On New Years Eve the NDP leadership including Leader of the Opposition Arnhim Eustace and West Kingstown MP Daniel Cummings along with Senator Vynnette Frederick and NDP’s candidate for North Windward Lauron “Sheara” Baptiste toured The flood affected communities of Fancy Owia Sandy Bay Magum and Overland where they met with the people, delivered drinking water, and listened to the accounts of how persons are managing through water shortages and the trauma of this national disaster.
The Leader and his group met with villagers in Magum whose house roofs were damaged since the passing of Hurricane Tomas, and who received no assistance from government to fix the damage, solely because they do not support the government. Eustace again made the call for the government to ensure that relief gets to those who need it. “I say again to this government that they cannot ignore helping the people who have suffered loss on the basis of who these affected people vote for. This will not be tolerated!”
The obvious damage to roads and bridges presents a challenge to an already cash strapped Government. Villagers expressed their disappointment at the failure of government to remove logs from the forest which were felled by the Forestry division in tree thinning exercises from time to time. The villagers indicated that the government would not allow them to move the trees, and now according to the villagers, these were the same trees that damaged bridges and roads as they came down with the rivers.
The NDP will continue to bring water support to devastated communities as the people struggle to rebuild.
