​Leader of the United Worker Party (UWP) and Opposition Leader Lennox Linton questions who benefits and gets the job, when money is being paid from the public purse for public works. The Opposition leader is alleging that Dominica is hosting a very ugly situation in which hundreds of millions of dollars are being privatized into the control of friends of the ruling Dominica Labour Party (DLP).
 
Linton alluded to discussions held 25 years ago with members of the Organization for Good and Accountable Government as he believes Dominica has come to a very dark place that it should not be proud of. A place where what belongs to the country is in the hands of others.

​The discussion on was replayed on Q95 FM.

​The conversation also addressed the rationale for an independent tender board which says each citizen would know precisely where their tax payers moneys have gone and it would also avoid the nepotism and favoritism if the board guidelines and policies are published and made public along with awards of government contracts.

Highlight of a discussion held 25 years ago with members of the Organization for Good and Accountable Government 

​The Dominica Reparations committee has renewed the call for Black History to be taught in Schools. This call is coming from Chairman of the Dominica Reparations Committee, Dr. Damien Dublin.
 
There has always been a call to include more of our own history as black people as part of the curriculum, and though there has been serious strides made, in this new age of information, it is only fitting that true knowledge of us a people is made part of the Caribbean curriculum.
 
It has long been argued that this will broaden and strengthen the minds of the youth, as one cannot truly know who he or she is without first knowing one’s history. Dublin is asking persons to just become familiar with the information as it is readily available to all.
 
Dr. Dublin says it is the hope of the committee that systems will be put in place to see this made a reality.

​Dominica Reparations Committee Chairman, Dr. Damien Dublin

​A three-day civil society national stakeholder workshop moves closer to ensuring that Dominica accesses financing under the Green Climate Fund. This is according to Minister for environment, Cozier Frederick.
 
Frederick stated there are two major initiatives at the Government level, which are environment Legislation, and Climate Change Trust fund. He says these are crucial areas of focus which have been sat upon and researched, as well as topics of central focus, which have not been manifested.
 
He says the ministry that he now leads will take this on, and the intention is to leave a legacy behind.

​Minister for Environment, Cozier Frederick

Pertaining to the issue of increased child mortality rates in Dominica, Leader of the Opposition, Lennox Linton says there is no worse abuse of children than to be presiding over a situation where there is an increasing rate of deaths with nothing being done about it.
 
Linton questioned the allocation of donations allegedly made to aid with the intervention of such a situation.

​Linton says the country has to show it cares about its children.

​Leader of the Opposition, Lennox Linton.

​PM Roosevelt Skerrit says government has restarted negotiations with land and property owners for the construction of an international airport.
 
He says all lands holding government interest were thoroughly checked and surveyed.
 
Government hopes to start payments to owners in the next few weeks, to acquire the required lands within the next couple months.

​Meantime, Skerrit says the other thing government will be doing in the next week or so is appointing an international airport development committee.

Prime Minister, Roosevelt Skerrit.

Health Minister Dr Irving McIntyre says selected nurses and doctors will be trained to deal with the possible introduction of the coronavirus to Dominica.
 
He says training of ambulance services, customs, and agricultural officers has begun, and is ongoing, with the training of healthcare workers i.e; hospital doctors taking place today, with the training of hospital nurses to take place February 4th.

Meanwhile, Dr McIntyre says the Ministry of Health will be disseminating press releases weekly and bi-weekly as necessary in collaboration with PAHO/WHO/CARPHA among other advisories in light of the new coronavirus.

Health Minister Dr Irving McIntyre.

Chairperson of the Integrity Commission Steve Hyacinth says the members of the commission have collectively agreed that it must interact with the public, and persons it deals with, on a one on one basis.
He says there has to be a working relationship. 
 
He was addressing an education and outreach session for chairmen and general managers of public institutions on Thursday.

Hyacinth says the session was necessary.

Chairperson of the Integrity Commission, Steve Hyacinth.

Chief Cultural Officer Raymond Lawrence says an event to pay tribute to veteran pan player and leader Wilfred "Pancho" Jno Baptiste is being planned. It will be in the form of a Carnival steel band Festival on 11thFebruary.

​He says groups have already signed up for the show, in honour of Mr Jno Baptiste.

​Chief Cultural Officer, Raymond Lawrence.

Three schools are participating in the strong minds, strong bodies project meant to introduce primary school children to more than just book learning.
 
The Soufriere and Newtown primary schools are part of the afterschool programme which is an initiative of United Way Trinidad & Tobago, and coordinated by the National Youth Council of Dominica, with support from the Climate Resilience Execution Agency (CREAD).
 
This programme is designed for the holistic development of students through after school activities like cooking, arts and craft, dance, agriculture, drama, sports and education.
 
After a commendable commencement of the second phase of the program on September 30th, 2019, Newtown Primary School Principal, Anita Williams wished for increased overall community involvement and bigger participation in the extra-curricular football program. She is appealing to parents of the primary school students to register their children for any of the eight activities available this term.
 
Coach Joffre Faustin who leads the afterschool football program at Newtown Primary, said since Newtown has become known as a strong football community through the decades, it is his aim to revitalize the sport through the youth in the area.
 
The strong bodies strong minds program recently donated football kits, uniforms and equipment to the students. The program continues in Soufriere this term with six activities, and will be launched in the Kalinago Territory this year.

Micah Joseph and Jeremiah Joseph both registered hundreds on Thursday in the Massy United Insurance Secondary School u20 cricket Championship at the Benjamin's Park in Portsmouth. Match scores in the match ITSS vs NECS at Benjamin's Park. ITSS won the toss
 
NECS scored 48 All Out
Nadian Mayers got 13
Jeremiah Joseph captured 6 for 22
Jahson Vidal got 3 for 14
 
In its turn at the crease, ITSS scored 213 for 4 Declared
Jeremiah Joseph scored 101
Micah Joseph 101
Kishon Viville 2 for65
Ethan Cyrille 1 for6
 
NECS 71 for 6
Nadian Mayers 37
Neo Davis 14
Edgar Alexander 14
Jahson Vidal 6 for29
ITSS took first innings points
The championship continues tomorrow at two venues
DGS vs PCSS at Botanic Gardens
CBSS vs GSS at Jolly John Park