Letter to Bolans Village, St. Mary’s South constituency, ABLP, PM Browne, Senator George and MP Simon
Last night, I was listening to the town hall that Senator George and ABLP had in Bolans and I was highly disappointed about what I was hearing.
But let me begin by saying, I believe a government has a responsibility to help its citizen and trust me, I know the locals need help and should be helped, but it was so sad that I did not hear one person from the public mentioned how they can help the country. I did not hear once, how can help my nation.
Everyone was only able to demand the government do basic things like supply water (When the ABLP moderator/host is not demanding for local/folks to stop expressing how this problem is affecting them individually), and other was a demand by folks/people telling the government they should invest more in farming/food production (While the PM is saying this is a private matter and it is private individuals who the locals/public should demand to increase farming and producing).
This PM failed to appreciate in this situation he is part of the government and he and his administration have a duty to motivate and encourage folks/people to enter into the farming industry and encourage an increase in produce.
The PM can simply encourage farming and increase in production by legislation. By making it mandatory for all hotels to have a section on their menu with local recipes and or demanding local hotels to purchase some percentage (could be 10% to 20% or whatever %) of their produce from locals.
This action will ensure there is a demand that locals will be encouraged and motivated to supply. It is no longer a major risk for farmers to produce in large-scale, not knowing if locals will buy it all. They are now guaranteed additional demands.
The other issue I have is of the PM constantly saying, “do you not see progress?”. Even if you progressed a country from 1% to 1.2%, and there is obviously progress, it does not mean it is adequate or the strategic or appropriate progress the country should have already had. In my good faith belief and analysis, Antigua and Barbuda should have already been one of the wealthiest Island in the world. Every village should have already had millions of dollars in a village trust, assigned to it yearly that locals can tap into. But I see mismanagement and waste occurring.
I heard that pineapple slips are being imported into the country. Are these Antigua Black pineapple? Why do we talk about our black pineapples so proudly but treat it like nothing? The government must have a team that surveys monthly and yearly what produce are being farmed, to ensure we are not losing plants that no one realize everybody is no longer producing. Which could result in the extinction of local unique produce/plant/animals.
I want to finish by saying, I did not hear once, anyone saying, “how can I help my nation?” This hurt so much because I remember many years ago when I entered the ivy league university in the US (the one my “brother”, sister, mother, and almost my aunt (they turned her down for a visitor’s visa at that time stating her daughter should file for her, so she did not make it) and graduated, I was like, I can’t wait to go back to Antigua and Barbuda to help my people. My motivation was to help my family, my village, and my country.
Again, in recent times, I decided the way I could help my family, my village and my country of birth is to open an office locally that I am already certain would be profitable, to ensure family members, villagers and others in the country could have a job but this endeavor suffered undue delays, and as I seek assistance from PM Brown and ABLP, they have all ignored my request, while PM Brown stated he cannot help. Again, I did not want money (I have a lot of that), I simply wanted my business endeavor to be listed as one of national and international importance so that licenses and permits can be decided on the merit in a reasonable time.
So, I can understand why folks are not able to say, during the Bolans Village townhall, “how can they help their country?” because the administration that represents the country will never give them any opportunity in which they can now focus on bigger things and not just oneself trying to make it.
I want to thank God and the US for getting me to where I am. I guarantee you the things I have achieved I would not have been able to achieve, without God using the US in my life. This would not be allowed in Antigua and Barbuda with the kinds of government administration we have.
I pray one day that Bolans Villagers, individually and together, will be able to say, how can I help my country, instead of how can I get the gutter cleaned? How can I get clean and regular water? How can I farm when no land is left? One day we will be able to say how can I help my village and how can I help Antigua? You will be able to say it with the right leadership, you will know when you have the right leadership.
All my life I have been saying, I am ready to help Bolans Village and Antigua and Barbuda. I want nothing in return, and I am not interested in getting votes. I want you all to see you deserve better in this world. Not people who feel they are the only and best leader for the country, who is bold enough to say, that is not my responsibility, and I cannot help you. That is not a sign of a good leader.
Bolans Village, Antigua and Barbuda, please replay everything you heard last night, and you will have your answer.
One final thing, I am not a supporter of UPP, and this is not an encouragement to vote for them, but the MP should have been allowed to speak uninterrupted like everyone else from the ABLP was allowed to do without interruption.
This just my way of helping. I have so much to offer Bolans Village, Antigua and Barbuda, and I am not doing so for vote. I am officially declaring my intent to donate items (farming/wildlife cameras, security systems, laptops, solar lights, etcetera), $50,000 to Bolans Village and my expertise (to make you wealthy and able to say how can I help my village and my country).
Again, I am not interested in your politics or vote. This is from my heart; this is my way of helping. I love my job.
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The PM talk about economic growth and the average citizens are not feeling it..they are stuck in near poverty because the cost of living is so high…water is such a bother…I don’t know why they even bother with Dwayne George, he will never beat Shugy …best the pm get shugy to join ABLP
Antiguans are stuck in poverty because they wouldn’t get off their butt’s and work. 15,000 people are employed by the government. 15,000, when only 3,000 are needed at most. 12,000 of them do nothing but collect a salary every month. It tells you they have no ambition and are waiting for handouts. And it is because we have 12,000 unproductive persons that take up the bulk of the government’s revenue that we cannot pay Police, teachers and nurses properly. It is the reason that no money is left to fix roads and ensure that the hospital and clinics are properly stocked with medications. So we need a change of mind. Here is another example of our laziness and lack of vision. The government introduced an entrepreneurship programme that will help you develop a business idea and give you funding. A handful of Antiguans have come forward plus some Guyanese and Jamaicans. So why are you still complaining? The truth of the matter is that dependency on politicians is now in our DNA.
@the writer:
Why so much doom and gloom?
Did we watch the same town hall?
The people had many questions and they got clear answers to every single one.
The water supply to the south will be fully fixed once the 1 million gallons a day being installed at Ffryes is brought on line by year end.
The Bolans field will be fixed soonest and the stand completed in 2025.
Extensive community and farm access road programme rolling out in 2025.
New housing development at Paradise Hill
Flooding in West Palm beach to be addressed with improved drainage.
Assistance will be provided for the establishment of a new steel orchestra, and the building to house it is already authorised by Cabinet.
The one gentleman who spoke about youth wanting to get into businesses was urged to tell them to go to Sagicor building and apply for the EDP funding.
That was how the night went. People had their concerns. There were solutions in response.
Hopefully Shugy will put those million dollar investors he promised during the byelection to work as he promised to assist with the developments.
I do like your idea about being stronger on getting more produce purchased by hotels. Perhaps if you are aware of similar legislation in other islands you can advise us as well as the PM on that and what impact it would have had in those places to get the ball rolling.
Town hall meetings are a joke, just talk shops I do not trust politicians the first time I voted it was for Hugh Marshall because he made a promise that the lands entering Bolans on the left coming over Jolly hill would be sold to the people who were cultivating them, go now and take a look not one person living up there ever had any cultivation there, he actually had a relative of mine making trips to the office knowing he was making a fool of her until one day an employee there told her he gave the land to someone else, they are a bunch of deceivers
Let me understand Mr. ivy league, it’s for Bolans people to fix the water, roads, crime, education, health care et al? Why do we have a government? Why do we pay taxes or government salaries? The question is not what Bolans people can do for Antigua, but why other Antiguans continue to vote ALP when nothing has changed in Antigua for over 40 years? As an aside, the last time we had significant agriculture production was back under PLM when Sir Robert was minister of agriculture. The government you choose matters.
Dear whoever wrote this article your statement below is not a truthful one, the PM always encourages farming whether from your backyard to wherever, he is always promoting farming. Sole people claim they applied for farm lands and cannot get same but how much more people can start in their own backyard and help reduce their expenses? If we Antiguans and Barbudans can start to appreciate what we have and keep our surroundings clean and be proud life will
be better.
Your statement
“This PM failed to appreciate in this situation he is part of the government and he and his administration have a duty to motivate and encourage folks/people to enter into the farming industry and encourage an increase in produce.
@Mr. Beam, you must not have read my full article to see i was making the exact point as you. Please fully to comprehend my point. Which was to say, sadly people are so focused on trying to get the government to do the most basic things for them, public, to survive, they can not focus on doing bigger and honorable things for the name. Please. You have to read.
Well said writer
@Keep it really!
Thanks for responding. I will also say Antigua and Barbuda can be the pioneer in creating the legislation that pushes for hotels to buy more locally. We do not have to constantly follow and copy. We are or should be innovators. I strive on that. I love that.
Leadership matters…Antigua people get the government they deserve!
They love to worship politicians
Love to depend on them..
The politicians in turn keep them poor and begging!!
This is is the saddes thing ever to watch.
What I took away from the Town Hall round South last night is that Darryl Matthew is very knowledgeable, articulate and has an absolute grasp of all matters, not just Education. Having listened to all the Ministers in the past, I thought only Gaston had this knowledge and skill. It tells me that it is time Gaston puts King Bluff Cutie out to pasture and begin to groom Darryl to be his successor. In future let’s see Darryl acting as PM, when Gaston goes off on his many overseas travels. Let’s see if there is real commitment to younger and more competent Ministers and succession planning in the ABLP.
Do not really care about politicians, always voted for the lesser of two evils which to me is never the ABLP but I do agree that Daryl Matthew is the person my mind is on as the new leader perhaps even right now, not Greene for sure
THIS NATION OF ANTIGUA IS A BIG JOKE…..
Teach a man to fish rather than giving a man a fish is what the government is doing. Yet our people is stuck in their ways to rely on handouts…. We can’t grow as a nation if we are too beggy, beggy.
please asked that person to reach out to [email protected].
Not that they would get rid of Dwayne, he is an instrument in st Mary’s south that the ALP can use to extract monies from the business community at election time into ALP coffers, even though shuggy will always win.
When are we going to have a conversation about the fact that Nikki Beach Resort is now being constructed without having provided the legally mandated Environmental Impact Assessment. Close examination of the plans will reveal that they are building on top of the 30 foot right of way which constitutes the publics unfettered access to Jolly Beach as mandated by section 50 of the physical planning act.
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