St. John’s Antigua- Deputy Chairman of the Barbuda Council Fabian Jones is hoping the local government does “the right thing” and goes back to residents following what he described as the recent “disaster vote” on a proposed multi-million dollar development.
Up to this time, residents including marine biologist John Mussington and former senator Linton Thomas have expressed disgust with proceedings during last week’s village meeting at which the US $100 million Gravenor Bay project was given the green light.
Yesterday, Jones told The Daily OBSERVER he too strongly objects to the project being pushed through, given the “flawed” process.
“I trust that common sense will prevail when the report reaches the council and they will do the process the correct way. I hope they will admit that what was done on that date wasn’t the right thing to do,” he said.
The deputy chairman was referring specifically to the presence of the potential investors, Stanhope Shepherd International Ltd, at the head table during the village meeting which was for residents only.
He noted that just from this alone the session could be deemed “improper” but added that there were several other elements that contravened regulations.
Jones noted that on the night in question some Council members, including Member of Parliament Trevor Walker, were off island.
Of the 300 residents attending last week’s meeting, only two of the 102 who voted said “no” to the project.
The senior member in the ruling Barbuda People’s Movement said he believes the remaining 198 Barbudans did not cast ballots because the process was faulty.
“Because of that, you cannot move forward with the project in that form,” he noted.
Like Linton and Mussington, Jones made it clear during last’s week’s contentious meeting that due diligence should have been conducted on the potential investors before a vote was taken on the project.
He explained that this is critical because there are several instances where such research was not carried out; approval for land leases was given; the hopes of Barbudans were lifted but the projects never materialised.
“I am not being political. I am being a sensible Barbudan to know that if you are doing any serious investment with that magnitude of land you must know who the people are,” he said. “Are they reputable? Do they have the financing they are talking about? So that you don’t make people believe they will get something soon and then nothing happens.”
He cautioned the council against rushing through a project of this magnitude, involving more than a thousand acres of land, without first telling Barbudans how the landscape would be changed.
Efforts to reach Chairman of the Barbuda Council Kelvin Punter, who has been a proponent of the project, have been unsuccessful.
He has been quoted in this newspaper as saying it has the potential to turn around the economic fortune of the cash-strapped island.
Dear ‘Barbuda is not for sale’ you speak of your spiritual self. Life is all about balance and this is something that is sadly lacking in Barbuda. The people suffer on a daily basis with no jobs, no amenities and no chance of improving themselves. Outside of Barbuda, Barbudans thrive in the first world enjoying all the benefits that these places bring and then they are privileged enough to return to there place of birth and enjoy the simplicity of how thingsvhave always been.
The Bible, 1 John 3:18 NRSV
Let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.
And my Brothers action is desperately needed in Barbuda
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Dear AKA Paul Smith. Leave Barbuda alone and pls leave the politics out of it, red , blue, green or black….. It is not for sale. Your idea of progress is not wanted, progress is not 99yr lease or selling Villas, or destroying environment to make marina, that is for another island, brave is for standing up for whats right, refusing the easy option of quick bucks. Barbuda is a last example of natural beauty unspoilt, an island of true wealth. The ‘few’ is growing rapidly helped by your transparent techniques of mind, wallet, council, meeting and media manipulation. Remember your spiritual self….?….pretend it is genuine, re-connect with it and throw the old money maker mogul back to Antigua and leave it there.
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Everybody want development. But this latest project is not going forward, it’s regression. Study carefully and you will see the project is for them and not for you, they give bag of change and we sign over the printing plates to make the real $$$$$, that is NOT good for Barbuda. Kudos to the increasing number of thinking people who understand this deal for what it is, worthless. What were we going tell the children, that we owned the land but we sell it so now you can strim dem grass. Be thankful for sharp minds.
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Progress is something that has been lacking forever in Barbuda, once again Barbuda has the chance of embracing a Development that will drastically change thier fortunes and having recognised this fact the majority vored a resounding yes!
Why then are a few trying to spoil it for the many?
I think the answer is that those opposing the scheme feel that the political control they have wielded for many years will desert them when the brave decisions of both the council and people tsake hold.
i have no doubt that if a second ballot was held the outcome would be another resounding |YES
Stop wasting time Barbudans make history and get this project moving!
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They arent against projects. They just want to look to the long term impact of something like this. Barbuda’s main draw is its pristine nature and “only person here” feel. Once you lose that you cannot go back, and you lose that benefit forever. Immediate jobs are no good if your children are left worse off because of a bad decision. How many half finished hotels and projects happen in Antigua. Don’t become like us.
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people like fabian aqnd mussington do not want anything good for barbuda becausw their bread well butter. A message to Fabian any time we go back to the polls we will still outnumber them. Because we want the project.
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