BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, May 19, 2021 (Press Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister) – Seven outstanding nationals of St. Kitts and Nevis were today, Wednesday, May 19, bestowed the Companion of the Star of Merit for their meritorious and yeoman service to the twin-island Federation.
The seven awardees, namely: Dr Burnell Nisbett for his service in the field of Medicine; Viola Jacobs and Shirley Browne for Education; Archdeacon J. Rudolph Smithen for Religious Service, and Dr Hazel Laws, Dr Cameron Wilkinson and Abdias Samuel for National Service in a crisis, were duly recognised during an Investiture Ceremony held at Government House under the auspices of His Excellency the Governor-General, Sir S.W. Tapley Seaton and Deputy Governor-General for Nevis Her Honour Mrs Hyleeter Liburd.
While addressing the awardees at this morning’s ceremony, Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris said that the National Honours Awards are a reminder that good people do exist in today’s society.
“These awards are not given lightly, nor are they given randomly. They are presented to those who have given of themselves to a cause and to those who serve as a beacon to others,” Prime Minister Harris said.
Dr Harris continued, “They in my view represent the best of us and the best of what our Federation has become. None of them sought this particular attention or award. None of them undertook service with the expectation of receiving something in the end. I want to thank them really because they did what they did out of love. You knew what you had undertaken was the right thing to do and each one of you dedicated yourself to doing that. Your humility and your selflessness are why your efforts are worthy of recognition and I want you today to feel some sense of satisfaction and pride in what you have done for this country that I love and we love. We honour you today. We honour your hard work. We honour your sacrifice.”
The honourable prime minister also commended the family and friends of the awardees as “they too have sacrificed time with you, they have supported you and they must have encouraged you. They are very much the silent recipients of today’s awards for without their quiet support and assistance in the background our community would not have had the benefit of their full dedication. I, therefore, want to say thank you to those who stood with these our honourees. Thank you very much for your patience. Thank you for sharing them with our nation.”
The Companion of the Star of Merit is one of the three highest civilian honours that the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis bestows on its sons and daughters. The Star of Merit, along with the Medal of Honour and the Order of National Hero, was established under the National Honours Act.