DLP candidate eyes hometown seat

The Barbados Labour Party (BLP) is being challenged to deliver more than mere empty promises to the people of St Andrew in exchange for their unwavering support over the last three decades.

This is the call from businessman Oldwin Skeete, who will be vying to represent the constituency as a member of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP).

During a visit to communities in the rural constituency this week, the native of Lake’s Village and alumni of the St Andrew’s Boys’ School and the Alleyne School, identified infrastructural neglect as the most critical issue.

“As a child growing up, St Andrew had a vibrant culture and infrastructure. We had many sporting events, we had a community centre, a police station, a [public] doctor’s clinic, we had a private clinic, we had livestock farming competitions, a St Andrew festival, and a lot of things that brought the community life together and helped the people of St Andrew to enjoy themselves on a regular basis,” Skeete recalled.

“The road network is in dire need of repair, the water resources are not as the people would like. Too often we suffer from water outages and it impacts heavily on the farming community in St Andrew on a whole. Those are some of the issues that we need addressed. Transportation is also an issue, but on a whole, infrastructure and water resources are the major problems facing the people of St Andrew at this point in time,” the political hopeful declared.

He has also met with skepticism, announcements from Prime Minister Mia Mottley of numerous “major projects” in St Andrew. Whilst addressing the reopening of the St Andrew Outpatient Clinic, Mottley revealed plans to repair a bridge at Bruce Vale, construct new roads at White Hill, Andromeda, Shorey Village, and Mose Bottom as part of the road rehabilitation programme. She also promised to reopen the post office and police station at Belleplaine.

But Skeete declared that as he examined the state of roads like Coggins that have been in a state of disrepair for over 40 years, he could not be comforted with promises.

“The same thing happens in Babylon, Walkers. My grandparents are from that area and as a boy traversing that area, I have never seen the road given the type of repairs that needed to be done. We need proper road infrastructure because the people of St Andrew are taxpayers just like anybody else and deserve their fair share as anybody else. So it is okay, well and good to come to the media and say ‘this is what we plan to do’, but until you see it happening, we are going to agitate for it, because we believe it must be done,” he said.

The businessman, who has been involved in farming from a young age, revealed that his decision to enter elective politics is in response to calls from people in the community and a burning desire to provide “true representation”.

Skeete is part of a growing number of new faces of representation emerging from the DLP as it rebuilds from a 30-0 defeat at the polls in 2018 and he is confident in the party’s ability to “uplift lives and livelihoods”.

He added that despite the party’s unenviable position, it is regaining its voice and is mobilising behind an “active” leader in Verla DePeiza who is mobilising the executive and general membership.

“Across the length and breadth of this nation, people’s livelihoods have been ravaged by the pandemic, and they are in need of meaningful solutions and we don’t want to give people just willy-nilly talk and promises, but meaningful solutions that can impact their lives in a positive way and uplift them going forward,” Skeete said.

“When the Democratic Labour Party comes around, I know that some people feel aggrieved by certain things that have happened in the past, but you will be well positioned when you listen to the Democratic Labour Party candidates when they come out to speak. Take nothing for granted, because at this point in time, Barbados is in a really dire state and we need a clear and concise position on how we are going to take Barbados forward, not just platform politics, but people politics that affect the livelihoods of people that are in need of help,” he concluded. (kareemsmith@barbadostoday.bb)