ST. PETERS:--- Independent Member of Parliament (MP) Maurice Lake says former civil servants and those who have worked for government-owned companies, need to be recognized continuously for their contribution to the development of the civil service corps and the companies that they worked for over the years.
“It has always been the case that we recognize the person when they have passed away. We need to move away from that and continue to recognize them while they are alive. There are many retired civil servants today as well as former employees who have made a considerable contribution to the organization that they worked for. Today, when an event is held, they are not invited. There should be a protocol in place where these persons are recognized and are invited to government events or events organized by the respective government-owned company.
“We have to look after our own. We have to put our people first. The senior citizens are the backbone of this country. They were the ones who built the foundations that we enjoy today. We have to know about our past in order to chart our future. While working as a civil servant myself, I learnt a lot from the older heads, and they have contributed to the man that I am today, and I am thankful for their contribution.
“I had the opportunity to sit down with Raphael Christian (89), who had worked at the Princess Juliana International Airport for more than 30-years until he retired years ago. An aircraft engineer by profession, Christian worked as Supervisory Director at the airport. He was also decorated with a medal for his service back in 2010.
“I fully agree with Raphael Christian; ‘We like to trample on our own and that is killing our country. We have to help our own.’ I fully agree with him. Our forefathers did not have that mentality. Their principles of being straight forward and looking out for each other is what has to be promoted. The generation of leaders today have to do better and teach the younger generation these principles so it can be passed on from one generation to the next.
“We have to also continue to names places and things after those who have made a contribution to our society. For example, street names, buildings or plazas etc. We need to take better care of our seniors as well, especially in the health care area eg. Eye care/Eye glasses. Housing for seniors need to be expanded. The cost of living is very high and the pensions are not sufficient for our seniors. We need a structural approach where this is concerned.
“I will be calling on the Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure from Ministry VROMI, to take the lead in adding former civil servants who have served our nation, to be invited to events and ground-breakings etc to show our continued appreciation for what they have done, for the foundation that they have laid for us to continue building. I call on other Ministries to do the same and follow suit.”
