A member of the Barbuda People’s Movement (BPM) is calling on the government to give an account of how relief monies for Barbuda are being spent.
Trevor Walker, a former parliamentary representative for the sister island, is asking for a preliminary report showing what monies have been used for to date.
He wants to have this report by the end of the month.
“I think it is important for the people of Barbuda to get an account as to where the money has gone, what has it been spent on so far and we want an appreciation of the fact that persons who are making donations (know) that the money are reaching us in Barbuda.
“And the reason for that there has been a lot of promises, there has been a lot of pronouncement about dredging, about fixing airport, about a lot of things. And I think it is important that the prime minister gives a preliminary account by the end of November, which is roughly another 15 days to the people of Antigua and Barbuda, more so Barbuda so that we can see where the money has gone,” said Walker.
Walker noted that releasing a report would help to ease the distrust that some Barbudans have about how relief monies have been spent, and demonstrate that things are progressing as planned on Barbuda.
Meanwhile, Walker wants chairperson of the Barbuda Council to convene a meeting to discuss the rebuilding of the sister island.
He said the BPM members of the Council will pen a letter to Knacyntar Nedd (chairperson) requesting a sitting of the Council.
“We are also not satisfied with the level of information we are getting, and we, the five members of the Barbuda People’s Movement, would be writing a letter to the chairperson of the Barbuda Council…invoking section 34 of the Act which says that any five members who request a meeting of the Barbuda Council that the chairman shall call that meeting without delay and we will be requesting an urgent meeting of the Barbuda Council to discuss the recovery efforts, and the input that Barbudans and the Council included have had in the efforts so far,” the BPM member said.
Walker says Barbuda was devastated by Hurricane Irma over two months ago and up to this date Barbudans are not clear as to how and when the rebuilding exercise will take place.
He noted that Barbudans want to contribute to the rebuilding efforts.
“We are getting to the point where we need to get some answers, it’s going for three months and it’s not good enough that we are just left in the dark and been told that we are getting this, we are getting that and nothing is forthcoming, so that is what we are going to do, and I hope that when we do get this report that we are going to make it public and that the prime minister should make it public, it’s preliminary and I think the Barbudans would be much comforted given the fact that persons have made several donations to us here in Barbuda,” Walker concluded.
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