by Bennette Roach :
Alrick C. E. Taylor, on September 28, 2012 was announced as the new Deputy Governor to replace Mrs. Sarita Francis who demitted office of the end of October. Mr. Jim Taylor, as he is more affectionately known was due to take office early in November and was sworn in to the honourable post at the Montserrat Cultural Center on November 21, 2012.
Both the Governor and the new Deputy in their respective addresses spoke on what they considered to be the main focus of his responsibilities, following Taylor’s swearing on oath his allegiance to Her Majesty the Queen and her subjects.
In his opening the Governor after congratulating Taylor immediately addressed what was the theme of both their addresses, the subject of public service reform, competence and efficiency. Mr. Davis began by expressing the desire, ‘looking forward to working with Mr. Taylor especially on the agenda of public sector reform.’ He referred to the government’s vision to have a situation where 50% of the growth domestic progarth will be provided by the private sector by 2020. This he said is a clear vision which we’re working towards: “…it’s a clear vision and it’s a clear long term outburst and focus goal which I think should provide within the public service the sense of ambition and the sense of direction…I think that the competences we want to see in the Public Sector are excellent leadership at all levels which imparts a feeling of direction, ambition, and urgency and focuses on what matters most.”
Mr. Taylor in his brief response after acknowledging the support he had and revealing that indeed he was a late entrant in applying for the post, admitted that it was done on suggestion from others. “…my family, my friends, my neighbors, and all the many persons here at home and abroad who behind the scene encourage me into applying for this job,” he revealed, adding that he was referred to as Deputy Governor even before he was selected.
He added: “after hearing of my success they called to extend their kindness, warm congratulations and to offer expressions of confidence…”
He spoke on his main focus, which would be on improving and protecting the values of the public service. “Todays swearing in ceremony is a deliberately symbolic occasion, the intention which is to give a physical presence to what is essentially the solemn commitment which I have taken before you, to seek to improve the public service and to uphold high standards of probity and good governance, as well as my promise to protect the values of the public service,” he said.
The new Deputy Governor is a retired career public servant served as a Permanent Secretary in two ministries, as Montserrat Secondary school principal and later serving in a consultancy capacity in coordinating late discussions and collating responses on the 2010 Constitution, and Advisor to the Constitution and Commissions Secretariat.
The swearing in ceremony was held in the presence of a small and mixed audience with a head table that included his wife Genevieve, H E Governor Davis and his wife Sujue, and Fr. Carlysle Vyphius, who opened the ceremony with prayers.
The audience included some of his children, Mrs. Camille Gerald, who sang a national and song accompanied, by Cecil Cepeke Lake, members of the Legislative Assembly, Sir Howard Fergus for many years, former deputy governor and acting governor, while he was speaker of the Legislature and after.
The event concluded following the brief ceremony with cocktail and light refreshments.
Upon reading about his appointment as Deputy Governor, one of the comments posted under the story online at www.themontserratreporter.comstated: “May your contribution to the welfare of Montserrat be progressive!”
