Long time caseworker for Service Charity Stephen Flanigan has decided enough is enough and will stand for the UK Independence Party against the established parties.
Stephen Flanigan, former Devonshire Road then Tyldesley
Secondary Modern school pupil has spent most of his adult life working overseas
in countries as far away as Borneo, Rhodesia, Spain, Germany, Australia and all
parts of Southern Africa. He worked in a myriad of jobs from senior
diving instructor to running the security of a country's essential electricity supply, then in the midst of a bush
war.
Here is one episode from his long and diverse life that
needs to be published. It has been
suppressed for fear of embarrassment to some, but as we enter an epoch where enlightenment
means openness and matters like the horrendous Sir Jimmy Savile debacle need no
longer cloud issues that ought to be acted against, you may get an insight into
the man who is definitely not a Party apparatchik.
The
Himba, a magnificent and handsome race who live along the Cunene River (Portuguese spelling) or Kunene River
(Namibian spelling) on the Namibian/Angolan border were being decimated
by the ancient disease of syphilis.
Himba girls
The casual attitude to and naivety towards sex amongst these primitive people
was sickeningly exploited by the purveyors of abuse now prevalent across the
World today, the Stuart Halls and Jimmy Savile's of the time. With the help of the South African Defence Force's medical
doctors and nurses, there was put in place a two year screening and inoculation
process that, at that time, eradicated the disease from the tribes.
Cunene River
Angolan/Namibian border
Forming
a strong bond, Steve employed all the males to act as scouts and lookouts
against Swapo insurgents into what was then South West Africa. Providing
good medical facilities and ensuring plentiful supplies of maize and other
essential foods - in a country ravaged by drought - meant that Steve could securely supply the much needed
electricity from the Ruacana hydro plant to the capital city of Windhoek and
the growing enclave at Katutura and even further afield to the Diamond Regions
south of Luderitz.
There will be more as we get closer to this election.
This one incident of time shows Stephen’s ability to
co-ordinate across a wide section of services, also his caring side whilst defending with arms the security of an emerging nation. It also indicates that along with his recent record as a caseworker, for
individuals in need in the Fylde area, his history makes his candidature a
welcome addition as against the usual mundane and inexperienced Party yes men forced
on us.