The Member of Parliament for St John’s City East is being blasted after a social media post coupled with photos accusing his opponent Harold Lovell and his campaign team of leaving garbage at a field in the constituency.
MP Melford Nicholas suggested in a Facebook post that the trash had been left at the Fort Road playing field after a Kite Flying event that the opposition United Progressive Party (UPP) hosted on Easter Monday.
“This photo was taken on Saturday 14th May, some 27 days after the event and neither him nor any of his committee members have returned to clean up their mess,” the caption read. “So typical of the UPP and [its] operatives. Just like they did with our economy, our finances and our infrastructure across the islands, they left them in a mess and it’s left to the ABLP to clean up and restore after them.”
Lovell followed up the accusation with his own post on Facebook seeking to clarify the matter. He noted that the UPP City East Branch held its inaugural Kite flying fun day from 12 noon until 4pm on Easter Sunday, one of two events hosted on the field almost a month ago.
“As a responsible community-based organisation, the UPP City East Branch packed our garbage at the end of the event, took it away and disposed of it. Please check your facts carefully when you want to throw shade,” the opposition candidate and UPP leader said.
He also noted that Nicholas, as the Parliamentary representative for the area, should recognise the need for garbage disposal bins throughout the community, especially near a playing field.
Lovell added that the garbage in question is believed to have emanated from a subsequent event.
“It is clear that the garbage was bagged and responsible efforts were made to ensure that it would be picked up by Solid Waste. But where is Solid Waste? You may recall that during this period, a picket by the employees for outstanding wages was ongoing,” Lovell said. “This issue is just an example of how the community suffers, when your government fails to pay workers their hard-earned wages.”
Nicholas’ original post has since received over 200 comments, the most popular of which called the MP’s stewardship of the constituency into question.
“Melford Nicholas. Why don’t you make sure bins are on the field? You are so intelligent that you can’t use your common sense to see that the garbage was actually put in bags and the bags were ripped apart afterwards, most likely by animals? 27 days later and garbage is still there……..what does that say about your government who is responsible for making sure that it was cleaned up?” the commenter queried. “Stop placing blame where you know it shouldn’t be boss. You making yourself look not so intelligent at this point.”
“… And you’re really admitting that there’s trash on a playing field for 20something days and THE NATIONAL SOLID WASTE HAS NOT PICKED IT UP? Where are the bins for on that field?” another posted. “Looks like the trash was neatly placed in bags near the entrance of the field with the intention that the trash collectors would collect it!! It now looks like some animals got a way in it. How does lack of proper bins and disposal units become Harold problem?”
The contretemps comes as election fever intensifies amid the belief that general elections which are constitutionally due in 2023 will be called early.
Prime Minister Gaston Browne has also called on MPs to get ready to head to the polls.