As a living icon who rarely makes public presentations, His Excellency Assad Shoman was the toast of the event today at the Education Summit. But that doesn't mean the pre-eminent diplomat and prime ministerial best buddy got a free pass. The ambassador with ministerial rank, who has served in Mexico, London, Havana and Belmopan got taken to task by a lion from the old days when Odinga Lumumba publicly called him out for abandoning him in Ghana. It's a faraway story form a faraway place, but it came home like a hurricane today and here's a bit of Lumumba burning fire old school style on Shoman:
Odinga Lumumba
"You are the petty bourgeoisie, psuedo-intellectuals. This type of program should have bene in the Bishop Sylvester place, Saint Mary's Hall, various communes where the people can really relate to what our future education system is about. It's wrong what we are doing to our Belizean people.
And Mr. Shoman he knows me very well; he came to Ghana I introduced him to people of importance in Ghana. When I was arrested in Ghana Mr. Shoman denied knowing Odinga Lumumba. I spent 16 months in solitary confinement because of your denial and you stand here today and you are talking of what? Education of our children and when you are a fake, you're a psuedo-intellectual. You! What have you done to deserve this privilege?" (scattered applause)
For highlites of the significantly more demure proceedings - stay tuned after this newscast - as the government sponsors an airing of Ambassador Shoman's address in its entirety.?