Where is money pledged for post hurricanes recovery?—Julian Willock
Mr Willock was at the time—Tuesday, August 28, 2018—a guest on the internationally broadcasted, radio programme, ‘The Raw Truth’ and posited, “it is the responsibility of the government to do their due diligence and find out where the money gone, whether the pledges are real and whether people who made a pledge can now make good on their pledged.”
At-Large Candidate
The former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry for Communications and Works, was at the time responding to host, Kenneth G. Gladstone, who asked the political aspirant to weigh in on the state of affairs given the fact, a year after the hurricanes, the pledged support has not been realised or accessed by the ordinary citizens.
According to Mr Willock, there as a significant amount of monies that had been pledged by donor countries and organisations to the hurricane hit countries in the Caribbean including the VI but “we have not seen most of that money.”
Mr Willock—currently seeking to secure a place on the Virgin Islands Party’s (VIP) elections slate as one of its At-Large Candidates—said the issue is one that brings to the fore the need for adequate leadership from government.
According to Mr Willock, “that’s where leadership comes in, if we had a government that understand those things and that will engage adequately in the international community we could have at least get them to do some research, do some due diligence and find out the status of those pledges.
We Need The Money
He suggested that the current National Democratic Party (NDP) government—under the leadership of Premier, Dr the Honourable D. Orlando Smith (AL)—should have already engaged the Governor’s Office and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and other such agencies.
“Engage the Governor’s office, Engage the FCO; engage agencies in the United States on the legitimacy of those pledges and whether we can be the real beneficiaries of those pledges.”
The VI, he said, “need the money, the BVI (British Virgin Islands) is on its knees, we need the money.”
The businessman said he is confident the Territory’s economy will recover in a few years and “be stronger than ever but right now, we need the money, we need the leadership…”
Still Sleeping On Floors
The potential At-Large Candidate for the VIP drew reference to the fact, a year after the hurricanes, there are persons living in the Territory that are still faced with post disaster conditions.
“There are people who will wake up tomorrow morning in the BVI where there is no water for them to use; there are people who will wake up tomorrow morning in the BVI where the first thing they smell is raw sewerage, that’s the reality on the ground.”
He said too, “there are people who will wake up with back pain because they are sleeping on a bed with three or four persons because Hurricane Irma and Maria have destroyed their home and it wasn’t insured, therefore they don’t have money …They are sleeping on floors in the BVI that is the reality on the ground.”
Listen to broadcast below:
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11 Responses to “Where is money pledged for post hurricanes recovery?—Julian Willock ”
It is said, Blessed are those who are hated and prosecuted for the truth.” Speak your truth young man. Blessed.
Who in their right mind would give this Government money?