Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit believes that farmers have to take some level of responsibility in maintaining feeder roads.
He made that statement during a live interview on state-owned DBS Radio on Monday while protest action was taking place in Salisbury.
On Monday residents of the community blocked the E.O Leblanc Highway, causing a pile up of traffic.
They say the government has neglected the area and the roads, especially farm access roads, are in a deplorable condition.
“Even after the government will go and spend several millions of dollars on these roads, farmers must take responsibility for the roads,” Skerrit said.
He stated that he drove to section of Salisbury and Carholm and noticed that simple intervention by farmers could have saved several damaged sections of the feeder road.
“People drive by, the leaves block the roads, a little landslide comes down and instead of taking a shovel, a pickaxe and clearing the mud to allow the water to flow, a coconut branch across the road, a little tree falls, instead of taking a cutlass and spending five minutes and cut it people leave it there until it rot,” he said.
Additionally, the Prime Minister said, when people notice these things happening and refuse to do something about it, both the government and the farmers will be affected.
“It’s our investments that’s there, so we have to take certain responsibility and that is why the European Union (EU) is insisting and saying we need to see a maintenance plan,” Skerrit stated.
He noted that one of the elements of the maintenance plan being insisted up by the EU is the contribution of farmers.
“We would now have to set up farmers groups in those areas so people who are farming in those areas will now have to form themselves into action groups to play their part in seeing to the maintenance of those roads once the interventions are made,” he remarked.
He said the intervention on the feeder roads will be done through the EU-funded Banana Accompanying Measures (BAM).
Didn’t remember we had a PM
….funny how some people seem so irrelevant
BAM BLAM….. the $400,000 to rename an airport and the $27 million waste on a State malace fro one man to stay in. These monies could have gone to the feeder roads
So could the money used to repair the parts of the airport destroyed. Ever thought of that?
Mr. PM please lead by example by adding a public works truck with your entourage when driving through Dominca so you and the security will block the potholes allu meet along the way.
And while you are it, plz pay for the maintenance of the vehicles from your pocket cuz we already gave it to you free. I just find you too dependent on Government to do everything for you. Lead and the others will follow……..
There is a government department responsible for roads.
You mean de agricultuc workers and other experts were all totally unaware of the farm road conditions?
A small slide that can be cleared with a shovel cannot cause 12km of road damage. Neither can a coconut tree across the road. Get serious. Government agencies including agriculture failed de farmers. Extension workers couldn’t even make a simple report and appeal for road improvement.
I know that the contractor has been selected for the roadworks improvement.
The consultant from St.. Lucia has prepared de work estimates.
The job should have started already.
De local consultant is ready.
We have selected a contractor.
What is de holdup?
How do the consultant from st. Lucia get paid on de BAM to work and you still unable to draw down the money from the same funds that pays de expert.
Tell the truth and nothing but the truth Skerrit!
Tell the truth Skerrit.
Speak the truth! Why you playing with de untruths?
The prime minister is correct we should have millionaire farmers in salisbury not law breakers they should have enough money to maintain the road them selves. They should be on the farm working instead of blocking the road. The should have a water plant in the mountains here is your money to fix the road.
You’re either being sarcastic…or you just very sott!
The PM did not state that they should repair the road. He stated that they could maintain it. Some people can help themselves but they are negligent. As always, they depend on the government for everything. Then they turn around, ill-speak (doing much of that), criticize and blame the government. Are some of you in your right minds? Who is to be blamed?
They are users of the road. A tree could fall or the grass could grow tall and they do not care. They pretend they do not see and turn a blind eye. One may depend on the other to clear that part of the road.
As it is said, form a group and among them they could take turns to help maintain the road. You know the saying, “Keep your eyes on the road” for whatever is amiss and need maintaining/repairing. You also know the saying, “A stitch in time saves nine.”
Do not blame the government. The government needs your cooperation and your help. How else can a country function? You are all in it – together.
Amazing to see that yet again the government through the top man, the PM, is yet again blaming the demise of the feeder roads on the farmers in an attempt to shift the blame and responsibility from his government. The government collects taxes from the people and is to utilise these funds to construct and maintain these roads with these very funds!!! Instead of taking responsibility for that, he is claiming that the people are to blame by his utterances “People drive by, the leaves block the roads, a little landslide comes down and instead of taking a shovel, a pickaxe and clearing the mud to allow the water to flow, a coconut branch across the road, a little tree falls, instead of taking a cutlass and spending five minutes and cut it people leave it there until it rot.” After having damaged the effectiveness of the PWD, the new suggestion is “We would now have to set up farmers groups in those areas so people who are farming in those areas will now have to form themselves into action…
The last time positive works were done on these roads was in the early eighties that was during the time of freedom party. About thirty plus years ago, one cannot expect that road to be in any good condition especially without maintenance. Farmers should definitely more concerned about the upkeep of the road. Some farmers will help but very few. Most farmers instead of clearing the drains close to their holdings they throw their waste on the road and blocking the drains. With that said I believe government should never do away with ROAD MAINTENANCE. Public works Garage has always the hindrance of efficient road works on the island. The Government close down all road maintenance offices on island namely Laplaine, Layou, Portsmouth and Roseau and hand over road maintenance to Public Works Garbage and the DLP P alreps. Government should bring back road maintenance reopen those offices as mentioned above and allow those people who man those offices do their work.
The real issue here is poor road design. Judging from the picture, it’s quite clear that this road lacks a proper foundation. It’s mainly asphalt on dirt with no drainage. Given Dominica’s high annual rainfall, it’s not a surprise that these roads will fail quickly.
Asking them to help maintain these roads with a “Cutlass” is nonsense. How about brush cutters? We’re in 2015 not 1910. Furthermore, you had issues with work being done at Lindo Park because it lacked governmental authority, but you’re asking farmers to now work on feeder roads. I see a double standard here. We know now, that the move at Lindo Park was political. Not just the regular bare knuckle politics, but dirty politics as usual on your part.
“He stated that he drove to section of Salisbury and Carholm and noticed that simple intervention by farmers could have saved several damaged sections of the feeder road.” Mr. Skerrit is losing credibility and every time he opens his mouth to say anything, the credibility question pops out again. He always seems to be playing on the back foot and that makes it difficult to believe anything he says. Here he is blaming the farmers for the condition of the road and says what he observed when he drove on the road. My question is, when did he drive on the road? He cannot be referring to Wednesday March 4th, when he and cabinet staff visited the area, because after the visit he described the road as en emergency and “Clearly these areas are highlight productive especially on the Carholm end of the road but the farmers certainly need help.” He never blamed farmers back then, So why blame them now? Because they protesting? Why didn’t he say that before? When he is in trouble e says…
So Mr Skerrit are you saying that the farmers can do work on government roads
but The people of a community cannot do work on a park? You are confusing me. Next time you have
the sham of a news conference please clarify.
“We would now have to set up farmers groups in those areas so people who are farming in those areas will now have to form themselves into action groups……….” What a clueless GOVT. Only by words of the EU the DLP seeing it fit even to mention the notion of farmer group formation. The BAM has been mobilized for some time now. Have we ever heard GOVT. announcing to the farming community that in order to access the BAM a strong farmer group presence is needed. Farmers you all need to re-vamp the Dominica Farmer’s Union!!!!!
Skerrit now you get a chance to give public works some work to do you want the farms to leave their farms and go and do road works, sorry to say but those U.S spies really know what they were saying when they called you the most foolish leader in the region. not my words check WIKILEAKS CABLES.
You believe what the foolish Wikileaks stated? Where is the one who squealed? He is in hiding. Who is more foolish than him?
you will never be about fact… yes I believe and skerrit prove that yesterday in his press conference… he utter a lot of non sense and did not sound close to a statesman.
Roosevelt, if we must help ourselves what do we need YOU for??
While I agree that farmers should take some level or responsibility and clean up things like a small fallen trees, including banana tree at their holdings, that interferes with the roads, I don’t believe the government should place a heavy burden on the farmers to clean up areas outside their holdings- obviously that would be a good thing, but solely volunteer work. I personally believe the major problem with these roads is that the roads are not constructed properly. We need proper designed and constructed roads bearing on a good open-graded aggregate, and proper drainage. Building roads with 1 inch of asphalt will not last. I also maintained that Dominican locals are better at building concrete roads. So my advice is to building good concrete roads. There are also good technologies out there where quick accessible roads can be constructed for short-term use, using geosynthic-reinforced aggregate. These are normally constructed quickly, and can form base for new roadway.
This is the most rubbish statement I have ever heard.
1)First of all the farmers have to get markets both foreign and domestic to sell their products.
2) They do not have either, of significant benefits.
3) Therefore they cannot generate any funds to buy materials to fix the roads.
4) An individual cannot go overseas on his own to negotiate with prospective buyers on behalf of the Gov’t.
5) What has this Govt done to improve the markets to Da farmers?
Dominicans! I am telling you, if this is the mentallity that Governs you all !? Then our future is gloomy.
Man read the article again and understand without any bias.
“Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit believes that farmers have to take some level of responsibility in maintaining feeder roads”(Roosevelt Skerrit).
Skerrit might be out of his mind!
Why should farmers be responsible for any part of governmental infrastructures? Wether they are main roads or feeder roads; that is the responsibility of the central government! For that is the purpose the citizens of the country pay taxes.
It would be a different scenario if someone owns thousands of acres of land, or an acre, and need a road which terminates into a main road maintained by the government, that individual would be totally responsible for their private road.
Skerrit, mind is blank, that is why he talks so much nonsense!
You know that if you continue your non-support you will get more thumbs up. What other reason do you have?
You humore me dear lady Facts’ I would have to be mad to support you and Skerrit and those who pander to him. I know that most of the time I can be idiotic, nevertheless, my purpose is not looking fore thumbs up. I simply wish to speak the truth on the subject matter.
You and many others simply wish to remain on Skerrit’s good side, truth is he knows “you all not!”
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!
If he turned riot police; and his China trained Para-military on the backbone of the country, the farmers, who are you and the rest who supports him and his corrupt thieves, he will not kill!
Skerrit gave the orders to “Shoot to kill.” He gave them license to kill like James Bond, you wont be missed, you better hide in Canada, cause he might send one of his soliders to hunt you down and get you
I thought this Govt. was about handouts. Why should’t we as citizens be responsible for assisting in the maintenance of our roads?
Now I know why the side of those roadways in Dominica are covered with bushes – dangerously so. The PM is now informing we the people that the motorists must occasionally stop their travel and go cutlass the bush around dangerous corners When motorists don’t have the sight distance they must stop at the corners and cut the grass and bushes. I would like to think that the PM when traveling with his security entourage with black tinted vehicle that the entourage stop and cut the grass on the roadside and block the pot holes wherever the PM travel.
Also all those driving government vehicles for their own private affairs must maintain the vehicles out of their pocket and put their own gas too.
When the impoverished people come to you Mr PM for help you encourage them not to go pray but to come to you encourage them to come to you for money right
I am happy that my beloved Prime Minister did not meet with these misfits. The Opposition and their mentally challenged followers are obviously attempting to start a civil war in this great land of ours. The fact is that the police loves and protects the ordained Dominica Labour Party and they have all the big machine guns, so Labourites don’t have a thing to worry about! When will the Opposition and their brain-dead zombie followers learn that Dominica does not like, want or need them? All the police, firemen, doctors, nurses, lawyers, teachers and RICH PEOPLE are with Labour! We could care less about those dirty farmers!
You are a real Jack A…. labour of love.
My days!! what hate being dished out- everything is for a season.
You do the same. No exception.
LabourOfLove you must have come from the planet of the Apes or you are the first cousin of a Jack-ass.This statement is self explanatory; no need to expound further.
Are you serious or are your just clowning around with this foolish statement?
This is the perfect example of stupidity to the highest level.
Please, all these people are labor? What does that have to do with anything? You forgot all of Roseau voted against labor? These ministers are servants of the people and as such are there to serve, unless they are petty dictators!!!
Clowns like you should go read up on governance or just keep quiet.
The farmers have a right to protest and no one, not even Skerrite can stop them.
If anyone is to be convicted of an illegal activity it is your Skerrit -remember -“no law or constitution” phrase.
Buy then again why waste time with someone with a 4th grade education.
Wow! This says it all.
I alluded to it in a post earlier asking the PM if he would consider leaving politics before the next election. Now I am not asking the question, I am now strongly recommending he step aside. This man is tired and has run out of ideas. Frankly, if this man worked for me, I would fire him. I don’t think I have heard more nonsense come out of the mouth of a prime minister.
Please Lord, save our country.
You know after the inconvenience of yesterday and the effort put into the inconvenience, the PM should stop a moment and take this seriously. It was not only the rest of DA which was put on hold, those very protesters put their lives on hold to do this. Dominica is so small, a feeder road, a bridge an airport. But because priorities are so upside down, not even the productive sectors get attention. How can the Roseau improvement project begin before feeder roads to farms; how can students be playing on tablets before feeder roads; how can garbage bins, State Palace get done before Dominica develops its most vital agricultural sector?I’m not even mentioning the splurge for election. We protest Mr. PM. We protest how stupidly this country is being run. This is UNSUSTAINABLE!
the government needs to do better it is true, but i thought the opposition has made the point that dominica is poor and worse than hati in line for riches. the roads need to be fixed but the government needs to find the funding first and then the road can be dealt with. on the other side now why spraggs cannot put some initiative and work on finding funding to help fix the road then he can get the props for it. i lived in salisbury and it is true that they do not do anything that wont benifit them directly. i had a track next to my home and they would never maintain it even though they passed there daily twice a day with cutlass in hand, when i stop maintaining it for them they start asking me why i stop and when the bush grew to thick and the dug in steps washed away they find another road to pass. jean bawi selfish.
Doubting Thomas, Real Porssie or Fast And Idiot do you guys see any tree across the road , land slide, leaves or coconut branches in the above picture?
Now here comes the very difficult question for Doubting Thomas, Real Porssie or Fast And Idiot – do you guys see a road surface that indicate Labar Ka Twavaile or a road surface that indicate Labar Mal twavaille. Well peeps let us wait for the answer………………………………………
Very good observation that. Where did labour twavay in Salisbury? people talk about discrimination as if it is only skin colour but we have political discrimination and disrespect if you do not toe the new Massa line! You must submit to Skrit if you love him. That is sick man.
FACT:
There is NO full time maintenance personnel employed at either the Portsmouth Police Station, the Portsmouth Hospital or the Portsmouth Secondary school.
‘Labour Ka Twavay!’ ( my @$$!)
all those material that was given before elections, the equivalent in cash could have built a new road from Portsmouth to Guadeloupe…
fools will always be fools
The money UWP was sharing could of fix the road also. So what is your point?
Days past, I knew of the farmers having to maintain the roads so you are right P.M. Fixing the road is one, but some maintenance need to be done by the farmers. For those of you disrespecting the P.M. like this have no respect for yourselves and will not get respect from others. Let us unite ourselves to build the nation. Politics is the same all over; it is full of empty promises; more so I believe the promises were made so that you can vote for the government but if you did not what do you expect. It is the same everywhere. He did not say if you don’t vote for me I will; I believe he said if you do vote me in, I(we) will.
The farmers work on those roads every chance they get. Smh
Fishermen should maintain feeder roads as well and bus drivers and all cricketers lol.This man is a joker lol.
In the run up to the general election last year, a key minister allegedly told the media that it was his government’s policy to upgrade and maintain feeder roads within the country. What changed?
Patients and nurses need to be more responsible in maintenance of the hospitals. Shame on you guys for letting poule boi and pineze take over and doing nothing. Students and teachers should also take responsibility of mantainance on their schools. Pedestrians should learn and play their part in maintainace on the bridges. The days of Rollin up your pants to cross river will come back.
I am amazed at the intellectual ability of PM. 15 years and that is what you get. What an idiot. The effects of a brain drain: that’s what you get when majority voters lack any commonse. The leadership is a representation of the population.
You kidding you forgot the Laborites say that Marigot people had to go in there to upkeep the hospital? If you read the comments when the pool Bwois came out this is what Laborites were saying. But these people are shameless – they lie , they steal and yet they are the biggest beggars in Dominica.
Lang Mama never afraid to speak from the heart even if it does not sound politically correct. FTS I call it as it is. Who lined up at the red clinic and the Viellecase trauma center for top up money.
SKERRIT,
while you have your press conference and do not allow any journalist to ask you the hard questions, I find it is sickening to hear you say the same thing and same promises you have made regarding our feeder roads…. u have failed, the 33 million of tax payers money is done and all CAN FEEL THE FINANCIAL TENSION WHILE YOU AND YOUR BOYS LIVE LARGE.
After the dragon have used you, and chewed you…. guess that it will then spit you out.
So now you are delegating the maintenance of the road to the farmers? Simple thing like a minor obstruction, I expect the farmers to take pride in their community. But have you thought of having crews drive through the interior to see what needs to be done.
I have a friend who works as a subway track maintenance technician for a city transit service. He told me the rails on which the trains run MUST be inspected WITHIN every 72 hours every day of the year. That is part of their maintenance plan. Do the various government works departments have a maintenance plan? If so, how does the government explain the mess that was the Marigot hospital and al the other feeder roads around the country.
Before you preach to farmers about a maintenance plan you ought to present yours to show how the government maintains it other assets.
Do nothing and expect everyone to accept some level of responsibility Mr PM. That’s exactly what the doctor (economist) ordered to move the economy in the right direction.
Is called the Do Nothing Approach. Let’s see how far we shall get with such an economic strategy . I can already see that there would be only bust in Dominica and no economic Boom with this, Do Nothing Strategy that this government has adopted.
By the way, this is an actual strategy used in business ( Do nothing approach), I’m not making it up. However this only works in business if you’re in a comfortable business position. Dominica isn’t so only God knows why this is being adopted
.
What a mess. Four more years and 7 months of this strategy and this will be it for DA. GOOD GOD
well there is some reasonableness to the statement, but it would be nice to have a proactive government. fix things while they are yet small, so, you’ll fix a pothole before it becomes a crater….and it would be nice if politicians learned to tell people things as they are instead of promising and lying. People can understand Rome was not built in a day…things take time, but when you make promise to an electorate that you don’t intend to keep…..better get ready for repeat incidents like Monday’s. I believe the aroma of the coffe is beginning to hit the fan…….
My God even if you guys hate the man, what he is saying makes alot of sense. Look at the roads leading to the apartments around Ross University. These landlords are making money but none of them will come together and assist in building roads, they only pave infront of their apartments. Ppl we need to work as one what is this division doing to us? What benefits are you all getting from this. We need to help maintain what is ours for. We need to come together.
If they want those roads fixed they wu=ill have to vote for him first.
I agree with the PM… Dominicans wants everything for free!!!! Some maintenance and communities coming together at local governments level can solve many of our problems. Just take a look at the amount of juice boxes, bottles and foam containers etc. everywhere. All you will want to protest and tell the PM do something about the rats and for tourism sake. What I am trying to say is let us be a proactive people. Let us be the help ourselves … Governments cannot do everything.
Government must lead and the people will follow- Government must enforce litter act ,punish yhose who liter and the people will eventually stop the indiscriminate disposal of their juice boxes etc; For your information Dominicans have always been community development outside of central government. The Skerrit administration came by a met a community development program- they met farmers doing their very best to maintain the feeder roads. The question is -how much can the people do without the support of central government. How many feeder roads have this government built and how many have they maintained.
Your labor party must also take the blame for reintroducing a dependency culture. We had become independent until the red clinic ( come to Skerrit) era was forced unto the people. If Skerrit give em toilet, tablet, money, plywood, roofing material, blocks, free tickets to creole fest why not give em better feeder roads.
Here we go blaming every other element but his government. Roosevelt Skerrit what do you know about farmers maintenance of feeder roads. Roosevelt farmers use to build bridges and repair roadways all their own. Today we don’t expect the aged farmers to perform those back breaking tasks when they have to pack their vehicle and walk miles to their simply because the government has neglected their responsibilities.
Roosevelt howany feeder roads have your government built or even repaired. When you can honestly answer this question you earn the right to chastore the farmers.
Mr. is one Hypocrite eh.. year after year DNO else have reports of Salisbury farmers working on their own road. now all off a sudden pm wanna talk about responsibility… He self came on radio talking about the Salisbury farmers access road is a state of Emergency.. Now you wanna talk about responsibility.. what about your responsibility as the Prime minister of the entire country and not just those that use their democratic right and vote for who they chose to..I seriously don’t know how these people sleep at night eh…
I thought we are an independent country so why is Skerrit so dependent on European money from the BAM programme? That money is intended to improve our banana industry, which has all but disappeared and the EU is right in making sure that money is not diverted in some devious way to plug holes in the govt. current expenses. I don’t think European tax payers giving their money for that, Skerrit employing people that have no real job. No Sir, cut your costs first!
Independent in name only. D/ca was never independent otherwise. I have no idea why that government decided to secede from Great Britain when it was not able to sustain itself and the country.
If nationals would pay sufficient taxes and pay the taxes they are in arrears of to the government, probably the government would not need outside help. As it stands, how much tax employed nationals and business owners can afford to pay to help sustain D/ca.
If it were not for the international assistance all that has been done in D/ca would not have been done. I visualize that D/ca would be in a deplorable state.
Consider that all nations depend on other nations for assistance. Did you hear that the US owes China an exorbitant sum of money?
Therefore, when you criticize the government who has to operate “little Dominica” with the little amount of tax paid into the revenue, think of it and understand. Too many are ungrateful and criticize. God is taking note.
Dear Madam/Sir, Or lady Facts, the citizens of a country can only pay taxes which they can afford, that is why internationally the system used to decide how much an individual pays is known as “Pay As You Earn.”
The more money you make in that system is the more you pay, and that is extracted from you pay before you even see your pay cheque; if you ever work in Canada you cannot deny that. In Dominica, the most taxes the government collects are from civil servants, there are less than five thousand civil servants in Dominica. Food for thought okay!
And because I see you do not know I will inform you that Dominica nor any of the islands of the Caribbean secede from Britain: the British grew tired of us, and forced us all into independence, whether we liked it or not! Say I told you.
Lol lol so if we have to maintain our roads ourselves in 2015 I don’t c why we need a government that’s the dumbest thing I ever heard him say
so sayeth the shepherd so sayeth the flock… amen
Enough of Skerrit’s nonsense. He makes no sense whatsoever. The man has failed Dominica BIG TIME and he better swallow his pride and admit he has failed.