Ernie Jno Finn Condemns Education Minister for Silencing Kalinago Youth
Senator Ernie Jno Finn, a UWP candidate for the Castle Bruce constituency in the 2019 general election, has condemned Education Minister Octavia Alfred for “silencing” Whitney Melinard, a Lead Institute student, over the student’s concerns that the Kalinago Territory lacked internet access. Melinard had posted a social media video lamenting that the lack of internet in the Kalinago zone is setting students backward since internet access is required to learn online during this COVID-19 pandemic.
Melinard’s video had prompted the National Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (NTRC) to swing into action by mandating Digicel and Flow to extend internet access to Kalinago Territory and other areas of the East coast. However, the video also drew reactions from some people in government, with Education Minister Octavia Alfred saying she disagreed with Melinard’s evaluation of the situation and that “the student doesn’t even live in the Kalinago Territory for one, so I wouldn’t even go there”.
Senator Jno Finn said Alfred was too harsh in reacting to Melinard’s concerns, and that “the student’s comments were not taken in good faith by the Minister of Education.”
“This attitude displayed by the minister was very disappointing, though not unexpected,” Jno Finn stated. “In my opinion, the minister should have used her good office to be an interlocutor with the telecommunication companies. Instead, she appeared to have treated the student’s message as ‘noise’ and as a result indirectly stated: ‘I don’t let noise detract me”’.
Jno Finn went on to state that the government and those in authority always encourage youths in Dominica to speak their minds over any issues – and when they do, those in authority are still the first to condemn the youths’ views and silence their concerns.
“I salute that young Kalinago brave student,” she said. “That Kalinago youth was doing what all youth have been encouraged to do…speak up; and when such responses are given, they face intimidation by the very same people who accuse them of not coming forward. We need to see all elected political leaders stand up against any curtailment of freedom of speech and human rights in general.”
Meanwhile, Pastor Randy Rodney has commended Kalinago Minister Cozier Frederick for supporting Melinard and drawing public attention to the crux of her concerns. Rodney said Melinard was brave to speak her mind on what affects an entire native territory, and urged Frederick and the NTRC among others to look into the situation.
This article is copyright © 2020 DOM767
