Today marks three years since Antigua & Barbuda Labour Party took office on June 12 2017.
OBSERVER media’s Voice of the People extended an opportunity to both Minister of Telecommunications Melford Nicholas and Chairman of the United Progressive Party D Giselle Isaac to give us their take on what’s happened during this time.
These are the three hot issues that both parties debated on during their on-air assessments:
- Social services
Melford Nicholas: “With less income, we were able to achieve much more. I think the fact that we were able to meet obligations to our public servants and our pensioners in every single instance meant that we were on top of our best game in terms of the financial management and stewardship of the country.”
D Giselle Isaac: Melford talks about having less money. I listen to the Budget Speech every year. As far as I know, this government is pulling in more money than any government in the history of Antigua & Barbuda. No other government had the benefit of the CIP Programme, the falling prices in petroleum that this government has had and with all this extra money, I am seeing less in terms of social services in health, education and across social services.”
- Corruption
Melford Nicholas: “Public corruption has been kept to a minimum or totally eliminated. I think many people would not understand that this is part of the dividend of the type of government that the Antigua & Barbuda Labour Party is.”
D Giselle Isaac: “I don’t know what he’s talking about when he speaks of lack of corruption and so on. I sat in my house yesterday and I listened to Rory read out a number of things and put to Lennox Weston, especially having to do with private enrichment of government officials and all he could say was that people were ‘bandminded’ and ‘covetous’.”
- Infrastructure
Melford Nicholas: “We are re-invigorating the public works department. We’ve had an issue where both crushers in the Bendals area and Pigotts area well beyond repair. We have spent 30 million dollars in two new crushers and a concrete batch plant that we are going to have as a foundation basis for the road programme that we will implement later this year.”
D Giselle Isaac: “Notice everything is in the future. I didn’t come here to discuss roads you know. I was not in government or public works but I am a person who drives on roads. He has just admitted that the three years that they’ve been in power they have not spent any significant money on roads sowe are driving on what UPP put while in power.
Melford Nicholas: “No, that is not what I have said.”