Wanted: A Leader And A Man Of Vision

A few years ago before the volcanic eruptions, around 1990, an American historian residing here, spoke of Montserrat as having a high percentage of people of unusual talent. Most of us know a few of these rare minds and their abilities to perform at extraordinary levels. We know of Taxi Johnny who could figure out how to repair and build almost anything, of Glenn Lewis who could decipher almost any electronic code and fix practically any electronic equipment, of Bourie and his masterful skill at stonework, and many, many others.

There is another one we have not fully recognized, and the Antiguans with whom he has contact are surprised at this. I am referring to the surgeon who removed a bullet that passed through the heart of a British tourist in Barbados, saved her life and achieved world recognition for his skills. Those skills were acquired in his training to be a general surgeon and specialist renal transplant surgeon.

I am of the opinion that this man, humble as he prefers to be because of the discipline of his early upbringing, is one of the best Montserrat has produced.

We have heard stories of Dr. Lewis in the operating theatre where a patient would suffer a serious failure in a vital organ, other than the one on which he was operating, and of the ease with which he would quickly move to stabilize and control a dangerous life threatening situation

A few years ago, a renowned English surgeon referred to him as one of the great surgeons of the world. And the Antiguans are taking full advantage of this.

Much of what this man does in the surgical theatre does not come from medical text books nor from his practical training in school, but from a natural gift to see and understand things that others, not so gifted, cannot and do not see. We have seen that gift shine even outside of the medical field.

As Chief Minister, he built "the road to nowhere" and his political opponents laughed at him. As he said to a friend: "I was stunned that my opponents could not see the need for the road and that it took them seven years to do so. The need for the road was so obvious to me then but I knew only time could bring that realization to some of my critics. The road to Old Quaw and Thatch Valley, which I cut at my own expense through private lands with the owners’ permission, was my attempt to reverse a U.K. decision not to support the phased development at the site."

Our leaders must be men of vision, not just men who cannot see beyond the ordinary and who seek only power and the opportunity to fill their pockets from the public purse.

One fact we cannot ignore is that for this man, people’s health comes first, and we have seen and heard of him leaving Parliament and very important meetings to attend to medical emergencies. In the past, while he held office in Montserrat he did significant numbers of surgical procedures.

We need Dr. Lewis’ surgical skills as a starter to improve our health care services. Many of us are of the view that if he had been stationed on island, several persons, who recently passed away, would have been alive today.

In the next five years, Montserrat needs this man of vision who has the plans to take us on a new path that can create wealth in our island for all of our residents. A man who respects the rights of everyone to be democratically included in the drive to rebuild our country and to take part in the move to new heights of wealth creation which must be shared by everyone, and not just friends of those in power.

It is now in the hands of the voters to send an invitation to Dr. Lowell Lewis on September 11, 2014, to permanently return home to take part in leading our country forward and to save the lives of many of our people, young and old.