Prime Minister Gaston Browne has told the “bad eggs” at the Antigua Public Utilities Authority’s (APUA) Water Department that they will be fired if they fail to do their jobs.
During an appearance on his weekly radio program on Sunday, Browne said he will start calling out the people that are responsible for communities in Antigua and Barbuda going weeks, in some cases, without water.
“If you don’t perform, you are going to lose your jobs. That’s the reality of it. We are not going to be making any joke with you all,” he commented.
Related Article
“You can’t have a situation in which the government is investing all this money in water, and you are just coming up with a whole heap of excuses when you look at the situation with the spillway at Potworks. You’re telling me that heads are not supposed to roll for that? You sat down there for years and did nothing about securing the spillway. And when we did get a good shower to make sure that we have water in Potworks, most of the water leaked out and the body must pay for that?”
Heads have already started rolling at APUA as General Manager Esworth Martin, who has been in the position for two decades, was told to take preretirement leave due to the government’s dissatisfaction with his ability to handle water problems that have plagued Antigua and Barbuda for several years.
Martin has received a generous exit package which includes the payment of all benefits.
Browne, who described Martin as a friend, said the government is being forced to “have to start to take action and start to push people to perform.”
He hinted that the government is aware that people within APUA are sabotaging the water delivery system for political gain.
Browne told listeners that he was left in shock at the “nonchalant” behaviour of APUA’s management towards fixing the water woes when he attended a recent company retreat.
“This nonchalant behaviour in the public sector in which people believe that they don’t have to perform and they’re going to allow our citizens and residents to suffer. I am not putting up with that,” prime minister stated.
The prime minister also put four senior managers at state entities on notice that they better ship up or they will be out the door.
“We are not spiteful, but we are holding people accountable,” Browne added.
Advertise with the mоѕt vіѕіtеd nеwѕ ѕіtе іn Antigua!
We offer fully customizable and flexible digital marketing packages.
Contact us at [email protected]
P.M. Browne need to go f*c* himself.
Accountable starts with the man in the mirror, This what has plagued this country for too long because of politics and we support this party, we tend to lack professionalism. This government send me here and refuse to work, you all created the problem in the first place, the minister that was responsible for water for years and now he realize. We cannot be bias in our decision making when hiring and firing.
You ought to be fired or resign also, but you find yourself to be faultless in every aspect.
The lost of the bi election has taken a toll on him soon from now he will start to shave his Hitler mustache and lose his strength. The strength is in the mustache
LOL…all the achievements during the last 10 years are Gaston’s but all the failures belong to everyone else? How are they supposed to do the work when they refuse to provide the necessary funding for supplies and equipment? The funny thing is, now that they have stuffed all the lazy labourites in APUA and the port to secure votes they are looking to fire them for not performing. Why didn’t you fire Sir Robin?
At last!!!! It’s time to sack all those incompetent people, and not just at APUA! Get rid of all those lazy a…, in every administration in the country!!!! That would save lots of money too, and abst would not have to go up!
Gaston!!!!! it’s ALL NON PERFORMING BAD ATTITUDE GOVERNMENT WORKERS!
Physically go to ALL government offices and see how they sit and on their fones you ask them questions it’s like your bothering them and it’s WORST WHEN THEY DNT LIKE YOU BCOS YOU LOOK DRESS BETTER THAN THEM
If I, John Q. Public, am aware of this situation from when God mek Adam why hasn’t the issue been permanently resolved?
The biggest challenge to keep water inside Potworks is caused by leaks in the 12-foot tall Willoughby Bay spillway, which is one of two passages for surface water to enter into the dam.
John Bradshaw, a private civil engineer and former water manager at APUA, said his team fixed the spillway twice before he left the company in 2008.
“That spillway has been leaking for many, many years, so although Potworks dam theoretically can hold a billion gallons of water, it would not hold so much because half of it will leak out,” he explained.
If the leakage is fixed, Bradshaw believes that the utility company can get up to five months of additional water from the dam. He however believes that the spillway needs to be completely restructured, noting that the benefits would outweigh the cost of fixing the passage.
Bradshaw said APUA was attempting to solicit technical assistance from the Chinese government to fix the spillway before he left the company, though now he can’t be sure what happened to the initiative.
“We have repaired it twice in my time. We filled the void with concrete and we tried to reinforce them,” he said, but after a year or so the spillway began to leak once more.
According to Bradshaw, a very delicate balance has to be struck to maintain the integrity of the reservoir.
He said there is not much that can be done since digging past six feet into the ground of the dam will contaminate the water supply, making it salty which would in turn force the company to take up additional costs to desalinate the water.
Let’s start with the man in the mirror. Gaston Browne. Without doubt, the most incompetent, inept, failure as PM and finance minister. Fire this clown and watch Antigua and Barbuda flourish in short time.
This guy is a lunatic. Guess the Risperdal dosage is too small. What a joke!
Here we witness again a Prime Minister that has LOST the plot; LOST his way; LOST his focus; and has definitely LOST his marbles.
HERE’S WHY:
Anyone with a semblance of critical thought and education can fathom that Gaston Browne is now on a mission to discredit, disassociate and destroy the careers of prominent leaders in the public sector (but you can bet your bottom EC Dollar that he won’t do likewise with any UNPRODUCTIVE members of his cabinet).
It’s obvious to see that this is NOW the Prime Minister’s play book. This is yet another deflection and dereliction of his duties to this great country.
My hope is that more whistle-blowers come forward and expose this PM’s prevarications and falsehoods.
Why not ask Japan for help before firing the APUA workers?
I am sure some companies will be able to solve the problem.
Mr. PM, You think the water issue made you lose SMS? Doubt that’s the cause. A new election or bi-election must be coming in the near future as you only chat when election near. Antiguan people should wisen up to this.
The Worst leaders take credit when things are good , when things go bad blame people for their failures.
Gaston Browne,you should be holding yourself and those lazy bastards in your Cabinet accountable.For in my opinion,accountability begins with self. You as the Prime Minister need to stop threatening others about firing them.You go on that station of yours on Saturdays and run of the mouth.That place is going to be your Waterloo. Do you remembered what happened at Waterloo. ASK NAPOLEON BONAPARTE.
I hope Darwin “Always Flying” Telemaque is on your list. How can the PM keep that crooked man around? Give me a Phensic please.
Look at the timeline since GAsston been in power.
Pensioners not getting paid
Govt workers not getting paid
Banks folding
Booby Alley residents forced to move
Water issues
Electricity issues
Carnival Cruise Line stop coming
People getting fired
ABST time lessened
Streets in St. John’s are hazardous to travel. Imagine us and tourists breaking legs
Crime gone up
Guns all over the place
LIAT mash up
Millions of dollars owed to countries like China
Crown lands been given away willy nilly
Only the few ones getting everything they want and while the rest of us get fu@ked
Keep on voting in @$$h0le5 like GAsston Browne and you will see more of the same shit happening. All of us suffering under this dictator yet you still vote for the
imbecile.
No one can dispute the condition our country and our people are in since GAsston took control.
This man is a damn bully..using his position to intimidate people. If this man is not the incarnation of Donald Trump, well I’ll be damn.
Full Time,you are the Leader of the country,you cannot allow workers to make you look,and in the meantime making the country look bad as well…
A know alot of the citizens are still Politicized, and don’t care about what they say about you and your government, just continue to stand up firm, because those Supported good governance will always Support you….
Comments are closed.