Rowe: I am all paid up

Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs Neil Rowe has dismissed as “lies” suggestions that he was evicted from his constituency branch office at Deacon’s Road, St Michael.

In fact, responding to swirling rumours, the Member of Parliament for St Michael North West, said he left the rental property which he used as his constituency office since 2017, because of maintenance issues.

When contacted by Barbados TODAY, Rowe, who said he was shocked by the rumours, indicated that when he vacated the property at the beginning of March, all the rent had been paid up and noted that he has the evidence to prove it.

“That is absurd. That is misleading. That is a big lie and I don’t know who with their mischievous self would want to put a misleading story like that in the public domain. The thing is that this Government would never go in for that. I moved out of the office but it is nothing in relation to owing rent. When I left the rent was paid.

St Michael North West MP Neil Rowe’s former constituency office in Deacon’s Road, St Michael.

“I owed no rent whatsoever. I moved out the first week in March and the rent was paid up to February. I left because of lack of maintenance and I have so many witnesses and people around me that can attest to why I relocated from there. People who worked at my office and people who used to come to my office, can attest to the issues that we were having,” he said.

MPs are granted more than $4,000 monthly for the rental and upkeep of their constituency branch offices.

Rowe said his constituency office is now located at Free Hill, Black Rock, but noted that the doors are yet to be officially opened since construction works are still being carried out.

However, the Member of Parliament pledged to continue to give his constituents good representation and to address their needs and concerns as best he can.

“When I left [the old office] I was still on the ground reaching out to people, still going to people and still providing services to people. Nothing stopped,” Rowe said.
anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb