"My focus is on resolving the mess for the people"
Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake says the former Minister of VROMI William Marlin is making false statements, referring to a press release that the latter sent out on Friday to the media.
Minister Lake said he will be meeting with his legal team on Monday to review the steps to be taken in order to comply with the court decision and also to avoid any extra claims on the people of the country. Government has to also look at the other six hectares of the estate, the people’s patrimony that was part of the former Minister’s deal to be developed by a developer.
"I would like to address the some points of the former Minister in order to set the record straight. I am in full support of purchasing the people’s patrimony. It is a historical site and part of our heritage and has to be protected for generations to enjoy in a sustainable manner. I can assure the people of this country that the Emilio Wilson Estate will be purchased for the people.
"The National Alliance (NA) Leader William Marlin is throwing up smoke screens in order to hide his irresponsible decision-making which at the moment has the country in limbo because Government does not have the money – Naf.30 million – to purchase the Emilio Wilson Estate, but has a court decision that says we have to comply with the draft agreement signed by the former Minister of VROMI William Marlin.
"William Marlin left a Naf.30 million debt of mess and now we have to clean it up. I am not surprised by the NAs tactics to try and fool the people of this country with old petty politics with a lot of lies to the people. The Emilio Wilson Estate is the people’s patrimony indeed. It is part of our heritage, but the former Minister agreed that six hectares of the estate would be given out of the people’s patrimony to a developer to build houses.
"The people are fed up with this way of politicking and games. The people expect those appointed at the Council of Ministers level to follow proper procedures as part of good governance. During the parliamentary debate last Thursday I spoke from the heart and presented the facts as they are, in an open and transparent manner, in the peoples House.
"My primary focus is now handling the people’s business and moving forward based on the procedures and processes that are in place. Back to basics approach, if you don’t follow the laws of the land then you will end up saddling the people of this country with huge debts, and who will then bail us out?" Minister Hon. Maurice Lake said on Sunday.
Minister Lake said his focus is now complying with the court’s decision on signing the Emilio Wilson Estate draft agreement keeping the interests of the people and country in mind.
"As the responsible Minister of VROMI I am now responsible for pulling the country up out of this Naf.30 million debt of mess left behind by the former Minister. With respect to the Secretary General of Ministry VROMI, the latter is currently off island on vacation and could not be present for the parliamentary House sitting; however the Acting Secretary General Sandro Garcia was present.
"I had a competent Cabinet staff and representatives from the Ministry VROMI present in the House to address whatever questions were asked. The former Minister should not try to belittle competent people due to the mess he left behind. I fully agree with the Judge when he said in his judgment that Government should hold Ministers liable for any irresponsible decisions that they take leaving the people of this country, the tax payer holding the bag of debt.
"The former Minister of VROMI should be apologizing to the people of the country for his bad decision-making, instead of throwing up a smoke screen to hide his inadequacies in his leadership and decision-making. The former Minister should have been open and transparent with his former coalition partners in the NA-led Government because they were left in the dark.
"Government also already has two other court cases against the former Minister of VROMI and prior to that the milled asphalt, the sand issue and the land issue and now the Emilio Wilson Estate as well as some other cases still pending," Minister Hon. Maurice Lake pointed out.
PHOTO CUTLINE: Minister Hon. Maurice Lake (3rd from left) with members of his Cabinet and representatives from Ministry VROMI.