DEAR EDITOR:
I want to know why the Prime Minister goes on to his Radio Station every Saturday and curse people left, right, and centre and never addresses the issues facing poor people and the people generally of this country.
The people of Antigua and Barbuda can’t get water to use reliably on a daily basis even though we were promised by the PM and Sir Robin that water rationing would become a thing of the past if they got into power.
“There is even a clip with Sir Robin saying if mommy, daddy and granny can’t get water they should be skated out of office” and 8 years onwards the problem has become even worse than it was, and yet still the people of this country can’t open their eyes and see these elected officials for who they really are.
Some people in this country in the 21st century don’t even have access to government water which is truly shocking, and water is a human right to have access too. This country is surrounded by “water” and yet still little has been done to fix this issue. People need water, it’s a human right and we the people should not put up with this nonsense.
Since this pandemic has hit this country, the poor have become poorer, and the rich have become richer. People have lost jobs which will never come back, and nothing is being done to create jobs locally for persons displaced by this pandemic. No programs have been implemented by this administration to alleviate the suffering of poor people in this country.
It seems to be that hotel workers are the only people this administration cares about. Are there any plans to create jobs in the government and private sector for the unemployed?
The roads and infrastructure here in Antigua have for years been truly horrendous.
Except for Friars Hill and Airport Road, you cannot go anywhere without dropping into a pothole, drive over bad patching, holes in sidewalk, no guttering, stink smell especially in the city etc etc. At night some places are so dark, I guarantee it only takes an unfortunate incident to happen for them to put street lights in dark places sadly. If you drive around this beautiful island the bushes are overgrown, and they are growing into the road making the road narrow and the island looking unsightly to say we are a tourist country. This is absolutely shocking, disturbing and something has to be done Mr PM.
Every day on all Radio programs from morning till night you hear pensioners crying out for their monies owed to them but this administration does not seem to care about them unless it’s election time. When isn’t the board of Social Security and the administration not doing anything to address these issues pensioners face on a monthly basis.
The head of SS and the board should resign especially when they put out a callous statement about hope and pray. People have bills to pay and mouths to feed. What does hope and pray do? Sick of the nonsense.
Electricity and internet stability in this country is truly shocking. Every day current comes off in the East with no explanation whatsoever from APUA. The internet frequently buffers and the PM and his ministers are telling students to do online classes and some parents work from home and cannot have stable electricity and internet supply to efficiently and effectively carry out tasks online.
This is unacceptable Mr PM, especially when you just got elected you promised these would be things of the past.
The cost of living in this country is skyrocketing on a daily basis, yet still wages and salaries remain the same, no benefits like national health insurance which was promised by Sir Molwyn cannot be produced to this day.
The ABST rate remains the same, gas prices remain the same even when the price of oil and gas was at its lowest, fuel variation on your electricity bill remains the same etc.
One would think with rising cost of living, salaries would go up, but no, some big businesses (including the government) raise their prices, pocket profits and still refuse to increase the wages and salaries of their staff. Why doesn’t the PM try to rectify these issues?
The PM calls Mr Eli Fuller an “alarmist”. The last time I checked, the PM is the one to sign this country on to the Paris Climate Accord and other climate change projects, not Mr Fuller. So how can you now be saying the government is looking to do offshore sand mining when you sign to protect the country’s environment, air and marine environments. What is special about our sand, when it is known that Guyana and Monserrat have way better sand than us here.
Who told you this can be done sustainably, the Chinese? If you Mr PM is serious about climate change, let your actions and words speak for themselves.
When the 2008 global recession hit the world, the PM was chastising the then administration for not providing a stimulus.
Fast forward to 2020-2021 even though this pandemic hit the economy harder than the 2008 global economic recession, I think people would agree if the economy was managed properly, money could have been there to get things done around here.
Instead of cursing people and cursing Asot Michael Mr PM, why not address the issues faced by the people, especially poor people of this country. Don’t you care or have a heart sir?
Btw please tell the people how we are going to have 10% economic growth next year?
Desmond – Antiguan
3 responses to “LETTER: Why does the Prime Minister go on the Radio Station every Saturday to curse people?”
Water has always been a human rights scarcity in Antigua during all government rule. So why badger one and not the other? Which government is better where this issue is concern? ALP or UPP has never significantly address the issues surrounding water shortages, so why bother complaining. Rather, the matter should protested and not complain about. People are protesting life saving vaccine, but water saves lives too. We can’t live without it.
*Should be protested*
Only the water situation is of concern? The other points don’t matter? ……..Truly a Pendulum crisis.