Local Government Minister blasts Lucea mayor for absenteeism

 

Minister of Local Government Desmond McKenzie has taken issue with the absence of the Mayor of Lucea from several recent events in the parish. 

 

The Local Government Minister says he deems the no-show an affront to his office, as well as to that of Mayor and Chairman of the Hanover Municipal Corporation. 

 

"I note with concern, almost every time I come to the parish for a function, the mayor is absent. We are all politicians. But when we hold public office, the public office that we hold have no political allegiance. To insult not me as the minister or not me as the individual, but to insult the office of the minister and to turn his back on the municipality that he represents and not being here this morning to participate in this function, I consider this to be a betrayal of the office that he holds and the trust and the confidence that the people have placed in him," Minister McKenzie complained. 

 

He was speaking at the handing over of newly constructed quarters for the matron of the Hanover Infirmary. 

 

In response to the claims by the Local Government Minister, Mayor of Lucea Sheridan Samuels has maintained that his first priority is to see to the needs of the people of Hanover. He said the leadership of the Municipal Corporation has been slighted by the minister.

 

"I am here and I have to stand up for the people of Hanover. And what is happening to us here is total disrespect and disregard for undermining our functions. And that is why we took certain stance. As a matter of fact, I have been disrespected. I have attended a function at Grand Palladium some time ago, where the prime minister was, and he referred to me as the 'Mayor of Hopewell'. And in his speech, in addressing it, he said he [would tell us] why he had said so. And to date, I am waiting. So probably some civic class will have to keep for them to understand," he griped, adding that the municipal corporal continues to carry out its work. 

 

Mayor Samuels also noted that he is yet to see funds that were promised from the Local Government Ministry. 

 

"Some time ago, we were instructed to use four-point-something million dollars for a dengue mitigation programme, and it would have been refunded by the ministry. We have used up those monies out of the coffers that we have. It is challenging. And we are awaiting the monies now for us to continue doing business so that we can take care of other things. And that was taken from our own source, and to date, we have not received anything in that regard."

 

He accused the minister of "using his bully pulpit to cast doubt" on the himself and his office as mayor.