Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley is paying tribute to veteran Caribbean journalist Rickey Singh, who passed away this morning in Barbados.
In a statement issued today, Mottley described Singh’s passing as marking the end of an era in Caribbean journalism. She praised the late journalist for his fearless reporting and steadfast commitment to regional integration over a career that spanned more than five decades.
Below is the full statement from Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley:
Today, as I learnt of the passing of Rickey Singh, I could not help but recognise that his departure truly confirms that we are witnessing the end of an era in Caribbean journalism that produced a cadre of veterans who epitomised a spirit of regional cooperation and togetherness even when political leaders still struggled with the concept.
Rickey Singh, like many of the media practitioners of his time, had his roots in one nation but his heart and spirit flowed throughout the region like the Caribbean Sea. Whether it was in his native Guyana, Trinidad, or Barbados, which he called home for more than four decades, Rickey’s was a household name.
In fact, few commanded the respect he did when it came to regional politics and current affairs. His byline was synonymous with every major political occurrence in this region for more than half a century — from the uprising in Union Island and the overthrow of Eric Gairy in Grenada in 1979, to the attempted coups in Dominica and the assassination of Walter Rodney in Guyana in the early 1980s, the execution of Maurice Bishop and the eventual United States intervention in 1983 and the failed coup attempted in Trinidad in 1990.
He was the go-to journalist for commentary on elections in any Caribbean country and remained until the end a staunch advocate for a more enthusiastic CARICOM stance on advancing the plight of Haitians.
In fact, I cannot help but get the sense that there is a message of significance in his death today, midway between our celebration of the 52nd anniversary CARICOM yesterday and the opening of our Heads of Government Conference in Jamaica tomorrow. As we prepare to reflect on our future as a region and the need for solidarity as we navigate the potentially treacherous waters ahead of us, Rickey’s commitment to regionalism over insularity ought to be top of mind for all of us.
Rickey was 100 per cent a Caribbean journalist, a role shaped in no small measure by the years he spent, starting in the mid-1970s, as Editor of Caribbean Contact, a regional newspaper, produced by the Caribbean Conference of Churches from its headquarters in Barbados.
His association with the Nation newspaper, Trinidad Express, Jamaica Gleaner and Stabroek News and the Caribbean News Agency/Caribbean Media Corporation, only served to enhance his reputation in the profession and his dedication to the regional flow of information — a major plank in the safeguarding of our democracy.
So long Rickey, the region will certainly miss you. You have left a legacy that any young journalist with a genuine interest in building a reputation based on integrity would do well to emulate. We can only imagine what the conversation in the Great Beyond about our region will be like as you join that pantheon of esteemed journalistic colleagues who took their final journey before you.
On behalf of the Government and people of Barbados I extend deepest sympathy to his children Donna, Debbie, Raoul, Allison, Wendy and Ramon, as well as to the regional media fraternity.
Rest in peace, my brother, knowing that every country of this region will continue to owe you a debt of gratitude for years to come.
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