UWP senator raises concerns about government’s housing programme

UWP Senator Isaac Baptiste. File photo

United Workers Party (UWP) senator, Isaac Baptiste has said the Housing Programme of the Dominica Labour Party (DLP) government lacks transparency, accountability, standards and public interest.

He made the remarks during the Budget debate presentation last week.

“Essentially we wanted to find out what were the various contracts being issued by the government for new housing program,” he said. “To-date we have had no answer. We see however, new houses are being handed out…”

Baptiste said it is important to note that the houses that are being built in these villages, in particular on the East Coast are very inappropriate.

“We also demand that the environmental provision as to waste disposal particularly sewerage that there be an investigation into this project,” he remarked.

He said this is questionable.

Baptiste questioned the 66 apartment units in La plaine which he said housed over 100 persons.

“Where are you disposing the sewerage?” He asked. “I am certain and I know that the Environmental Health Authority nor the Planning Authority have nothing to do with it.”

He said this is unacceptable and it is not in the public interest.

We will investigate and we will demand that there be changes and that there be accountability by the contractor…,” Baptiste stated.

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38 Comments

  1. Anthony P. Ismael Minister of Free Pampers
    August 8, 2019

    In other parts of the world, there are usually open forums like Community Board Meetings where local citizens are afforded an opportunity to listen professionals describe upcoming projects with opportunities for questions and concerns to be raised, prior to the construction of such important infrastructural projects. Since Dominica has become a mini-dictatorship, it appears that this process does not exist. Clearly, the lack of sidewalks would have been raised, if the Blue Prints or CAD Designs were made available for public viewing, but it wasn’t. The question of raw sewage contaminating our drinking water supply is a serious concern. Blind Political worshipers will continue to cut their nose, to literally spite their collective faces.

  2. Lin clown
    August 8, 2019

    This guy is not part of the HOUSING REVOLUTION,so he will talk all kinds of BS.Typical UWP lazy people.

  3. Ibo france
    August 8, 2019

    Dominica lags behind her neighbors mainly because Dominicans lie face on the ground and allow this severely corrupt and grossly incompetent government to walk all over them. All the money used by the government belongs to the people. The business sector, lawyers, clergy, worker’s unions, influential NGO groups and civilians remain quizzically silent while the government engages in blatant corrupt practices. Tell me, where else in the Caribbean a government gives no bid contracts worth many millions of dollars to foreign contractors? Which other island allows mega construction without an EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment)? This is INSANITY at its worst! No public bidding is where colossal corruption occurs. Millions of public funds are usually siphoned off and go into overseas bank accounts of corrupt politicians. When the public is apathetic, corrupt politicians take full advantage of their positions. They literally rape the country. Dominicans wake up!

  4. Zico we seeing
    August 8, 2019

    We gave you money to build your hotels you know. And you didn’t have the audacity to say thank you and praise the government for creating the enable environment so you could get access to build.

    This is why God let you see how ungratefulness dont pay.

    After you trying to pass in the back door to get help just like Linton did TRYING TO GET PASSPORT FOR JO-AN WANG UNDER THE SAME CBI HE TRIED KILLING. AND EVEN SPRAGGS TRY TO GET MONEY FROM RED CLINIC TO GO STUDY.

    SAM CHRISTIAN AND HIS BROTHER GABRIEL CRITICISED THE RED CLINIC AND VIN MONEY AND THEY SAID SKIRRIT MUST GO AND GO NOW.

    WHO DID THEY FIRST CALLED FOR HELP?

    WHERE DID THE MONEY CAME FROM TO HELP SAVE HIS LIFE?

    WHY LINTON DIDN’T RAISE MONEY FOR SAM?

    SO YOU ISSAC IS VEX YOU VEX.

    THAT’S Y GOD PUNISHING YOU ALL ONE BY ONE FOR YOU ALL ATROCITIES AGAINST THE STATE AND THE PEOPLE OF DOMINICA

  5. Annomyous
    August 7, 2019

    Any architect could attest to this poor solution of choice as it is a known fact in modern architecture, that apartment buildings don’t function in rural communities, so why repeat the same mistakes which educated men knows about?

  6. August 7, 2019

    Baptiste, get a life, boy. You like too much bagalaga. I hope the color of your skin is transparent. If you have nothing to say, go fix your so-called hotel. You want some of that CBI money? You will not get it in your lifetime.

  7. every stone turned over
    August 7, 2019

    Mr. Baptiste. There are lots of questions that need answering concerning these housing developments. We all saw what happened the other day at the Bellvue Chopin site after the rain, the flooding and leaking, etc. This gives me pause and it should give the ministry of housing tremendous pause. I wonder if our government officials have visited the site since then, to determine if the work is up to Dominica’s building standards. Another very important question is, if these homes are being constructed under the real estate option of the CBI, then our new CBI citizens should in fact be the owners. Who owns these homes? Ask them for me Sir.

  8. Man bites dogs
    August 7, 2019

    My God where do they breed them from? They all look alike same mentally, broad noses complexion the same and they keep talking that same old crap, are they three Identical brothers? Linton, lsaac Baptiste, Thomas Letang. Just asking honestly I couldn’t believe I was seeing three different people. Well boy it just goes to show birds off a feathers stick together.

    • open your mind
      August 7, 2019

      They are beautiful African men, from the dark chocolate skin to the broad shoulders and flaring nostrils. This is what our Kings from the motherland looked like. Don’t you recognize royalty?

    • emancipated
      August 7, 2019

      Where did the idea that only the light brown man with the sharp nose can be the leader come from? Think about this… It’s mental slavery.

    • Casio
      August 7, 2019

      Feller you are a prime example of the Willie Lynch syndrome. Plus you shouldnt be watching man so closely like that. you sounding suspect. Mr. Baptiste is a very qualified quantity civil engineer, surveyor, architect and real estate agent.

      • Man bites dogs
        August 8, 2019

        @Casio, I don’t care if Mr Baptiste was a dam donkey civil engineer or Robot if he wanted information about housing programme he knows exactly where to find it instead he goes on making a fool of himself just like his brother Linton pretending to asking some stupid questions.

    • Joseph John
      August 7, 2019

      Its not birds, its 3 blind sewage mice. All three like to ‘Demand” with no authority. All they want is to put their paws on the CBI money and make fake accusations. They said that the houses would never be built. Now they are attesting the Housing Revolution is real. They can see it, feel it and talk about it. They imply that those houses are not perfect. But a house alone is not a home. People who occupy a house makes a comfortable home. Skerro just gave them the right start towards making a perfect home, the rest is up to them. That was a rescue mission in a time of emergency and desperate needs. No time to waste with frills.
      So tell baptiste and his crew to show us what they can DO by doing a modern real estate settlement with all the frills. Or do we have to wait for them to come out of hiding as they have been doing since Maria…..M.I.A. does not men Men In Action. It means men in hiding. Those mice just came out to peep during the House meeting and are going rt back.

  9. winston warrington
    August 7, 2019

    Mr Baptiste’s concerns are legitimate, particularly, because after occupancy modifications can be difficult to apply. Yet I observe that the Senator could make a visit to the site office and ask to see the design drawings and note what he might consider as deficiencies or omissions. He could avoid a major problem by doing his due diligence before raising the issue in Parliament.

    • August 7, 2019

      @winston warrington, I was thinking the same. These men seem to believe that they are there to oppose, simply be saying yes or no even if the always say no

      They fail to realize that they are members of the opposing government, and their job is to research every plan and program of the Government, to know exactly how plans and programs are being initiated–to accept or reject. But they sit around until everything is way into complete production and then to criticize and reject

      For example: “Baptiste said it is important to note that the houses that are being built in these villages, in particular on the East Coast are “very inappropriate”. Why wait until now to come to that conclusion?

      The opposing government should not be a “question/answer” social group; they should be there to get into everything that the government plans, to come to a positive conclusion, right or left before any project goes into production– or else we don’t need them

      • Joseph John
        August 7, 2019

        He said the houses are inappropriate. How are they inappropriate. What alternative did he offer. His hotel?
        Are they safe and comfortable. Are they homey . Can they become homes.
        You see only opposition uwp gang bangers are complaining . No complain yet from those who are living or about to live in them.
        I hope Baptist and the unreasonable wicked people (uwp) will be keeping a tally of people who refuse to live in these houses. I hope he has better ones to offer.
        Someone said that he has a hotel, maybe he will house some of those homeless people in them. I hear that Linton has a mansion in Morne Daniel and has offered some Marigot people a place to sleep in his appropriate home. I hear he was in the tri-state raising funds, I hope it was to help those people who suffered from Maria. I heard he has been giving a lady five dollars in Marigot every month from his salary and other financial means. The tim tim leaders will follow his generous example. They love their…

        • Casio
          August 8, 2019

          Why do you call them gangsters? What is your definition of a gangster in your opinion?

    • FLORA
      August 7, 2019

      Warrington really? You are an engineer but you have allowed your political biasness blind your professionalism. What a shame when even senior professionals behave worse than illiterates.
      There was no tendering for these contracts, no Environmental Impact Assessment, when construction started there was no Physical Planning Permission, no one knows what is the cost of these buildings, no idea who are the recipients, Johnson Drigo boasts that they are to be given away free of charge.
      The next house to be built in these villages will be in 2030 because all the housing needs are met.
      End result of this housing program, social problems, drugs and laziness.
      Warrington you know damn well that the biggest motivator to productivity by an individual is to work to send his children to school and to pay his mortgage. Dominica will reap the rewards of this misguided housing policy.

    • ????????????????
      August 7, 2019

      True Winston! Seeing that he is a past Physical Planner in the Government. Just opposing when he can do better than that. Strife and confusion does not pay. What are we teaching the young ones? to fight . We are to be blamed because of the way we handle conflicts. No tact! No professionalism. The young ones are looking at us. We disrespect authority and when they shoot one another, we there to condemn. They behave how they see us behave. We want to say jail them , behead them etc. The dysfunctional youth is a product of the bad behaviour – hatred, we direct at others. They mirror us.

  10. Castle Bruce Resident
    August 7, 2019

    Isaac Baptiste has an issue with everything Government does but Hurricane Maria destroyed his hotel and he has not put back up one cottage yet. These are the ilks of people that want to get into power. They want to get into government for their personal benefits. Dominicans be alert

  11. Jack George
    August 7, 2019

    The houses are there already so help get a solution to the problems you have identified. I am tired of this opposing for opposing sake.

    When people wants power they will tell you all what is wrong but when they get the power they become clueless. Isaac Baptiste you and the UWP needs to become more solution oriented

  12. TJ
    August 7, 2019

    Congratulations Mr. Baptiste for your forthright questions to the corrupt Labor Party manner of operations. I wandered aloud why build housing projects
    Ike high rise instead of single family units. Nothing is ever mentioned of sewage Disposal etc. A change is coming. Give UWP a chance to put us back to sanity.

    • Winston Warrington
      August 8, 2019

      No one builds houses without toilets anymore; no one installs toilets without outlets. If anyone is concerned about the location of septic tanks or leaching fields as a member of parliament, he is entitled to look at the drawings. Drawings are required to be available on site throughout the duration of construction.

  13. Ibo france
    August 6, 2019

    It’s Election Rush Hour now for them. Everything is rushed for show. When things are rushed you bound to make mistakes. Everything that is conceived by this administration is done with political expediency as its #1 motive. This government sees the people as votes not as fellow human brings. We have a vote getting government presently in place.

  14. %
    August 6, 2019

    Mr Baptiste you are a man of deep mental acuity..I always listen to you intently, because you always know what you are saying. The problem is, the extent of the commess will only be known when these guys are out of office .
    Mr Baptiste, were you in the house when patriot Linton burst the bombshell about our passport money, 80%of which cannot be explained?
    This was the most brilliant piece of opposition work that I have ever seen on island!!!
    All the spinners have a different version re the 80% of this money!! O M G!

  15. Roger Burnett
    August 6, 2019

    Senator Baptiste, I am pleased that you can see the flaws in the so called “Housing Revolution”. Not least of the flaws is the notion that the government can implant a foreign concept of housing.

    There are many other places in the world for those who wish to live cheek by jowl in housing estates and apartment blocks. On the other hand, there are millions of people in the “developed” world that would welcome the self sufficient life style that Dominica can offer.

  16. ?????????????????????
    August 6, 2019

    Mr Baptiste as a Senior Physical Planner why you do this thing – misleading the public? You know too well that the apartments have sewerage disposal system in place. Why do you do those things for a quick fix in government? Wanting to be a Minister at whatever it may cost. Sir, sometimes the track some of you persons take, makes persons lose all respect for you. Mr. Baptiste please stop that thing. Misleading for you will have to answer for misleading persons who are less knowledgeable than us. We need to educate not make a fool of ourselves. Respect Respect. I do not what you are disgruntled about but now on your retirement is to be happy, not making a marjee with yourself. Also the ex Superintendant. If you want to serve be honest at all times.

  17. Gold Teeth
    August 6, 2019

    I, as a born and bread villager of virile case fully endorse everything Mr. Baptist said. That Skerrit/ DLP housing program leaves a lot of questions to be answered. Not only is he using the housing program to hide what looks like dirty money but the laws of Dominica that are being violated blatantly. For example, in V/case constituency of Thibaud, V/ case & Penville I know of 7 concrete houses DLP built for supporters on land that they don’t have a title or even surveyed on their name. On top of that I know of anther 6 in our constituency where government paid large sums of money to their DLP contractors, to build on lands that are in dispute and in some cases they couldn’t even start while in other cases they started but had to stop. In one case the DLP paid the other party in secret, to end the dispute only to find out a third person claimed part the house on his land and therefore the building had to stop. Folks this is no lie and if DNO would allow me to call names I would.

    • Ibo France
      August 7, 2019

      It’s unsurprising to me that these problems are surfacing. This government operates in secrecy, below board and gets nothing right. They are a bunch of fumbling buffoons. This is easily the most corrupt and impotent bunch of imbeciles to hold elected office.

    • mine
      August 8, 2019

      People in the constituency who lost their homes put claims did not get anything and others who never owned a house got homes so sad. Very unfair.

  18. ArAb
    August 6, 2019

    These are good questions and answers need to be received.

  19. RandyX
    August 6, 2019

    Mr. Baptiste, you’ll never get an answer from Skerrit & Co. regarding this issue. I mean what could they possibly tell you? We are giving them away for nothing to our most loyal supporters or to those we are asking to vote for us!

    • August 8, 2019

      @RandyX, what is the point of the answer? I too, would ignore that question, because it is irrelevant at this time.

      For how would an answer fix the problem which Baptiste has sited? I don’t believe that those guys want answers; because they know that their question are very weak; they are simply objecting without substance.

      For example Baptiste claims that there is a sewage problem with the houses. Was it a “claim” which he investigated and to know for a fact that the sewage is not in proper function?

      And if so, why is he asking questions, why does he not simply come out with a straight solution–which would not be needed now, if he had done his job in the first place.

      O gush man!!!!!!!!!!!!!

      • RandyX
        August 8, 2019

        Shut up! I can’t remember asking you for your opinion! We all know you love your corrupt PM but you still have the audacity to go to church every Sunday. I told you before, you are a false prophet!

        • August 9, 2019

          Why do you refer to me as a false prophet and how do you know that I go to Church?

          Is that the same way that you are trying to tell me that PM Skerrit is a corrupt man?

          Well I am telling you now, that the same way you have claimed to know me more than I know myself, it is the same way I know that you have no clue about who PM Skerrit is; however he and I are in the boat of Life, but your boat is sinking deep, take heed!

  20. No News
    August 6, 2019

    It’s vey easy to undermine and criticize, because you are clueless about the progress that is being put forward under the DLP. Your concerns and observations are without merits. If you were working towards the betterment of living conditions in Dominica, then you would know there’s transparency and accountability in all the projects. Keep your red herrings and innuendos within your UWP.

  21. Jack Sparrow
    August 6, 2019

    Continue to hold their feet to the fire… Thats what you are there for and you are doing a great job.
    Soon you will be in government and I hope what is remaining of the DLP will do the same.

  22. Casio
    August 6, 2019

    whats done in haste, shall soon be viewed as waste.

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