Road to success not easy, says Stuart

ACTING PRIME Minister Freundel Stuart yesterday applauded Government’s gesture in gifting land to pop star Rihanna, but cautioned  against giving the impression  the way to the top was easy.Speaking in the House of Assembly during debate on a resolution to vest 2 635 square metres of land in the exclusive golf and polo community at Apes Hill, St James in the name of Robyn Rihanna Fenty, Stuart said  he was aware the previous administration had done similarly for sprinter Obadele Thompson who had promoted Barbados.“What we have to be careful about,” he added, “and I say this well-meaningly, but by way of caution, is that while we applaud those who perform creditably and we highlight the fact they are deserving of the gratitude of a nation, the impression must never be conveyed that the way to the top is easy, and that renown and fame and so on, once got, represents a final achievement.”Stuart said while observing Rihanna’s achievements, both sides of the House faced squarely the fact that she was still very young and capable of making mistakes, and felt Barbadians should support her “and hope  that her mistakes are not sufficiently costly as to make nonsense of what this  Parliament is doing today”.Stuart observed that when  the House debated the exploits  of the world 110-metre hurdles champion Ryan Brathwaite,  the point was made that he  too needed sustained assistance and encouragement “because  these people are still very young people and can still be hijacked and can make mistakes that  can turn out to be very costly  for them”.  (AB)