that fund belongs to both islands.” To his mind, there should be little to no discussion about ensuring that Nevis benefits from the fund, which is in essence the sale of our passports/national identity. Premier Amory is of the same view but is the federal government?

Interestingly, Premier Amory states in his address to the nation on Wednesday, “I wish also to indicate that this Nevis Island Administration has not received any financial subvention for budgetary assistance. We have made approach to the SIDF [Sugar Industry Diversification Foundation] asking for a similar accommodation which was accorded to the former Administration but every attempt has been refused.”

According to Premier Amory, “To my knowledge, the Federal Government has received 9 million Euros approximately EC$36 million in 2014 from the European Union for budgetary assistance for St. Kitts and Nevis but from this amount, the Federal Government has not transferred any of those resources to the NIA, even though it was intimated to me that those 9 million Euros or approximately EC$36 million, depending on the exchange rate, were to be for the support of the budget for the Federation which, and I remind all of us, comprises the Federal Government and the Nevis Island Administration, the Nevis Island Government.”

Is the federal arrangement serving the interests of the Nevisian people? Is punishment being unfairly meted out to the Nevisian people given the current NIA’s unreserved alliance with opposition parliamentarians? These are just some of the questions that not only Nevisians are asking but also those who have been keenly monitoring the current heated political climate in the federation.

If there was a calculated attempt to strong-arm the NIA this past Wednesday, those who engineered such an action could NOT have been thinking of the over 1800 Nevisian citizens who would suffer as a result. Politicking to willfully hurt Nevisians is woefully ill-advised.

The Nevisian people have heard from its Premier, Vance Amory. Nevisians deserve some assurance from the St. Kitts-Nevis Anguilla National Bank that a dark day such as April 23, 2014, which sent tempers flaring and social media buzzing, would never again find a place on the shores of Nevis.