GOVERNOR SAVAGE TO BE AWARDED MONTSERRAT’S HIGHEST HONOUR
His Excellency Governor Frank Savage is to be awarded the Montserrat Badge and Certificate of Honour for his service and dedication to the island, it was announced here last Thursday. This award is usually presented to prominent nationals of the country. It’s the only honour in Montserrat.
The selection Committee is chaired by Resident Tutor of the University of the West Indies School of Continuing Studies and Speaker of the Legislative Council. Governor Savage was Governor of Montserrat between 1993 and 1997. “This award, agreed on the exceptional recommendation of the National Honours Advisory Committee, recognizes Mr. Savage’s outstanding contribution during his term as Governor, and in particular during the early years of the volcanic crisis,” according to a release from Government House, Montserrat.
The first two years of his governorship on Montserrat were spent helping the island continue to pick up the pieces after its devastation from hurricane Hugo in 1989. “Veronica (his wife) and I were there during a wonderful period when the community put the economy of the territory back together.” He said Montserrat was set for a “glorious future” in June 1995. However, one month later, the Soufrière Hills volcano re-activated after a period of close to 350 years of dormancy. “For the remaining 2 ½ years, the community, of which I was a part, was dealing with a volcano which got progressively more malevolent.” During the ongoing eruptive phase of the volcano, 19 people lost their lives in July 1997.
A subsequent larger eruption on December 26th, 1997 resulted in the destruction of much of the southern part of the island, including the capital Plymouth. By that occasion, residents had moved well away from those vulnerable areas. “So, as Governor, in those 2 ½ years, I worked exceptionally closely with three Chief Ministers of the day, with Ministers and with the entire community and our entire objective was to protect the citizens of Montserrat from the dangers of the volcano,” Governor Savage reflected. There was a loud appeal from certain quarters in those initial stages for a total evacuation of the island.
His Excellency advanced two reasons why this was not done. He explained the majority of the islanders did not want to leave (3,000 of them remained throughout the entire crisis) and the scientists had always said there was no danger to the northern part of the island. “It was not an easy time, because the volcano was within four miles of 80% of the infrastructure and 60% of the population,” the former Montserrat Governor recounted.
He said they were forced to move people to the north of the island where there was very little infrastructure. According to him, Montserratians were totally outstanding. He said there are hundreds of heroes and heroines on island whose story has still not being told and he’s rather amazed that in the Caribbean, there has not been the stories of how the people of Montserrat coped. “So, I’m deeply moved and deeply honoured by this award from the people of Montserrat; it means a lot to Veronica and I,” he told the Island Sun. “Because although I am now the Governor of the British Virgin Islands, our 4 ½ years in Montserrat will be a period which are the most important years probably of our lives, the most defining moment of our lives, where we worked so closely with people that were suffering such a terrible fate,” he continued.
The award is to be conferred on Governor Savage sometime later this year. He said it would be nice if he and his wife can return to Montserrat for the occasion. As protocol would have it, he would have to be invited to the island. Governors don’t return to their territory once their tour of duty is ended, for a period of 2-3 years or during the governorship of his successor. “So, I await the call, but it will be a very emotional and a very proud day, when Veronica and I go back,” he said.
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