FROM THE LOOK OF THINGS TODAY, it appears that the controversy surrounding the arrival and settlement of the nearly 90 Nigerian students as they prepare to start classes at the Barbados Community College has been settling down.
As a reputable news organisation we will not shy away from reporting the news, even if it is an embarrassment to some in the country, or the country as a whole, but we are also mindful that this is where we live and, in the final analysis, we all have a duty to protect it. Unfortunately, there will always be differences of opinion between individuals and sectors over what constitutes protection.
We believe that at this stage just about everyone involved in the programme to invite, welcome, accommodate and educate the students in their preferred areas of study would accept that more than a reasonable number of mistakes were made.
As we stated last year when the issue first became a point of public discussion, we did not believe the explanation as offered by health authorities justified the delaying of the students’ arrival, but understood the hysteria surrounding Ebola and the impact it would have had on the decision-makers – particularly those who have political interests to satisfy.
Perhaps if their arrival had never been delayed the major public disagreement over their accommodation would not have arisen since, as far as we were aware, Infinity On the Beach Hotel in Christ Church was prepared and ready to accommodate them and all the students were looking forward to staying there. But hindsight, as they say, is 20/20 vision.
Again, on reflection, someone obviously dropped the ball in the decision to shift the students to Casa Grande Hotel in St Philip. Let’s face it, Casa Grande is no Ritz Carlton and prudent organisers would have better prepared students for the change in venue and even have had a plan in place to deal with the push-back that would have been inevitable. Additionally, we do not believe it would have been difficult to bring the facilities in line with what the students required or expected if the will existed.
And a less confrontational approach by all involved would certainly have led to a much speedier and less traumatic route to settlement.
However, we have seen nothing at any point during this episode to suggest that any of the parties involved were motivated by malice or there was any deliberate attempt to embarrass Barbados or derail the programme, although there were enough injudicious comments to lead some to arrive at such a conclusion.
Our wish now is that from this point until the end of their stay here, the Nigerian students will be exposed to nothing less than the hospitality for which Barbados is well known and on which we have built an international reputation as great hosts.
We invite all Barbadian students of the Barbados Community College to use the next nine months or so to learn as much as they can first-hand about the culture of our African brothers and sisters, while providing the opportunity for them to take back to Nigeria fond memories of us.
It is often said, with great justification, that you never get a second chance to make a good first impression. To a great extent we blew our first chance, but we have an entire academic year to make up and ensure that this programme can grow, providing a strong and unbreakable link across the vast Atlantic Ocean.
