Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has announced that his government has issued payments to landowners in the Wesley area in the amount of $24.3 million.
He made that statement while addressing a press briefing held this week.
“As it relates to the International Airport you have seen the movement on the ground with the off-loading of heavy equipment to begin work on the site,” he said “I have heard some public statements made in relation for payment of land and homeowners in the Wesley area.”
According to the Prime Minister, this is a matter the government continues to address, and he wishes to advise against malicious attempts by people with no direct interest in the topic of payments who are seeking to turn this into conflict.
“The fact is, compensation is an ongoing process and so far this government has issued payments in full to landowners in the amount of $24, 344,807.48, and this is [the] January 2023 figure,” he stated. “I have given and continue to give the assurance that the outstanding amount will be paid to land owners in a few weeks.”
Meanwhile, he noted that keys to complete residences have been handed over to 26 homeowners affected by the construction of the international airport in the new Joe Burton development.
“Works are ongoing on the construction of an additional 13 units and just to say to the public, among these 13 people are people who were squatting on government land,” Skerrit revealed.
Furthermore, he said there are several farmers who were squatting on government land since the United Workers Party (UWP) bought these lands back in 1999 or thereabout, who are now being processed with proper leases so that they will know that they have a legal document.
He mentioned also that with the expansion of Joe Burton and turning it into housing there are about 20 lots that will be subdivided into housing lots and will be sold to residents in the Wesley/Woodfordhill area, “some of whom are public officers and people working in the private sector who are desirous of owning a piece of land so that they can build their own homes.”
“There are many people who continue to benefit from this,” Skerrit stated.
Roosevelt, compensation should not be an ongoing process according to your political methods! The minuet you confiscate someone house and land: if you pay them in cash or a cashiers’ cheque, that is good and cash.
The owner is obligated to vacate the property within a specific time as agreed upon, at least there should be s stipulation to this effect.
If the property owner accepts a replacement property given by you: You or some governmental service should hand the person a title deed for the land, and house given to them.
That you have not done!
If you take my house and land and give me another a title deed, and any point and time somebody some organization such as Montreal Management can kick the person out and take the property, and there is nothing the person will be able to do, they would be powerless to do anything except vacate the property.
Talk as much Roosevelt you know what you have done in Wesley is corrupt, and wrong.
I meant if you give someone a house and land without a title deed for the property, at any point and time an entity such as Montreal Management believe to be your personal company could well lay claim to the property and have the person evicted, and there is nothing the evicted person will be in a position to do.
Be fair, what you have done thus far arouses suspicions!
Is there going to be any prime real estate left for the people after he builds his airport and destroys all the good land? His airport will turn into a White Elephant after he destroys all the beautiful land on the east coast. He has been blowing hot steam on the mountain for 20 years and still no electricity like he promised two decades ago. Dominica needs a new competent PM before he destroys all the prime real estate and rain forest on the island for his vanity project. Dominica does not need a new airport jets can already land at Melville Hall as proven by direct flights from Miami. Who is really going to own this new airport? Investors or the people of Dominica?
Mr. PM as you know we no longer trust you.
DNO, we need to hear from the land owners affected, specifically those who don’t vote red. We need to hear their stories. At the moment the narrative is one sided, only the PM’s story is being given space on the media platforms. This amounts to propaganda, we fed up of that!
We already know how the PM operates, he will select a few convenient facts and ignore the inconvenient ones. We tired of the propaganda, we want unfiltered truth!
If you are going to give us the PM’s narrative, then balance that with the people’s narrative as well. Only then can we get a true picture of what is happening.
ADMIN: We haven’t gotten the landowners to speak with us on the matter.
We have published several stories from the Wesley Development Organization and their steering committee who have been very public about their concerns including the handling of the land acquisition by the government.
Dominicans have no appreciation of the power of the streets. They have all come down with physical and mental paralysis. For over twenty years, one dimwitted despot has set fire to all of Dominica’s revered institutions and organizations with impunity. The police force, electoral commission, parliament, presidency have been reduced to nothing more than skeletal remains of their former robust selves.
The lame media houses take Lying Roosevelt’s words as scriptures. There is no critical noe in depth analysis of the constant lies he feeds the public. So, the whole of the country is inundated, on a daily basis, with pie in the sky promises and distortions of reality without the intervention of our supposedly guardians of our democracy (media).
Dominicans do not have any “physical and/or mental paralysis” as you believe. They simply have not seen the need for walking the streets in mass protests.
Why do you keep wasting your time and energy repeating the same old songs day after day which by now, you should have realized is not resonating?
Show some balance in your writing for a change and maybe, just maybe more persons can take you seriously. Things are not all bad, like all things “DOOM and Gloom”. There are also some good stories out there. Occasionally, try penning them to uplift someone’s spirit and “MAKE THEIR DAY”…
I’m not sure whether you realize it or not, but you come across as “one bitter individual” whose life was dealt a bad hand.
Mark, instead of excoriating me for speaking truth to power, why not use the power of your pen to urge your demigod, Roosevelt, to amend his amoral and wicked ways.
The country is in dire economic straits, political tribalism in the country is at its worst, poverty is entrenched and spreading, hopelessness is a constant companion of most resident Dominicans, come on man, grow a conscience.
Don’t use your energy to decimate the patriotic messengers who dare to call out the excesses and sins of a despot. You seem like an erudite person. When you remain reticent while those in power inflict pain and misery on a docile populace, you are part of the problem.
We must collectively bruise our knees night and day, coupled with action, so that Roosevelt, his ornamental wife, and sheep-like disciples may go to damnation (eternal punishment in hell).
“Dominicans do not have any “physical and/or mental paralysis” as you believe. They simply have not seen the need for walking the streets in mass protests.”
Mark, perhaps it is sort of difficult for you to see the situation as lbo or anyone else sees the situation; nevertheless, I am optimistic that you are aware that something is not normal with our people!
However, something is wrong with my people of Wesley, the mentality of those existing in Wesley at the moment are not like the ones I grew up knowing. There seem to be no men left in Wesley; they are not even roosters, but what we call pullets, are chicken heart boys.
In the sixties someone a government attempted to do as Rosevelt has done to our people and village, I doubt he would still be alive.
Skerrit was told that the site in Wesley is not the appropriate place to build that Airport: Something is going to bring it to a halt, and he knows that, hence that will be his opportunity to turn the land over to his Chines.
This government is weak.The majority of the people of Wesley,Woodford Hill and Palm tree support the construction of the international airport.The majority of the Dominican people here and abroad support the construction of the airport.A handful of crooks,lazy,lying,traitors and habitual criminals are trying everything to see that the airport is not constructed.The government should go to parliament pass a law,anybody who directly or indirectly,by words or actions with malice,tries in anyway to stop the construction of the internation airport,will be charged with treason.On conviction 20 years in prison.We cannot have a handful of traitors trying to destroy everything for the benefit of the people…………………………………………………………………………The people of Dominica put a curse on the every Wednesday walkers of UWP.They are so tormented they MUST walk every Wednesday.
You said that 23.3 million was paid to farmers, I would like to find out what out standing among do you own farmers. What percent does that stand out of the 23.3 million. You can fool some people of the time but not all the people of the time. The said lands were seized at a very low price but you still can’t give them the money. It’s so sad how dominica has reached this stage under your bad management, can’t use the word under leadership because we can’t see this.
Skerrit, more of the usual BS from you. A proper democratic and fair government would pay the land owners first before sending machines to break the ground. A good lawyer would sue for unlawful trespassing. But as you said on numerous occasions, Dominica is not a proper country. YOU regard it as your playground and cash cow.
I assume you must not be a good lawyer since there is a case to be made of unlawful trespassing and you’re just sitting on the sidelines inactive. The landowners are awaiting someone like you for representation.
This is your big moment. Grasp it or move on with your silly nonsense.
Fool, I don’t practise law in DA, nor do I reside in DA. No good lawyer could survive in DA without being a member of Skerrits cabal. No way would I kiss that man’s behind to make a living. Out of 50 practising lawyers in Dominica there is a maximum 2 that are not in his pocket. Is that a good enough answer for you, Mark ……..? Corruption, lies, stealing and false accounting have never appealed to me. YOU, however, wallow in exactly that scenario. So long sucker, better luck next time.
Good idea that! I’ll go to Roseau on Monday. I guess it will take me all day to find a lawyer that has the backbone to sue this notorious liar and his useless government.