CARICOM SG, CDB, mourns passing of former Premier of Nevis

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, April 5, 2022 - CARICOM secretary-general, Dr. Carla Barnett has joined St. Kitts and Nevis in mourning the loss of former Nevis Premier, Special Envoy, Vance Amory. who died on Saturday, April 2 in the United Kingdom.

In a message of condolence, the CARICOM SG said: “On behalf of the Caribbean Community, I offer sincere condolences to the Amory family and the Government and people of St Kitts and Nevis on the loss of this treasured son of the Federation.”

She said in her message that Ambassador Amory served St. Kitts and Nevis in many capacities, including Senior Minister in the Federal Government and Premier of Nevis. He was also a leading sportsman who played first class cricket for many seasons in the West Indies tournaments representing the Leeward Islands and the Combined Islands with distinction.

“His dedication to improving the economic and social life of the island of Nevis was demonstrated as educator, banker and politician with the island’s international airport bearing his name,” she said.

She also recalled his “calm voice” and “studied interventions” at meetings of the Councils of CARICOM, including the CARICOM Heads of Government Conferences.

And the Caribbean Development Bank, CDB, has hailed the late Vance Amory as one whose public life embraced service to the Region. In its statement the CDB said:  “The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) expresses its deepest sympathy to the Government and people of St. Kitts and Nevis on the passing of former Premier of Nevis, Vance Amory.

“Mr. Amory’s public life embraced service to the Region and as a long-standing Alternate Governor of CDB, he strongly supported the Bank’s work in reducing poverty and accelerating development to improve the lives of the region’s citizens. He continually called for greater social dialogue across the region and until recently, was contributing to deliberations at CARICOM, representing St. Kitts and Nevis at the Heads of Government Inter-sessional Meeting in Belize in February.

“While rendering significant service to the region, Mr. Amory was also dedicated to the development and upliftment of Nevis.

“Our region has lost a great leader and a dedicated public servant but Mr. Amory leaves behind an indelible legacy which will continuously redound to the benefit of the people of Nevis and the wider Caribbean”.

The Saint Kitts and Nevis politician died in London at age of 72 on April 2, 2022, after battling cancer.

The former Premier of Nevis was admitted to the hospital in London, United Kingdom, where he succumbed during treatment for cancer.

Amory was born on May 22, 1949, in Rawlins Village.

Amory was popular among the general public and served Nevis as Premier for two terms in the office – between 1992 and 2006 and between 2013 and 2017.

The leader also served as the Minister of Sports in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA). The St Kitts and Nevis politician was fond of cricket and also played the game for a few years.

 One of the brainchild of Vance Amory was the Concerned Citizens Movement, which he founded in 1987 as a political front. He also led his political party for more than a decade and served as Premier of Nevis.

He began his political career in the year 1983 when he applied for and successfully bagged the position in the Finance Department of the NIA. Later, he was promoted to Permanent Secretary in Finance under the premiership of Dr. Simeon Daniel; under this position, he learned the ins and outs of governance.

In September 1986, he took a break and went to get an education at the University of the Virgin Islands, St Croix campus. In December 1986, he returned back and dedicated his life to the betterment of Nevis.

He resumed his political career in 1987 and formed the Concerned Citizens’ Movement which he utilized as a tyool to transform the face of Nevis. One of his major achievements was in securing the funds for and seeing to the construction of the airport which now bears his name – Vance W. Amory International Airport.

In 2017, Vance was succeeded by Mark Brantley, who was one of his political partners of Vance.

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