By Desmond Brown – Executive Editor
Barbuda residents, frustrated over plans to shake up the island’s ancient communal land ownership, and emboldened by the win of new parliamentary representative Trevor Walker in the March 21 general election, have signaled their intention to part ways with the mainland Antigua.
Addressing residents on the hurricane battered island at a ‘victory rally’ Saturday evening, Walker sent a strong message to Prime Minister Gaston Browne that Barbaduans are no longer prepared to put up with being treated like the ‘poor cousin’ in their relationship.
“We’re in touch with international organizations, we’re in touch with the United Nations, and as the member of Parliament I want to tell you that I’ll be going out there to let them know that Barbudans are not happy with Antigua Government,” Walker told dozens of cheering supporters.
“And I want to send the message to them that if they are not happy with us it’s better we have a divorce, it’s better we have a divorce, because how much worse it can get than this.”
On Sept. 6, 2017 Barbuda became one of the first victims of Hurricane Irma, which swept in winds measuring up to 185 miles (298 km) an hour, killing one person and damaging an estimated 90 percent of properties.
All 1,800 inhabitants had to leave under a mandatory evacuation order to seek shelter in neighbouring Antigua as another hurricane – Maria – barreled down on Barbuda just days after Irma, though it ultimately veered off course.
A few days after the disaster, Browne, prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda, a twin-island state, proposed that Barbudans returning home should buy their land for a symbolic price of $1 and receive freehold titles.
The proposal does not sit well with Barbudans who have collectively owned their land since Britain abolished slavery in its colonies in 1834.
“I want to say to us, we must stand together. We must defend Barbuda and I pledge to you that I will stand in the front and defend the rights of the people of Barbuda,” Walker said.
“The election was on Wednesday, and on Thursday Gaston Browne said that he is going to change Barbuda land to be the same like in Antigua. I want him to know that we are going to stand up like a mighty army against him and that he is not going to come to Barbuda and do nothing in Barbuda unless he talks to us.
“Our land has not been under threat since independence and this is first time that Barbudans have to stand together since independence because we must defend this land. We can’t allow Gaston Browne to come and cut it up and sell to whoever he wants to sell it to,” Walker added.
Since the hurricane, residents have been returning home but have been relying on generators and desalinated water from humanitarian relief organizations.
Walker says Prime Minister Browne must explain to Barbudans what has happened to millions of dollars in hurricane relief raised after the storm.
“I want to tell you, when I go to Parliament on Monday, I am going to ask the Prime Minister, where is Barbuda money? I want to know where is the relief money? Gaston Browne and his government must give an account to us because as far as I am concerned, $18 million was not spent in Barbuda,” Walker said.
According to a United Nations post-disaster building damage assessment, roughly half of the 1,250 structures on Barbuda require significant repair or complete reconstruction.
The United Nations estimates it will cost $79 million to fix up Barbuda’s housing stock and that total recovery expenditure will amount to $223 million, nearly 16 percent of the country’s GDP.
Donors promised $1.3 billion in aid and more than $1 billion in loans and debt relief and loans for hurricane-ravaged Caribbean islands at a pledging conference after the hurricane.
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Where else in the world that a Barbudan can own land in Antigua and an Antiguan can’t own land in Barbudan? This can’t be right under any form of governance… Anyone who continue to fool the people is just plain foolish…. Someday honesty will prevail. Maybe the representative should find the money to pay the council workers and not depending on the central government…. The ball in your court break away from Antigua is your desire… caused blowing noise will not solved the dependency syndrome you and followers continue to mislead the gullible flocks.. Winning an electron would not solved the failure’s over the year’s of your offering…. Be more progressive and visionary….. Stop the foolishness…
ANYONE can own Antigua’s land. Your point is not valid
What a joker you are MP Walker, the moment you separate from Antigua you either run back quick with your tail between your legs or sell off your precious lands to get money or did you forget that Antigua is subsidising Barbuda.
Sounds about right. You want to live in your own house by your own rules and pay your own bills, then you should be entitled to do so.
Back to the polls for referendum!! You definitely have my vote.
I agree with walker were is all that money gaston brown get they treat barbudian like shit only who in the kichen feel the heat look at how long that island in a mess how how much sand the antigua labour party sell from barbuda and up to now this poor island in still in cramble gosh ABLP WICKED
Let’s be fair, if change was to come it should have come in 2004 when the UPP took office. Sand was still being sold and everything remained the same.
If you think about it, the only “person” who brought change to Barbuda was Irma.
I’d like to ask a question of anyone who would be will to answer.
What do you think is the solution if not divorce?
I say leave them with their land but fair is fair, we can no longer subsidize Barbuda. Allow them to empower themselves however they see fit.
I’d actually like to hear some ideas from Mr Walker.
As for the disaster relief money, who is paying for the food, accomodation, travel, repairs to school, airport, hospital, cleanup, utility restoration?
Young Business,
We all know that is not what the Antigua gov want. We all know deep down what this is about.
I can appreciate the skepticism of the Barbudan people based on history.
By your response, I take you are not opposed to development but you are skeptical of the government intentions.
Here is my suggestion, negotiate investments and tie them to performance, lease the land instead of selling to investors.
The main question I would like an answer to is how do your move Barbuda forward without investment? Even if you go on your own, there must be a plan for development.
I know one thing, doing nothing will be far worse. At the end of the day, only the Barbudans can make this decision for themselves and I can only wish them the best.
@ Antiguan-I dont know what the Antiguan Government want,whom BTW is also the government of Barbuda.Please enlighten me as to what they want.
Very well said, it appears that everyone has forgotten that Barbudans are living in Antigua under the care of the Government… money has to be spent to keep them here as well… Yes Gaston did receive money to assist with repairing the country but 90% of Barbuda itself was destroyed… Reconstruction must start somewhere and money is also needed for that purpose, workers must to be paid because a lot of Barbudans refuse to go back and help with the rebuilding of their own homeland
If Barbuda want go mek them go. Let them fend for themselves and the money being uses to subsidize them can go do other things in Antigua like fixing the roads
What a calumnious tragedy? That in today’s advance educational world. Clueless politicians can still brain washed their followers. Folks, the issues with Barbuda didn’t SD start yesterday…. If the representative feels so strongly, let him severed ties can with Antigua. Folks the central government pays the salaries for the same representative… Goosh get it into your non-functional brain’s. Barbuda at this time cannot sustain itself without the central government. They need outside investment…. Don’t let vision less politician fool you anymore….
If they want to let them go. PM Browne the Barbudans have made it clear they want to stand on their own so allow them. I would love to see how PM Walker run Barbuda without the subsidies from Antigua. How would he pay the consul and the workers run the hospital and schools and manage Barbuda on a whole without Antigua being there……
Barbuda will never separate from Antigua. This is a known fact cause Barbuda cannot stand on thier own. Barbuda is heavily reliant on the Central Governament to pay the council and its workers. They also need other government agacies such as APUA and the police force for utilities and security. For them to go off on their own they would need some serious development and human recourcrs cause Barbuda is underpopulated and they would have to let go of their foolish notions about land and dependancey on the council. So therefore no matter how much bs MP Walker talking about divecore from Antigua he know that is not possible.
if I was PM GASTON BROWNE I WAS GIVING THEM THEIR DIVORCE LET THEM TO GO SUFFER THEIR CONSQUENCES THAT’S WHY THEY VOTED FOR TREVOR IN THE FIRST PLACE.
Gaston will never let Barbudans go because he is a bully and must have his own way. Why not work with the Barbudans to develop the island..
@Unbelievable- You’ll are some real ignorant people.What is the PM doing except to try to help them get a real life? Does he have them in bondage? SMDH.
If Barbuda wants a divorce then they should return to the Crown, they will be much better under England. Antigua inept Government have failed miserably in helping to rebuild the lives of the people after the Hurricane but to fool them with other tactics to sell lands for personal gain under the people’s noses. The Land act in Barbuda should be controlled by the Council because the island is very small.
The govt failed the Barbuda people?? What a big joke. After the amount of monies spent to look after these people when they were evacuated for their own safety from 2 impending category 5 hurricanes. Are you people for real. The govt trying to help them to better themselves and this is what ypynpeople say. Must the government rebuild their homes for free?? Well I see some people don’t want development for Barbuda people. They must always remind in the backwards position they are. Smh why is it that a young person looking to buy land in Antigua must go through all this hell and horrors but yet still these Barbudans partially getting it for free and yet behave like a set of spoiled children. Smh only in this small islands of Antigua and Barbuda this ignorance happens. I say if they want to be on their own let them go. If they think England will look after them they are sadly off.
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