The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

FREE National Movement leader Michael Pintard is calling for the government to move with urgency to complete home repairs that were approved since Hurricane Dorian under the Minnis administration.

He stressed that many residents on Grand Bahama and Abaco are still awaiting repairs to their homes, which have suffered further damage with the passage of Hurricane Nicole.

Mr Pintard and his team, including FNM MPs Kwasi Thompson and Iram Lewis, were on the ground in the aftermath of Nicole checking on residents in various constituencies.

They first stopped in Pineridge at Cornwallis Drive where they checked on residents who were living in homes and apartments that were still awaiting repairs since Dorian.

“There is a need for the government to move with a great sense of urgency in remedying those situations in Abaco and Grand Bahama,” Mr Pintard said.

“The repair of homes that have been damaged since Dorian is a very serious concern. A lot of the anxiety in Grand Bahama was related to the fact that persons still had challenges with roofs still leaking, and doors and windows that had not been fully repaired.”

Mr Pintard said that in some cases persons are temporarily living with their families in small accommodations.

“When you talk about preparations for this particular event, we cannot separate it from those persons who had been approved from the time we were in office for home repairs and had gotten a firm commitment from the government. The government changed and they have not been remedied yet.”

He stated that assistance for repairs of $2,500, $5,000, $7,500, and in the case of full destruction of a home, $10,000, goes a long way.

Mr Pintard said that large piles of debris were another issue they had noticed on the ground.

He said they will be visiting all five constituencies in Grand Bahama. He also explained that they were unable to accompany the government delegation into Abaco to do an inspection because the airport was still closed in Grand Bahama at the time. He said MP Adrian White and other members of their team will travel with the government delegation.

On the matter of shelters, the FNM leader said there is a need to put in place multi-purpose facilities instead of using schools.

“One of the concerns is that there is a need for us to settle this issue of hurricane shelters. We continue to have this conversation whenever a major event occurs and so what we are expecting is that this administration would ensure that we have proper shelters that are fully established.

“It is fine we believe to use schools now, however at the moment the schools themselves have challenges. One thing that has to be done in earnest is to put in place multi-purpose use facilities and hurricane shelters being one of those usages,” he said.

In terms of debris, he said: “We have not been integrated in the island wide cleanup programme. So, we took our own initiative to run programmes or get in contact with Sanitation (Services). There is a need for full collaboration with respect to the complete cleanup of GB.”

“When (the FNM) did it in the past, we indiscriminately hired Bahamians to work on the work crews. We did not check in advance to see what the political orientation was of persons. We want that same kind of fairness and even handedness going forward,” he said.

Mr Thompson, MP for East Grand Bahama, and Mr Lewis, MP for Central Grand Bahama, stressed the importance of the extension of the SERZ order for Grand Bahama and Abaco due to the flooding and minor damage Nicole brought to communities still recovering from Dorian.

Mr Thompson said it was a significant setback to the repairs that were already in progress.

“That makes the call for SERZ order extension that much more relevant. It must be extended. The SERZ order must be extended for the islands of GB, and Abaco,” Mr Thompson said.

In McLean’s Town, he said there was no significant flooding or damage, but residents who were in the process of repairing their homes sustained further damage.

“We also heard from High Rock and Freetown, and some other settlements in between and they all fared well, however the power is still off in areas out east, and there are home repairs set back, and we are hearing reports of home and roof damage because of the passing of the storm.

Mr Thompson reported that there is still significant flooding in Bevans Town. He said the area is only passable by truck.

He reported that residents ‘over the bridge’ also fared well, but there are setbacks in terms of home repairs.