NDP suggesting that ULP did nothing for Southern Grenadines is ‘stupid talk’ – Snagg

EDWIN SNAGG, the Unity Labour Party’s (ULP) candidate for the Southern Grenadines has described as “a bag of stupid talk”, the claim that the ULP administration has done nothing for the people of the Southern Grenadines for the last 20 years.

“We have a long list of projects over the period,” Snagg said on Monday in response to comments made during a New Democratic Party’s (NDP) political rally on Saturday in Union Island.

The comments were made by Masani DeFreitas, president of the Women’s Arm of the New Democratic Party’s (NDP) in the Southern Grenadines, who chided the ULP on their performance in that constituency.

Snagg, addressing De-Freitas’ criticism that the primary school had to be moved to the society hall 15 years ago after the school building became unusable, said that the primary school was built under the NDP and after 10 years it became uninhabitable which shows it was not constructed up to standard.

“….You build a school around 1993; that is a total waste of tax payers’ money because schools don’t last 10 years and that is how long that one lasted…,” Snagg noted while adding that there are plans to build a new primary school, but for now, the students are taught at the Learning Resource Centre (LRC).

“… We move students into a new [secondary] school valued at $11.5 million but you ain’t talking about that,” Snagg added.

DeFreitas claimed also that for over 20 years, there has been no police station or post office on the island.

Snagg however said that like many other government institutions, the Union Island post office is housed in a rented space and provides all the services.

He noted also that the police presence in the Grenadines is huge as there is a police station on Union Island, a Rapid Response Unit (RRU), firemen and a Coast Guard base.

There is also a newly built police station on Canouan and also a coast guard base in Charles Bay. He said like the post office, the Union Island police station is in rented quarters and it provides all the services.

He added also that a site has been identified for a new police station in Union Island and a sub-station on Mayreau.

Dismissing DeFreitas’ claim that there was no library on the island, Snagg said there were two libraries, one upstairs the LRC and a children’s library at the Stephanie Browne Primary School.

DeFreitas said on Saturday that roads are only being repaired because an election is imminent, but Snagg said the statement makes no sense as repairing roads is an ongoing exercise.

“We never stop building roads and because there is election, the government must not build roads? We must cease to function? I trying to get the rationale,” Snagg commented.

He noted also that construction is taking place now to upgrade the Union Island hospital into a smart hospital and a doctor’s quarters has already been built.

He said also that persons wishing to apply for a passport on Union Island may submit the paper work to the immigration official on the island who then takes it to the mainland for processing.

“In any place where you have a multiplicity of islands, there must be a central point. They take up the application and they bring the passports back. We cannot issue passport and birth certificates haphazardly. There must be a central point otherwise we will be susceptible to fraud. All passports have to originate from the immigration office, but you have the availability of making the application here,” Snagg said in relation to that complaint.

He said many projects have been executed in the Southern Grenadines which NDP supporters are purposely not speaking about.

On Canouan alone are the jet airport, the modern all-purpose court and pavilion, the secondary and primary schools with IT and science labs, the sub-sea fibre optic cable to Canouan, the ferry terminal and tourist centre, the Canouan administrative building and police station and the doctor’s quarters.

Snagg said also that there have been significant private sector investments on Canouan.

On Union Island, improvements include the upliftment of Hugh Mulzac Square, the installation of a new water catchment facility, the building of a secondary school and learning resource centre, the refurnishing of the coast guard base, fixing of the Ashton Hard Court, the introduction of solar energy and the improvements to the Tobago Cays Marine Park.

Snagg noted also that the ULP brought electricity and a wharf to Mayreau.