CENTRAL Grand Bahama MP Neko Grant yesterday criticised the Christie administration over the condition of New Providence’s main roads saying that he has never seen streets in the capital kept so poorly.
Mr. Grant was responding to previous comments made by Deputy Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis who asserted in a television interview that the current condition of roads in the capital were the result of years of neglect under the Free National Movement. He suggested that the FNM had only focused on the New Providence Road Improvement Project while neglecting the roads that were outside of the initiative.
“Well nothing could be further from the truth,” Mr. Grant told reporters following the morning session of the House of Assembly. “We paved East Street from Wulff Road to Shirley Street. We paved Bay Street from Blake Road to the Paradise Island Bridge. We paved Shirley Street from Village Road to Frederick Street. We paved Collins Avenue from Wulff Road to Shirley Street. We paved the Eastern Road from Yamacraw bend to Village Road.”
“In addition to this work done on New Providence there have been many, many miles of roads paved by Bahamix. Bahamix is a very productive unit of the Ministry of Works. In addition to that we had an ongoing road-patching programme. He need only look into the files and he would find them.
“I invite all of you to drive down Mount Royal Avenue, it’s in the heart of the prime minister’s constituency. Never during my watch was a thoroughfare allowed to deteriorate to the extent that Mount Royal Avenue, a main thoroughfare has deteriorated to. I suggest that the deputy prime minister and minister of works give some focused attention to what is really happening and give an account of his inaction.”
Mr. Grant said under his watch as minister of works, Bahamix was the most productive arm in the Ministry of Works. However, he said, he now thinks it is grossly underused.
“I think it’s the lack of attention because the roads should not be in this state. I chose Mount Royal Avenue because it is the birth place of the prime minister of this country and so if Mount Royal Avenue that sits in the heart of the prime minister’s constituency is in terrible shape then what could we say about the other roads?” Mr Grant asked.
By KHRISNA VIRGIL | Tribune Staff Reporter
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