Pastor Griffith: Three-year compulsory national service

He stated at the annual Kwanza Festival at St Clements Anglican Church grounds, Manahambre Road, Ste Madeleine yesterday.

Griffith’s sermon was based on Genesis 1:28 and themed "Taking Dominion" and specially dedicated to the people of Laventille/ Morvant.

And with Community Development Minister, Senator Joan Yuille-Williams, (who deputised for Prime Minister, Patrick Manning), in the audience, said, "This restlessness is partly responsible for much of the killing, homicide, manslaughter, slaying, assassination, execution, bloodshed that the country is now witnessing."

Griffith added: "One murder is too much."

And with this year’s festival dedicated to the people of Laventille/ Morvant, he called for the "delinking" of Laventille from San Juan/Laventille Regional Council to the Laventille Regional Council "with a heavy injection of new capital."

Griffith also called for the scrapping of all Government schools with denominational boards to manage schools. He said family education programmes should also be taught at all available centres with heavy funding for church and youth activities.

Ten persons were inducted into the Order of St Clement Emancipation Award 2005, including former South African president, Nelson Mandela; South African Archbishop, Desmond Tutu; Senator Joan Yuille-Williams; Len "Boogsie" Sharpe; Alloy Lequay and Austin Jack Warner.

The seven principles of Kwanza include unity, self-determination, collective work, co-operative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith.