Clean Up Minister Martin

Dear Hon. Asim Martin,

Our streets are neither safe nor clean.

Several shootings have taken place in Newtown over the past six (6) weeks.

On the same Saturday night, two young people were murdered in three separate incidents when an 18-year old was shot multiple times in the street and a 24-year old was gunned down in a parked car.

As you know this DOUBLE HOMICIDE was 12 days ago.

As you know, PILES OF GARBAGE also flow onto the main road from these very streets. From Bakers Corner to the Fire Station PILES OF GARBAGE have made it unsanitary for us to live in Newtown.

Hon. Asim Martin, over $91 Million in recurrent expenditure is under your direction as the official responsible for National Security and Public Works-Yet our streets remain neither safe nor clean.

At the Press Conference last week Prime Minister Douglas however condoned your failure to make an address to the public on crime. This is NOT the appropriate response.

This is NOT the correct answer when you are the Minister of National Security and Public Works. Minister Martin since you are also our Parliamentary Representative in Newtown, you are especially responsible for the – DOUBLE HOMICIDE and PILES OF GARBAGE– that make our streets neither safe nor clean.

Minister Martin, your failure to make an address to the public demonstrates the lack of appropriate response time. Clive Bacchus raised this very concern earlier in the week in an interview on crime with a high-ranking police official from your Ministry. Bacchus rightly concluded that this failure has placed us in “an invidious position”

Minister Martin, we should not have to wait until PILES OF GARBAGE cover the streets of St. Kitts to hear that the garbage truck has broken down. As the official responsible for this matter, over $57 Million in recurrent expenditure since 2006 has been under your direction as the Minister of Public Works. To then have members from solid waste management confess on the radio to be under resourced with barely one garbage truck for the entire island is deplorable.

It is your failed decision-making that has placed us in this invidious position where the lack of response time to address the public – on DOUBLE HOMICIDE and PILES OF GARBAGE – have made Newtown streets neither safe nor clean.
And neither can the argument be made that you do not officially become Minister of National Security until the end of July- This is because not only did PM Douglas reveal at the Press Conference that notice of the vacancy was given a few months in advance, but the PM also stated that you have had to cover the post every time the former Minister was away and therefore are the first choice to take up full responsibility for the Ministry.

As a medical doctor, you also know the health risks that we are now subject to with the unsanitary PILES OF GARBAGE exposed on the streets, which is made more harmful to our health after all the rainfall this week.

As a medical doctor you also know that the unsanitary PILES OF GARBAGE form unhealthy conditions for the people of St. Kitts, which also falls under your responsibility in National Security- for Public Health is a matter of National Security.

We will NOT stand by as your neglected responsibility for the PILES OF GARBAGE make our surroundings unsanitary for us to live and now threaten Public Health. We will therefore provide for your action:

Minister Martin, because your lack of response has placed us in this invidious position, the unsanitary PILES OF GARBAGE which affect our health and surroundings will be relocated to your residence. This will be followed by the residence of PM Douglas whom appointed you responsible to keep our streets clean as the Minister of Public Works, for which you have not appropriately directed $57 Million in recurrent expenditure.

You can expect the PILES OF GARBAGE to be relocated to your residence if they are not removed from Newtown and the surrounding area by Sunday 20 July 2008.

By this Concern, We Vociferate
SKN Students Engaged.
sknstudentsengaged.blogspot.com

A Group of Concerned students in the Federation who will not be SILENT to the urgent political issues of St Kitts and Nevis.