Former Prime Minister of Dominica, Edison James, has said that Wesley farmer, Einstein Drigo, should approach the government for compensation after the authorities ordered the bulldozing of his field of plantain recently.
James who was speaking during a live interview on Q-95 Radio, said he understands that the value of the crops destroyed amounts to about $66,000.
He said the government did not handle that situation the right way.
Drigo did admit that he received a letter from the government about a year ago asking him to vacate the land but that he had not received any recent notification.
However, he said about two weeks ago, when he confronted the people who had come to bulldoze his farm, they advised that he should speak with Housing minister Reginald Austrie or Wesley MP, Fidel Grant.
Drigo went on to say that when he came from church the next day, Sunday, he met, “everything flat [the plantation].”
“They didn’t even give me a chance to make someone value there for me and they didn’t even tell me they were going to do that,” he complained. “I had about 2000 bunches of plantains there.”
Drigo said some of the plantains were ready to be harvested and no one has reached out to him regarding compensation.
But James is of the view that aside from humanitarian considerations, Drigo is entitled to compensation based on his [James’] interpretation of the relevant law.
“The farmer should be wise to consider approaching the government for compensation,” James remarked. “It was required that the gentleman given notice, I understand from what you read, notice was given.”
He continued, “I do not know the full content of the notice, how it was drafted, but there are provisions in the same law.”
James referred to the Small Tenement Act Chapter 54:71. This Act makes provision for duties and proceedings in relation with the ending of a tenancy of a small tenement as defined in this Act.
He believes that the farmer should have been given the opportunity to harvest his crop.
“The crop was planted at the time when the notice was given and according to the law it was required that he was allowed to reap the plantains before they were bulldozed,” James remarked. “That is the law.”
James further stated that based on the law and even outside of the law on humanitarian grounds at least that farmers should be allowed to harvest the crops,” he stated.
Meantime, James, who is the former MP for the Marigot Constituency, has said that he sees no reason why the location that was identified by the United Workers Party government in 1998 in the same area for the construction of an international airport, is not being used by the DLP administration and is urging the government to make any studies which they have done, available to the public.
“I heard Mr. Grant say that in the piece that you played, that after several studies, they decided that the Wesley site was the appropriate site…Give the people the benefit of seeing these studies which directed…you dictated the site we’ve settled on is the site, the appropriate, the only site. Make the document available,” James said.
“Francisco, You talking crap out off your ahole old boy”
Mr. Man-dog, I do not get involve into profanities as you indulged into, I can demolish you in many different ways.
I can insult you using more holistic words!
I leave profanities to the simple minded, the uneducated; the chuckle heads who’s only way of expressing themselves is by indulging into profanities!
Are you one of such persons?
I am only responding to this because I saw where you launch an attack on me cousin Edison James; if you doh know, le’ me tell you him just happen fu have some Telemaque blood in he; or perhaps me have some James blood in me: me late daddy and grandmooma tell me but me fu gat how de blood connection go.
In any event boy; you dog; attack Edison, and I will have to deal with with you eh; you defended Roosevelt for more than five years, he got reelected and gave you nothing!
Ask him for a fireplace!
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!
“Francisco, you conveniently forgot to mention the US where land owners on the southern border ”
I hope you are not perpetrating a lie, or simply talking about something you do not know how it went down!
For your information; when land; properties are declared eminent domain in America, the city, state or Federal Government usually pay to the owner more than it is worth; they do not pay anybody a few pence that will not be enough for them to resettle.
Now as for your comments about taking people’s land on the boarder between Mexico and America to build wall; perhaps you can now go and asks the now disgraced Donald Trump, that corrupted bastard how many homes he was able to take from land owners in order to facilitate his wall!
Ask him how many people defended their property with guns; now one of my residence is 150 miles from Mexico, the other is less than 60 miles, so if you think I don’t know, sorry for you.
I think what people fail to question- on whose land was this farmer working? If it was his personal land did the gov’t sieze it without compensation? If he was compensated a year ago then he had no right to complain- if it was even his land.
Plantain coming in 9-10 months so its obvious after they served him notice he went back to farm on the land bad mind.
Plus very VERY few farmers in Dominica currently plant 2000 plantain plants. Only if readers knew how often guys run their mouth and say they have 1000+ plants next thing they dont even have 100.
Wicked or idiot? Since last year they tell you vacate, you still going and plant plantain. hahaha Yes ahh with our people boi. When allu finish allu will say the government messed up. Did they give you warning? YES. If they told you they were going to give you money two years from now and never reminded you, would you have remembered? YES. So stop allu foolishness. I hope the money do you good. The same money allu does try and refuse help for because is not allu party, allu want it in compensation. Take allu cap, both seem fitted. Allu seem to have a passion… Wicked or idiot?
$66,000?? Steeuppps! Both Edie and mister must be out of their minds. How many acres are we talking about? The man already get paid and was wrong to continue knowing very well construction was going to start soon. UWPites like too much trouble. Both Eddie and mister need to go take a nap.
Francisco, Viewsexpressed, Ibo France, and the rest of the clowns in that so-called Edison James, party take note we the majority Dominicans public will never let you idiots back into office again at least not in Dominica, go to hell 👹
Francisco, You talking crap out off your ahole old boy it’s time to realise that so-called Workers calamity idiots party is out, as I speak Workers clowns is fighting against each other Edison James, keep on waking up from his grave every time he smells trouble trying to save that monkey party but we are determined to crush that evil 😈 by the of God
Francisco, you conveniently forgot to mention the US where land owners on the southern border are currently suing the federal government for illegally seizing their land, in order to construct Trump’s stupid wall.
A divided nation will always underachieve. At present, Dominica is suffering immensely from fierce partisan politics. This Divide & Rule political strategy has served the ruling elites well but has been extremely detrimental to rest of the country. Personal gain must never replace the collective good of a nation.
Which other government in the Caribbean region has destroyed food crops? NONE! Why? It’s an asinine, immoral and an unthinkable thing to do.
All right thinking people will agree that the Mr. Drigo should have been afforded the opportunity to harvest the mature bunches of plantains and given an alternative plot of land to continue his livelihood. What is so wrong with that suggestion?
This regime has allowed itself to be blinded by an uncommon level of hate, victimization, obsession with power and divisive politics.
Let common sense prevail over blind political partisanship.
If James does not know tge law, why is he trying to give legal advice?
It would have been courteous of the government to have given the gentleman a few days notice to harvest what he could. After all, there is no point in letting good food go to waste. But once notice was legally given, the government was under no obligation to repeat itself.
Dominicans are just too wicked with each other.
Someone has taught us that we must separate ourselves into ideally 2 groups. One group will continuously dish out hate onto the other in turns, according to which group is holding the Big Stick!
Just note how difficult it is to disagree with the government and not be branded a UWP-ite!!..We are suffering from warped psyche and damaged intellect.
If Mr James “—- do not know the full content of the notice —” how can he ‘— conclude that the government did not handle that situation the right way.’? For example, what if the notice had instructed the farmer to vacate immediately?
Edison, there are only two places on earth where unscrupulous, corrupted, people take advantage of the poor, confiscating; taking away peoples property in the name of government without even discussing compensation; as fare as I see it’s China and Dominica.
So, what do Dominica and China have in common?
Doh ask, the Wesley kid; I go tell eh!
The common denominator is dictatorship and communism!
You see Roosevelt do have some personal vendetta against the people of Wesley, and so his motive is to cause pain and discomfort to our people.
One should ask if the new location is the most appropriate; what happen to the long ago selected site (location) where you chose almost thirty years ago; citing “eminent domain?”
Unless, I was misinformed, I was told that was the most suitable site on the island; so how come all of sudden there is a better site, which if utilized will displace a lot more people than if the land between Wesley (Joe) and Woodford Hill is utilized.
A gross injustice was done to Mr. GIGO. This statement should be not be contested. No caring or prudent administration destroys food especially when food security is such a major concern at present.
Let’s all be brutally honest. Only a overly dark, soulless, ruthless person or government would victimize the struggling poor. I often say that God doesn’t like ugly. Destroying food crops is one of the ugliest sins.
There could be no justification for destroying a productive farm without giving the owner an opportunity to harvest the crops that have matured. Unfortunately, because the country is so politically polarized, there are many supporters of the DLP that get superlative happiness from this incredibly wicked and senseless action.
Dominica is unique for all the wrong reasons.