Member of Parliament for Barbuda Trevor Walker has told workers of the Barbuda Council who are still in Antigua, to return to the sister-isle or lose their jobs.
Wednesday, during the first Barbuda Council meeting since the by-election, Walker told these workers, “I was going to give persons a particular time and if they don’t come back well, its fine with us, you come off our payroll and you continue to do what you have to do it Antigua”.
He said the Council cannot continue to operate as before because it simply cannot afford it.
Walker argued that the Barbuda office which was set up on Antigua after Hurricane Irma is now closed, so there is no need for Barbudans to stay there to work any longer.
Meanwhile, the MP said persons on the Barbuda Council who have been put in charge of overseeing sand mining operations, will have to account for how these monies are being used.
“I’ve been asking for months, where and how much are we getting from sand mining nobody can tell me. I finally got the answer yesterday that the sand money is being used to pay the bill at Dove Cove in Antigua,” Walker explained.
A number of Barbudans had been housed on the property after the category 5 hurricane-displaced everyone on the sister isle. The MP said monies collected from sand mining is for everyone on Barbuda and their sand money should not be used to pay Dove Cove’s bill, especially as council workers “cannot get paid every week”.
He said as soon as the council is set up they will take an immediate decision to stop monies from going to Dove Cove and demand for those responsible to tell the Council who gave them the authority to divert the monies there.
The Barbuda MP says they will be making additional changes to the operation of include cutbacks on staffing.
“We have reduced council operations to five committees, we’re not going to have all these extensive boards and all these people because we can’t afford it and we have also reduced the membership on these committees,” he confirmed.
These committees are as follows:
Walker was elected as the Chair of the Finance, Education and Training Committee.
Nadia George is the chair of the Health and Social Welfare and Disaster Committee.
Kendra Beazer is the chair of the Agriculture, Forestry, Marine Resources and Coastal Protection Committee
Asha Frank chair of Tourism, Culture and Youth Affairs; Calsey Beazer is Deputy Chair
Calsey Beazer is chair of Works and General Purposes Committee and Kendra Beazer is Deputy
Additionally, Walker promised to review increases and allowances that had been given to Council workers before the March 21st general election.
He added that it was illegal since “the Barbuda Council has never given any authorization for some of those things to take place”.
During the Barbuda Council Meeting, Calsey Beazer also took the oath of allegiance, as she was officially sworn in as a member of the Barbuda Council.
She won a seat on the Council for the Barbuda Progressive Movement (BPM) during a by-election last week.
Fabian Jones was elected Senator of the Barbuda Council.
Wade Burton was elected Chairman of the Barbuda Council and the Honourable Trevor Walker was elected as Deputy, both unopposed and without challenges.
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What took him so long?? This is long overdue. Not just the council employees, but all need to get off their baxides and get to putting their chit in order.
He’s been elected 6 weeks that seems like a fair time to get your feet under the table, research and get to the bottom of what is going on, create the best plan of action and implement it, that’s going some. Great to see this happening.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha well well look one joke. Trevor Walker Tryon to act like he care. What he wants them back cause he needs customers for his gas station. Good look to u and that
The money is for everyone on Barbuda but it should not be used to pay the bill at Dove cove to house Barbudans. So who suppose to pay your bills?
There are monies collected for hurricane relief but this is just the typical entitled attitude why people are annoyed with some Barbudans. You want to collect while somebody else pay the bills. What is wrong with you? You should be glad to say Barbuda contribute to helping its own people. The most you need to do is make sure the money was spent as reported and not squandered.
You’re kidding right? The people staying at Dove cove are ABLP supporters that work for the council. The donated money hasn’t been accounted for. He is right, if you are a labour supporter and wanna stay in dadli, then you can’t get paid or housed.
I have no issue with return or be cut from payroll, its common sense, you show up for work or no pay.
My issue is if this bill was incurred housing people after the hurricane, explain why the Barbuda council should not be liable for the cost to house Barbudans. Mr Walker made no mention of who was staying at the property, only that the council should not pay Dove Coves bill. It’s like you don’t want to pay for anything. So many people have donated to the relief effort, you can’t go in your pocket to help yourself?
June is next month.
Report for monies was presented last week with more be spent than had been collected so far.
I notice you were very specific as to whom the rules should apply. Well done.
The donation money went to feeding all the Barbudians 3 times a day plus sheltering them in Antigua plus they are being paid every week. Please hurry the hell up and get out of Antigua. Tired of looking after lazy ungreatful people ho is only all of self
I wonder if you were given the choice – for the donated monies to put you up in Antigua for a temporary period or for the donated monies to repair your home in Barbuda, which would people have chosen?
Do you think people want to be forcibly removed from their homes by nature and then be in temporary states, already with the trauma of the event and then an uncertain future? A little more compassion people.
But it’s the same Dove Cove on of your councillors (bpm)rest them head when their over here. The thing is u all playing this damn blame game like BPM never done nothing wrong. Shit man.. No wonder shit can’t change because of ppl mind set like you. Come on man. A everyone go suffer.
Who owns dove cove?
I stand to be corrected but I think there is a connection between the owner of that business and the equipment used to transport the sand from Barbuda. I have a name but that’s probably not a good idea.
Smh. And tell me Mr. walker, those workers who ain’t have a place to live will go. Now ya all saying o the shelter could hold this and that amount. Could it accommodate the 70% of council workers along side their kids?? Chupzzz. All I have to say those who making it in Antigua where your kids could get a better education and you could afford it do what you have to do. Now these workers going back to what? Now they’re not getting paid like that in Antigua; would it be any different in Barbuda. Come back and sit and do what. Yes you have some sitting on their asses bdoing nothing, plus on the other hand others who willing to go out and find work. Now you want these workers report to work,but you need to let them know your plans at hand before persons make the move. Chupzzz
So dem mus just get paid for nothing? Might as well they start clean up barbuda like the BPM council workers.
They refuse to go and clean up. Even when Antiguans go over there to assist them.with the rebuilding them still nah do nothing. They ezpect everthing to b done for them for free while still.being paid for nothing….
Now you sounding biased. Only Bpm counci workers was doing the clean up. Everything is all about politics and this sound like a bpm supporter smh. Nobody is saying to pay the people that’s not working. All am trying to say where the 70% of the people gonna live? Inform the people of the plan before they start shipping themselves over. And I clearly stated who is in a job and can stay just stay.
FINALLY
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