Opposition spokesperson on disaster management, St. Clair Leacock said he would have asked the engineering corps of the US, UK and regional military forces to help to rebuild critical infrastructure in the Southern Grenadines following the devastating impact of Hurricane Beryl on July 1.
He made the point noting that the engineering corps of the Guyana and Trinidad militaries have played major roles in helping Carriacou in its recovery efforts.
The Central Kingstown MP said that if a New Democratic Party (NDP) administration were in office, he would have advised the prime minister to ask for help from the engineering corps of the United States Southern Command and for the UK armed forces to dispatch Vincentian soldiers to help in the recovery.
Leacock attained the rank of major in the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Cadet Force, of which he also became a commandant.
In 1979, he was responsible for evacuation after the eruption of La Soufriere volcano.
He said that if an NDP government were in office following the impact of Beryl, he would have asked the US Southern Command engineering corps for help “in our infrastructural rebuilding by sending that corps to the Southern Grenadines to deal with certain very, very specific missions and objectives”.
The government has said that 95% of buildings on Mayreau, Canouan and Union Island were destroyed by the Beryl, which made landfall in the Grenadines as a category 4 hurricane.
The cyclone damaged critical public infrastructure, including hospitals and health centres, police stations and schools.
“… I’m of the view that on Union Island, we need a large storage and housing capacity for materials and one for humankind,” Leacock said on the NDP’s New Times programme on NICE Radio.
“So, I would think at this time we should have on the ground in Union Island … a huge warehouse where, at this time, we would have been receiving and storing building materials for distribution,” Leacock said, adding that this material would be for use in public buildings and housing.
“I would have also liked to see constructed in Union Island for the short to medium term as well a barrack-type accommodation for a huge percentage of transient workers … and for those Unionites who have to remain on the ground to become beneficiaries of the Beryl relief monies, but must by day find themselves on the construction sites helping in the rebuilding of their own homes, or in other building activity that must be taking place in Union Island.”
Leacock said he would have asked the US Southern Command for help in these areas.
He said he would have also tapped in on the presence of Vincentians in the UK armed forces “to provide disciplined assistance in the restoration exercise but alongside an engineering corps unit from the United Kingdom.
“I would have asked for that help so that they could fast track, along with the local contractors, the rebuilding, the restoration of the Southern Grenadines.
“I would have gone beyond what the prime minister has seemingly requested for similar units or continents of the engineering corps, from the Barbados Defense Force, the Jamaica Defence Force, and from Bermuda, again, to help in that exercise. Because I think it needs that extraordinary will and discipline and know-how at this time.”
Leacock said he finds it notable that regional military personnel are not present in the Grenadines.
“And I contrast that to the presence in Grenada, in Carriacou of the engineering units of the Guyana Defence Force and the Trinidad and Tobago Regiment, which has undoubtedly made a difference in the pace in which the recovery exercise has taken place in those neighbouring islands,” Leacock said.
Great th8nkung Major. However the world know that Ralph donot wish for anyone to get the credit for rebuilding but him.
Therefore your ideas will fall on deaf ears. It is just over a month since Beryl left its indelible mark of destruction on the Southern Grenadines and to date not even a nail has been driven there by the government to aid in the rebuilding process. One would thought with the supplementary budget passed in the House some actions will be seen rolling out.
The thing is with an election pending one gets the impression that the occasion will be used to garner votes while the.people suffer. This handbook has been payed a few times in the past.
Let’s hope you are not to old when you finally have your day in government.
Major! You have tremendous 👏 👌 knowledge and I am proud of you for your suggestions and insights.
But here’s my thoughts, St. Vincent and the Grenadines are the very country you were elected to Represent. You are a member of the highest legislative body in the Country.
Major you do not have to wait until your political party forms Government (If and/or when they even do) to offer your services to your Country.
You are to request a meeting of Parliament for this purpose or request a private meeting with the Minister of Works and the permanent Secretary and have you suggestions on paper.
In a time of crisis it’s all hands on deck.