Leader of the Opposition, Godwin Friday says that the Unity Labour Party government is in “a panic situation” manifested in its road repair programme.
He said that the rush to repair roads across the country ahead of a general election — expected by year-end — shows that the government has neglected “basic things”.
“If you can see the roads, the state of the roads around the country, and know that they’re in such disrepair, you ask yourself, if these things that are so clearly visible, are so lacking, imagine the things that we can’t see,” Friday said on his weekly show on NICE Radio last week.
“But they want us to take their word that they are being done properly and that the interests of the people have been protected.
“That we can’t take for granted when we know that in the things that are visible, that are clear to us, they are not dealing with them properly.
“And when you see all these road works that they’re doing, again, it’s all visible so they want to say, ‘Look how we’re busy. We’re doing these things.’ Well, what happened to the last three and a half, four and a half years going forward? How come we didn’t take care of them there? That is the way that you govern?” Friday said.
He said the government, basically, waits until election time and scrambles to “to fix up things because people, of course, they have been suffering for so long, they want them fixed”.
He said he has spoken many times about a road in Belmont, Bequia, “that had become so dangerous that I myself had slipped off the side one night.
“And so many times we’ve raised this as we have done for other roads throughout my constituency.”
The opposition leader said that in the last Budget Debate he showed to the Parliament photographs of some of the roads across the country.
“And all they could say is that I was interested in pothole tourism. I mean, making fun of something that most people in this country felt was very, very serious because it puts the cost of maintaining your vehicle on you, which is an indirect tax in a way. If the government don’t fix the road, it means you have to fix your car.
“So when I raise this issue, they try to make fun of it and mock it and so on, but the reality is that on the ground people know that it’s important. And if they thought I was being so off the mark, how come they’re all scrambling now to try and fix up the same roads that, many of them, I mentioned in my budget address in January? Because they realise that they haven’t delivered and the people notice.
“But too little too late is still going to be the cry for them because they have not delivered it and to scramble to do it now, people say, well, we want government that takes care of our needs, throughout the duration, respond to our needs throughout the duration of the government, not just in the last year.
“That is like somebody who neglect you for such a long time, and they come now and they mek up so they bring a nice, pretty well-wrapped gift, you know, and the bigger gift is evidence of the greater the neglect,” Friday said.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words.
It is unheard of to lay tarmac straight on top of existing tarmac. To put a thin layer down like in the photo will have no more than a twelve month life if you are lucky, as it will crack and peel. You should strip off top layer of 6mm topping so you are down to the surface course and then lay a new 6mm topping, this will bond to the surface course. But before laying tarmac in any circumstance the surface to be covered should be sprayed with a bitumen liquid to ensure the two surfaces bond together. Laying it without the spray is another set to useless situation.
The picture shows a criminal procedure in action a definite fraud on the Vincentian people. Who is the contractor they should be in prison.
The problem is they are trying to do the work which should only done with machinery by using slave labor, those poor men have no idea at all what they are doing.
Kenton, send the picture to any road contractor anywhere in the world and they will have a good laugh and you will have a good story back fro them.
https://www.mybuilder.com/questions/v/4879/can-you-put-tarmac-on-top-of-tarmac
I must say honorable Dr Friday, you have a keen eye for what is wrong and what is right, well done Sir.
May I thank you on behalf of all the Vincentian people for your diligence.
Please Kent, do us all a favor and prove Mr Friday correct. Send the photo to someone in Trinidad, or Barbados, or Afghanistan etc.
Nathan I totally agree with you. There is no logic in the way they are putting the new asphalt on the road. There is absolutely no science to it. It will not adhere to the old surface as you concluded.
It is so unfortunate that Vincentians allowed their Government to bribe them through the award of contracts for their votes. I can never understand how our people can sell out themselves so cheaply. Though this Government have done remarkably well. They are morally corrupt.
I was told recently of the Prime Loan debacle where the persons overseeing the process are checking into your voting history to determine which political party you supported in the past. Those persons who voted NDP or any other party would unlikely get a Prime Loan. This is one of the reasons why the process has become cumbersome and slow.
We need to have a system where the citizens can table a bill at least twice a year. St. Vincent and the Grenadines is lacking two very important pieces of legislation i.e. An Integrity Commission Act and Political financing and contribution Act.
Would you establish integrity legislation if you have none at all? By the way, they do these roads just before the elections because those roads cannot stand up more than 6 months.
Achie donkey Sailor Boy had more sense than Friday
That Calliaqua-Glen road is still bumpy too. I have never felt fresh tarmac so bumpy.
What were they doing during the hot months just gone by and the four years you had to do what is your responsibility? ” you all think because we are poor and indegent that make us foolish , stupid , dotish , unschooled and whatever else? A Day will come
There is one other thing that really bothers me that is almost never mentioned close to elections:
I have noticed that the ULP politician in our constituency that has been trying to get a seat, is apparently going to be the ULP choice this time around too. I hope he again does not win. The reason is because I have heard from a number of the young women in the area that he has been requesting sex for poor relief! No sex…no poor relief! I have even heard he has made similar requests of women that are not even a part of our constituency. Since this man has been doing this for so many years, I cannot believe the deciding ULP leadership does not know about it. I have heard of other “dirty” things this man has done. More and more people have been finding out about this man so I doubt he can win; but why does the ULP continue to prop him up?
I hope Kenton can post this because such disgusting people should have no place in leadership.
Jamal are you afraid to call them out? “shame the shameless