Job No. 1 for Gibbs

The number one objective of newly nominated Barbados Labour Party (BLP) candidate Christopher Gibbs is the eradication of ‘idle hands’ among youth in the constituency of St Michael West.

During the nomination meeting on Sunday night, Gibbs described the journey to his 360-55 vote victory over Stephen Leslie as a result of the abandonment of St. Michael West by its sitting Member of Parliament Bishop Joseph Atherley who crossed the floor shortly after the 2018 general elections.

After General Secretary of the party Senator Dr Jerome Walcott made the final announcement, Gibbs revealed his campaign was motivated in part by his family’s legacy of service in the community.

“I am honoured and humbled by this moment that you have chosen me to represent you under the banner of the BLP for the next election. I promise that I will not forsake you,” he told hundreds gathered at the St Leonard’s Boys’ School.

Prime Minister Mia Mottley flanked by Steven Leslie (left) and Christopher Gibbs.

“My grandfather, grandmother, great grandfather and great-grandmother are right there in Westbury Cemetery. They aren’t going anywhere and I am not going anywhere either. You guys have suffered for ten years with bad representation and then for one with none. I saw that my people were hurting and that is why I felt I had to hit the ground running even though I hadn’t been selected yet,” Gibbs told his large audience.

While he will have to face the polls at the next general election to have a chance at representing the constituency in parliament, Gibbs revealed his number one goal would be finding employment for the youth and creating more opportunities for talented athletes through sponsorship. This he believes is the key to erasing many of the problems facing young people in the constituency.

“I believe that once we find greater opportunities for our youth, this will curb the idleness and as we all know, idle hands are the devil’s workshop,” he said, adding his team would be working closely with local businesses for assistance in providing opportunities.

“Local businesses cannot lament the ills of our society without giving back. So I will be working with them to help provide those opportunities for our

youth. I want to see those young boys coming out of school with certificates and I will provide workshops to help those students succeed in the real world. We have a wealth of talent in St. Michael West. I have seen so many talented athletes who just want somebody to believe in them and give them a chance.”

De-bushing, garbage removal and pit toilet eradication have also been identified by Gibbs as areas of concern based on his interaction with people living in St. Michael West.

“I am very invested in seeing your sons, your daughters, your grandchildren and your great grans succeed in life. The matriarchs and patriarchs of this community cannot be forgotten. They have worked too hard and they are the pillars of this community. Sometimes their welfare cheques have to stretch far

because there’s a lot of unemployment in their households and we’ve got to fix that because we want them to live out their golden years.”