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Okeke says The monument has been endorsed by the Mayor of Dangriga Town Council along with the family of TV Ramos. Today the media was invited to the unveiling.

Stephen Okeke - Sculptor
"I choose Mr. Ramos just like I have made selection for other very important Belizean heroes. This is the center of Garifuna Settlement day, this is what is celebrated every year and yet there is no insignia, there is no monument. Don't tell me about the dummy that they had there in Dangriga - there is no monument to signify the greatness of this man, the achievement of this man. So much is made off is name; people made money off his name, people celebrate off his name, in New York is celebrated all over the United States and I thought it's an embarrassment somehow and I don't blame people for not have done it, but it's an embarrassment that this is not there."

"I have been working on it for a long time and usually for me to accomplish these kinds of things I have to do it secretly because if I make it public I am doing it, people will kill the idea. It's unfortunate that is still happening especially when Belizeans and tourism is making a lot of money from other monuments I have done already; it's used in advertisements. In Garifuna Settlement Day, my sculptures are the main piece - it becoming a national monument. It's unfortunate that that kind of reaction is still there, but I have to do it secretly and when it's completed I make people understand this is what you have now before your permanent installation."

Monica Bodden
"Tell us sponsorship-wise to get this up?"

Stephen Okeke - Sculptor
"That's another interesting part of it. Would you believe that up to now I am still paying the loan I got to do the Drums of my Father. While it is there on the Dangriga Town Council letterhead, it's being used on advertisements everywhere I am still paying the loan I got on that. I am even in more debt because of Antonio Soberanis - I sank more into debt while everybody is enjoying it. I can see tour guides take their tourists there. Parents tell their children the history and I am paying the debt on that."

"In this case here while I was doing it, I had the support of the family and I thought this is good and I will not tell anybody it until it's done and then it's delivered to them. But eventually like every other thing that I have done everybody stepped back and they say I should find the money. At a point I had to beg the family to donate one dollar, like a symbolic take ownership. They say they support it, they like it and they will work with it, but they don't have money, so I should raise the money for them. I have gone around; I have been on the internet trying to raise money. Friends like Hubert Enriquez have been trying to help to raise money, but it has been very difficult to do that."

"I have decided based on my experience and the validation you had from the works that I had done already - I wouldn't have to go through that process, let me approach corporate sponsors. There are these millions of dollars that have been budgeted for BTB to upgrade national monument - things they should do first. So I approach SMART and the SMART people are smart, immediately say they will do this - they will be part of this and they have pledge a sizeable sum of money. I also approach BTB and I am happy to hear at least that the board of directors is debating to know if they should invest in sponsoring this project and I hope they do. Once we are able to put together the finance we will donate it to the people of Dangriga to take its proper place. Those corporate friends who make their contributions will have their names prominently engraved on the memorial. We think this weekend of early next week when the BTB directors make up their decision - I will let the media whatever they decide. And the people of Dangriga and the Garifuna worldwide decide to wake up and behave differently then I will rely on BTB and the good people at SMART to sponsor this project so that the people of Dangriga can have it and general Belizean public can enjoy the benefits that comes with these kinds of monuments permanently."

The project is valued at forty thousand Belize dollars. As soon as sponsorship comes through, the monument will be placed in Dangriga.

Of course, the absence of sponsorship means that this is another Okeke dead raise - and that always ends badly. We'll keep you posted.