Dear Editor,
St. John’s, once the heartbeat of Antigua and Barbuda, has tragically deteriorated into a filthy, ungovernable mess.
The capital city is a national embarrassment overrun with makeshift vendors, unsightly garbage piles, broken pallets, and rotting tents that choke the sidewalks and spill into the streets.
Pedestrians are forced to gamble with their lives, dodging traffic because the walkways are either blocked or non-existent.
The city’s drains emit a stench so vile it assaults every passerby. This is not just neglect; it is administrative failure of the highest order.
For years, successive Ministers have promised action but delivered nothing. Their weakness and incompetence have become so normalized that the rot in St. John’s is now seen as just another part of daily life. The people of Antigua deserve better.
When Minister Rawdon Turner, in his new role overseeing St. John’s Development, finally took meaningful steps to address these long-standing issues, many of us saw a glimmer of hope.
He showed courage, vision, and the will to act. But that brief hope was quickly dashed.
The people who use St. John’s are being held hostage by egos and political games, and enough is enough.
Minister Turner’s efforts must not be strangled by those who are too scared to let him succeed. The clean-up and revitalization of our capital must not be sacrificed to appease fragile pride or maintain an outdated pecking order.
St. John’s deserves leadership, not interference. It’s time we called out the gatekeepers who prefer a dirty city and a broken system over real, tangible progress.
Kerry Simon
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Well said!
I’m embarrassed and ashamed when I have visitors to take them up town, now that we getting ready to celebrate carnival in the summer.
I long stop inviting my friends to visit and take them into the city.uggh!
Ah wha kind of government is dis??
Shame!
Antigua deserve better😢
I have been hearing that cruise ship operators, business owners and investors have been steadily voicing their opinions to the powers at be on the state of St. Johns in comparison to nearby islands and that’s why the government is launching these so-called initiatives to clean up the city. It is sad that the government hasn’t addressed this sooner or listened to the average citizens complaints but I wish Turner well in his attempt to improve that mess.
I don’t go into the city unless I had absolutely no choice
The place is an absolute disgrace. For years, that’s been empty promises. You don’t notice that a lot of business are moving away?
Son only the rats and roaches will remain unless the city is significantly upgraded
I rarely go to St. John’s. The confusion, the stench, the filth, the garbage, the rats. It is a place fitting for politicans from both parties. And at night, add darkness as the streets are drab, dreary and dark. Imagine the capital city of the economic powerhouse of the Caribbean. What a disgrace. And even if they can maintain a little bit of order they will throw this out the window for Carnival and Christmas.