LETTER: UPP has no authority to speak about the water crisis that the nation is experiencing

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UPP has no authority to speak about the water crisis that the nation is experiencing. Thanks for the heads up Senator Turner

Dear Editor,

Listening or watching parliamentary debates is certainly not a hobby of mine.

However, because of the hype & the outcome of our 2023 general election, the budget debate especially with the youths in the senate, this time around, peeked my interest.

From my vantage point, I found that the senators who are aligned with Labour party along with the senator who has been appointed by the governor general, Mrs Kizzy Johnson, were all on fire during the debate.

It was evident that they all came to the parliament properly prepared and ready for political combat.

Disappointingly, the UPP senators in my view, unfortunately lacked that depth & lustre with their arguments.

For me, Senator Turner’s presentation caught my undivided attention. I found his presentation interesting & very informative.

Unlike his colleagues who had flare & antics to their delivery, senator Turner’s simple approach was more focused on presenting the facts than anything else.

Interestingly, he put to rest many of the unsolved questions that I had clouded my mind. I was really intrigued with how he highlighted to the nation, in a chronological manner, the genesis of the water problem, that the island is presently faced with.

During his presentation, surprisingly, I observed that NO ONE from the OPPOSITION’S bench refuted or challenged what Senator Turner articulated.

Hence, I was immediately left to wonder  if the silence from the opposotion’s  bench was a sign of confirmation that Senator Turner was speaking the truth.

Now If that is so, then in my view, UPP has no moral authority to speak or argue about the water crisis that is presently plaguing our nation. According to Senator Turner’s report, it seems to me that  UPP was very much guilty of been irresponsible.

During their tenure, they mismanaged & misappropriated the Gov’t funds which has now caused our nation to be in this dire state.

According to a feasibility study, 8 million gallons is needed to adequately supply the country with running water so here are some concerns extracted from Senator Turner’s presentation….

1. Did UPP meet 6 million gallons  of RO water i when they took office in 2004?

2.  Was the Tango Water Plant producing 2 million gallons of water & the other water plant, Sembcorp was producing 4 million gallons to make  up the 6 million gallons ?

3. Why did UPP close the Tango water plant?

4. Just around 2007, did UPP build a water plant at Camp Blizzard  to replace Tango?

5. If yes, why was it built to produce 600,000 gallons and not the 2 million gallons equivalent to what Tango had produced?

6. Since there was a shortage supply of water to the nation, why did UPP wait until 2011, four years later to build at Fryes, another water plant?

7. Why was the Fryes water plant built to produce 600,000 gallons of water and not the deficit from Tango’s plant ie 14, 000, 000 gal?

8. Is it true that there was no monies to maintain the water plant at Camp Blizzard so UPP close down half of the water production?

9. Was UPP bankrupt why APUA owed WIOC $90, 000, 000.00 ?

10. Was UPP bankrupt why APUA owed Antigua Power Company (APC ) $45, 000, 000.00?

11. Was UPP bankrupt why Sempcorp, the privately owned utility company was owed $21, 000, 000.00?

12. Was it because of irresponsible & mismanagement of funds that forced APC who also supplied the nation with electricity to plunge the country into darkness ?

13. Did PM Spencer asked the nation to band their bellies and hold out since their was a conflict between APC & UPP as the sitting govt concerning monies owed to APC?

14. Did UPP ever pay off WIOC, Sembcorp & APC their monies?

15.  Was the $150,000,000.00 that purchased the Wadadli Power Plant from the Chinese, an additional debt to the country?

16. Was those Wadadli Power Plant engines, brand new or brand new second hand items?

17. At the end of UPP’s tenure in  2014, why was all the water plants producing a combine total of only 1 million gallons of water?

18. Is UPP aware that tax payers are still paying for the Wadadli Power Plant all because of your irresponsible practices?

Alex

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36 COMMENTS

  1. Not dem again…. UPP cannot come & run this country again….. They just don’t have what it takes to run sweetie shop muchless a country…. Not dem again!!!

  2. Here’s a mathematical equation that the ABLP supporters CAN’T work out that should have resolved Antigua & Barbuda’s water💦 shortage:

    50 years of Birdism and Browneism minus 10 years of the Spencer years equals 40 years of completing our nationwide water supply system.

    Or put simply for the acolytes, 50-10=40

    Brixtonian rocking it today … 😁

  3. No political party can come and speak to me about water because from ALP, to PLM, ABLP and UPP have alllllll failed.

    Again I will say that the problem is NOT RO water production! It’s a water distribution issue either from worker sabotage, management incompetence or money mismanagement. Until money is invested to replace the old and damaged pipes the problem will never go away regardless of what party is in place.

    So I am sorry…..we can have all the political marches we want by whatever political party….but until there is a plan to start replacing pipes, just keep passing my gate please and thanks and don’t make any noise in my head unless it’s rain water on my roof.

    • 40 years!!! Wha’ wrong wid you @ Please and thanks? I just worked out the mathematical equation for you … tarl!

      • No math needed at all. The writer’s statement shows the systematic failure by ALL political parties and/or the improper planning by APUA why we are all suffering now. Yes the pipes are aging, we alllllll know that…..BUT what is to be done about it? All parties like to claim that Government is continuous and it is….so why now try to add, subtract and carry the remainder over? Why must everything be political?

    • @Please and Thanks
      Agree with you fully. We don’t want to hear about what UPP did or didn’t do. They have been out of power for nine years. We just want water. The labour government has had over $2billion in CIP, the money has disappeared and what was it spent on. No infrastructure. They put RO plant at Fort James knowing the water is always ruff. They are talking about plant at Bethesda knowing up there full of sea weed. If them politicians would return all our stolen money, we would have more than enough to fix the infrastructure. I would like to tell Alex, Labour Party not running no country. Why doesn’t he tell his labour government to clean up the stinking country. What have they done with all the money they collected? Thief it?
      Things are so bad that they are resorting to sell people’s yacht to get money.

  4. Another Bull+++ article. Every true Antiguan and Barbudan has every right to speak about the water catastrophe. Notice I said “true Antiguans’ because the Laborites with their head stuck so far where the sun doesn’t shine for Gaston Browne, are irrelevant. Whether you are a parliamentarian or not, you live here and have to deal with the downright embarrassment and that entitles you to speak. I am sure the Laborites are suffering just as badly as everyone else, but when you belong to a cult, country is of no consequence.

    • @Harry: On what page of the UPP 2004 manifesto was water mentioned as a major issue to be fixed for Antigua households? All I can find is provide cheap water for farmers, make it cheaper for pensioners and improve access to water for Barbuda.

    • They did and the same problem that they met, they left it right there…….. They might jolly well go back in power and leave with it being the same.

  6. And ALP have no phucking authority in criticizing UPP over water problems. The ALP governed the country for 4 or 5 times as many years as PLM/UPP.
    Gtfoh trying to gaslight people with 🐴 💩. There are people who can still remember that water has always been an issue in Antigua. But the current leader promised to fix the problem — so, we don’t want to hear anything about another party that have NOT led the country for more that a decade.

    Is the plan to cast blame while doing nothing? That won’t work for long because laborites needs to bathe and wash clothes too. Only a jackass would defend any government that can’t provide an essential element.

    Nothing can live without water!

  7. TRUCK LOADS OF WATER BEING DELIVERED TO JH, ONE AFTER THE OTHER. SOMEONE IS MAKING A LOT OF MONEY.

    NO WATER IN THE PIPE BUT PLENTY IN TRUCKS.

    RICH PEEOPLE CAN NOW POWER WASH EVERY INCH OF THEIR PROPERTY FOR HOURS WITH NO REGARD FOR OUR WATER PROBLEMS. THESE PART TIME HOME OWNERS NEED TO BE EDUCATED ON CONSERVING ANTIGUAS WATER SO POOR PEOPLE CAN WASH THERE CLOTH AND BATH.

    DOES OUR GOVERNMENT FILL UP ALL THOSE LARGE CRUISE SHIPS WITH WATER WHILE IN PORT LEAVING NONE FOR ST. JOHN’S? JUST WONDERING…

  8. Upp upp my foot, why don’t you direct all your stupid silly questions to your corrupt party politicians who only fattening themselves with government money, and now have the country in poverty. Talk the truth, not because you’re paid to chat your BS. Upp did justice to this country in 10 short years alp there before me born and all they did was just drag antigua 🇦🇬 good name in the mud. Why don’t you go and eat your hog wash paid story.

  9. Please tell us who who are the owners of the almost 20 water trucks that line up at the Crabbes Water plant on a daily basis. There is absolutely no interest in solving the water problem because some of these same owners are making a killing from the intentional broken system.

  10. TRUCK LOADS OF WATER BEING DELIVERED TO JH, ONE AFTER THE OTHER. SOMEONE IS MAKING A LOT OF MONEY.

    NO WATER IN THE PIPE BUT PLENTY IN TRUCKS.

    RICH PEEOPLE CAN NOW POWER WASH EVERY INCH OF THEIR PROPERTY FOR HOURS WITH NO REGARD FOR OUR WATER PROBLEMS. THESE PART TIME HOME OWNERS NEED TO BE EDUCATED ON CONSERVING ANTIGUAS WATER SO POOR PEOPLE CAN WATER THERE PLANTS. WASH THERE CLOTHES AND BATH.

    DOES OUR GOVERNMENT FILL UP ALL THOSE LARGE CRUISE SHIPS WITH WATER WHILE IN PORT LEAVING NONE FOR ST. JOHN’S? JUST WONDERING…

  11. This is the kind of politics we have been playing for years and we are still at square one. We have gone through many Governments in the past and NONE of them have come close to fixing the woeful water situation. And the blame game gets us no where. It is truly pathetic that this has been happening for all these years and with no end in sight. What is it gonna take to fix it once and for all.

  12. @ Alex, it’s just laughable you would take the time to write this article to chat alot of rubbish. Clearly u are a laborite and that is your right to support who u deem fit. However, u have some nerve to insinuate that UPP isn’t competent to address the water issue plagging the country for years. When in fact ALP had over 30 years to address this water issue. Upp only had 10 years in which they have accomplished alot! U can make all the BS excuses but the reality is granny still can’t bade!! Just shut up!!

    • @seriously accomplished alot? The article points out where water is concerned they made the situation worse. They met 6 million gallons ro being produced daily and left One million four hundred thousand less (actually it’s worse because sempcorp was not producing 4 million gallons due to a debt of over twenty million ran up by the upp, it was no more than 3 million daily ). Under the Gaston Browne med admin water production has moved from 3 milliom, 600k to now 7 million. Take the time to recognize progress

      • @10 men

        Progress and the situation HAS GOTTEN WORSE.

        Is that your idea of progress? REGRESSION!

        U A ONE JOKE, or better still a useful idiot

      • @ tenman it’s either u live under a rock or u can’t interpret the message. If u have running water then kudos to u! However majority of us who face reality and not collecting a brown paper bag faces water challenges every f..ING day! The time u guys take to defend incompetent government and play the blame game we are still struggling even though we have a so called plant…. nonsense!

      • @Tenman
        Where all the water you say they are producing going? If you pump all the water into rusted iron pipes with holes, what you think will happen? APUA says when they turn up the pressure all the water leak out. I saw some pipes dug up in the Clarehall area and I couldn’t believe my eyes with all the rust and holes in the pipes. You and the government know what the problem is, the country needs new underground pipes. So continue with the crap with wasting our resources building RO plants with no pipes to deliver the water

        • @Think- the drought situation has worsened hence we are now using more RO water than in the past. Before it was mainly ground water, now its over 90 percent RO. The demand has also increased due to more houses being constructed and increases in our tourism numbers. The waste apua faces is not mostly from broken mains, but bad meters. Meters are not properly recording usage hence persons are undercharged and apua is losing revenue

          • @tenman
            What does bad meters and Losing revenue have to do with people not getting water. Make sense to me.

      • @Tenman…😁😁🍍de minute U stick you neck out fram, undah wan rack, dem stone U to rass! 🤓

  13. Why is everyone casting blame at ALP, UPP or ABLP???!!! THEY ALL WENT IN AND DID NOTHING and we are alll suffering!

    FIX THE DAMN PROBLEM ALREADY!!!! Stop with the stupid party colors waving!! We are all draped in the SAME flag and whether you are red, blue or indifferent, WE ARE ALLLLLLLL SUFFERING!!!

    • Yes, they’ve all had an opportunity to get the water situation right @ Same suffering, but the BIG difference (that you’ve failed to recognise or highlight) is that the ABLP government had around 40 years of governance to resolve the situation.

      Surely as a layperson you can see where the fault really lies?

  14. I am going to throw a monkey wrench into this BS now….

    PRIVATIZE APUA! Clearly the people there CANNOT run it properly so PRIVATIZE it!! There are too many managers and too many employees anyway. Let’s shake this crap up. I mean….things can’t get any worse…can it????

    • @Privatize it, privatize it…The way in which they conduct business, over the years, I thought it was already #privatised.

      Some of your thoughts belong in the conversation, regarding bringing better service to people, as it pertains to potable water.

      I woujd also add to the overall conversation, things such as, the volcanic ash in Montserrat, water catchments, solar technologies, Parks and recreation(botanical gardens to agricultural learning centers).

      The constant blame game between these political #Pied_Pipers on either side of the isle in Parliament, and their indoctrinated supporters is nauseating, to say the least.

      Jumbee_Picknee aka Ras Smood
      De ‘ole Dutty Peg_Foot Bastard

      Vere C. Edwards

  15. With all of the Reverse Osmosis Plants on the Island. This is the worst of times for shortage of water on Antigua. This reminded me to the days when cows were dying in the pastures for a lacking in water. I have relatives in Antigua who are buying private water deliveries to their homes.That is a burning shame.

  16. When I heard the government was getting a US 80 million dollar loan from oil rich Saudi Arabia I said to myself this money should be used to correct our infrastructure woes. I know that education is very important but I think that UWI as an institution could or should paddle its own canoe.After All is ran my Doctoral geniuses. We also have options when it comes to universities. Scholarships in galore are available.
    On the next hand we do not have any choice as deal with this water situation. We are suffering and their seems to be no reprieve in sight. Heard the ABUA manager now talking about super filters and 4 months to get hear.
    No one in their rightful mind should be still blaming UPP about this water crisis. This is a third term government whom squandered billions of dollars on E-books etc. This is a country with the wealthiest PM in the region. This is a country where government ministers have water delivery trucking businesses.
    Hey now the rain stop it’s getting worst. As this drought continues the agriculture sector is going to come to a halt. Animals will soon be dying from a drink of water. St. John’s town is getting stinker and stinker every day . Need power washed and disinfected nightly.
    If you cannot run the country give it to the Labour Party. Well run the country of resign immediately. We cannot hold any Carnival with this type of water situation.

  17. Water supply is a political football in Antigua and Barbuda, exemplified by these exchanges. Admittedly, Antigua is among the dryest countries in the world when droughts are measured. The British created a number of water collection systems, in addition, there were springs.
    What can be discerned from the article and the comments is that one party tried to solve the problem but did a poor job. The other political party uses the water supply as a political weapon and to enrich themselves.
    Califonia had serious droughts where it was fighting other states to get access to water
    from the Colorado River
    A little disturbance on the sea floor and the Antigua ROs are dysfunctional and the water valves get turned off. Pots Works Dam is being contaminated by unchecked development Mack Pond and the surrounding area.
    Septic systems are one of the main causes of groundwater contamination. with bacteria, viruses nitrate hazardous waste, and chemicals.
    The Ambassador/Journalist’s political philosophy is at work: keep the poor, uneducated ignorant, and dependant

    • @vernon Southwell…I hear you.
      The British did leave us, water collection and storage systems which must be upgraded and become a part of the overall conversation. I could not agree with you more.
      I’ve being saying this, since, the days of A Antigua Me Cum From – a Yahoo Chat Group.
      Most if not all of the private property’s in Mill Reef has a water catchment.
      Today we need to add, the ash from Montserrat, solar systems, botanical gardens, parks, agricultural education centres, retention ponds(especially in new developments and can be recycled for agriculture).
      Yes, we are subjected to drought from low rainfall but we can and MUST do better, to provide water services to the People.

      Jumbee_Picknee aka Ras Smood
      De ‘ole Dutty Peg_Foot Bastard

      Vere C. Edwards

    • I agree with much of what you say Vernon, but what’s really intriguing is that when I look at a few places with hotter and harsher climates than Antigua & Barbuda (like Dubai, Las Vegas Saudi Arabia etc …) their populous have an abundance of water to bathe, clean and cook.

      Even dry and desert ridden countries like Mali 🇲🇱 and Libya 🇱🇾 have better access to water than us, due to governmental programmes that recognise the – life saving – importance of implementing a nationwide system.

      Which ever way you look at our current water supply situation the ABLP has badly let the country down!

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