Ten weeks after hurricane Beryl damaged or destroyed 95% of buildings in Union Island, the government has scheduled work on only 15 houses there, even as it has committed to repair or repair all of the thousands of homes damaged by the cyclone.
“… since the first of July to now — we are in September — you are telling me you have only scheduled to work on 15 houses; just 15 houses in Union Island,” Southern Grenadines MP and Union Island resident, Terrance Ollivierre said.
“I’ve listened to the cries of some people yesterday. when the rain set up and it’s raining, it’s hell down here, it’s hell,” Ollivierre said on NICE Radio on Tuesday.
“And when water settle in your house, you have to be sweeping it out. And [if] you don’t sweep it out, mosquitos like hell. Do you care about people? Is this how you care about people?” he said on his New Democratic Party’s daily show on NICE Radio.
The opposition lawmakers said that while the government has scheduled work on these 15 homes, the work is yet to begin “because we don’t have the labour force, or you haven’t contracted 15 contractors to be working on those 15 houses all at the same time. So that is a problem here.”
Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves has repeatedly appealed to building contractors and other construction workers to apply for work as his government rolls out a programme to repair buildings damaged by the cyclone in the archipelago.
Ollivierre said some Union Island residents have said that they are poor and vulnerable and need the help of the government to repair their homes.
“Some people need to rebuild. We know that. You have to help the poor people; you have to help the vulnerable,” he said.
“There are people who have said, give us the materials, and we will fix our houses,” Ollivierre said, adding that he had said that there should be a building materials depot on Union Island.
The MP said yet another group of people can afford to buy building materials but need help with labour to repair their buildings.
“Why is it still only 15 houses … listed to be fixed, even at this time,” Ollivierre said, noting the three categories of people, based on the assistance they need.
“What is the slowness about?” he said, noting that the clean-up of the island is complete.
“It is important that the rebuilding process starts, and you start it with a bang, and give the people the opportunity to live in their homes.”
He said if the homes in Union Island were repaired, there would not be so many Unionites in St. Vincent.
“… the people want their homes to be fixed in order to be home. That is what they want, and the process is slow.”
‘ineptitude of this government’
Meanwhile, speaking on the same show, East Kingstown MP, Fitz Bramble, who is also an opposition lawmaker, blamed “the ineptitude of this government” for the slow pace of rebuilding on Union Island.
“Look, we have a government which consists of a prime minister and several ministers of government who are responsible for various ministries,” he said, noting the various roles of the ministries of Transport and Works, Education, and Grenadines Affairs.
“So, you have three different individuals in Cabinet who are supposed to be responsible generally for what’s happening down in Union Island and in the Grenadines in terms of rebuilding after Beryl.
“And you can’t hear one iota of anything from any of them. It points to their lack of competence, and it makes you wonder if you remove Ralph Gonsalves out of the equation, then wah going happen to we? The man is chief cook and bottle washer,” Bramble said.
He said that state media has published photos of the prime minister at the opening of the Union Island schools at their temporary location in Arnos Vale.
“It seemed like it’s all just a photo opportunity for this. You know, ‘Look at what I and my government have been doing for the people of Union Island.’ … but what have they done for the people of Union Island? You have displaced the student,” Bramble said.
While some of the students from Union Island are taking classes there, others are attending school at the temporary campus in Arnos Vale that the government spent EC$3 million to upgrade.
“… in my view, if it is okay for some of the students to remain in Union Island and to attend school, why couldn’t you have developed or created the environment to make sure that all of the students have been able to stay down there and go to school?” Bramble said.
He said that Ollivierre had “hit the nail on the head. You’re not interested in the development of the people of the Grenadines, you’re not interested in making the environment, right?
“Because it could have happened. The time and the money you spend to fix up the old Teachers’ College, you could have put in that time and money in Union Island to speed up the work and make sure that the students and the parents dey down dey,” the East Kingstown MP said.
He said another issue is where the students and their parents and guardians are going to live if only 15 houses have been identified for repair on Union Island.
“I guess they gotta stay in the shelter and go to school. It’s really sad,” Bramble said.
If he wins this election it’s all on you.