Dear Hon Prime Minister Mia Mottley.
I hereby resubmit my request for your intervention to address another case of classism and discrimination directed at Black man. I sent you the letter below THREE years ago. The situation has deteriorated since. I do not have you on speed dial which explains my use of this arcane mode of communication. For your information Prime Minister Mottley your Press Secretary Roy Morris is fully briefed about my matter, he highlighted same when he was Managing Editor of the Nation Newspaper many years ago – Arden BLACKMAN
Hon. Mia Mottley, QC., M.P
Prime Minister
Minister of Finance, Economic Affairs and Investment
Government Headquarters
Bay St, St. Michael
27 March 2019.
Dear, Honourable Prime Minister.
I refrained in the past years from seeking a political intervention of the highest. But, must do so. Hon. Prime Minister, I am requesting your intervention for an urgent, justly rectification of a dangerous situation, caused by a “Wrongful Created Private Botch Road within and across a Natural Watercourse, above Clarke’s Road, St. James. That happened under a previous B.L.P Government.
I will outline two main reasons for requesting your intervention upfront, the other reasons will become apparent.
(1)The fact that a remedy is yet, to be carry out by the Chief Technical Officer of M.T.W, who has the authority to do so.
(2) The political efforts in 2006-8 of B.L.P, M.P for St. James Central, The Hon. Minister Mr. Kerrie Symmonds M.P, to obtained a remedy to the dangerous situation on behalf on his constituents, failed by 2008, and continued to fail.
Hon. Prime Minister, I am very familiar with this location from 1978. And lived here since 1982, the top of dead-end Clarke’s Road, adjacent to a Natural Watercourse. This said course is situated between Chapel Gap and Clarke’s Road. The course was deep, never overflowed, during the mention times. Therefore, no foreseeable flooding risk. There were never a vehicular through public or private road, from Appleby or Chapel Gap, to or across the said watercourse.
In 2002, a British ex-pat White person, appeared with the services of heavy equipment, took the liberty to go from Appleby, across an open lot of an absentee land owner, and wrongfully altered the natural watercourse, by removing both edges. Thereby, creating a path/road across the said course, to her lot on the north.
Later in 2002, Pat Brayshaw commissioned further wrongful alterations, to the said watercourse, by placing boulders within, and along the land mark centre, that narrowed the course, for a built-up increase of level land to joined the across path/road, and created a wrongful private botch road, from Appleby, across the said absentee land owner lot, and watercourse, to Chapel Gap, vice versa. Thereby, causing the first flooding, I witness in my years of knowing this watercourse.
Hon. Prime Minister, Due to the proximity of my home, below the wrongfully altered course, the results from recurring flooding, caused severed damages to my surrounding, and caused me to made several changes to my home.
I complained verbally to the Drainage Unit in 2003, an Officer visited the site, and in conversation, said the encroachment is illegal, he will report to Drainage Director. I found out he never reported, when I went to the Drainage Unit Office, almost a year later.
The information from Drainage Office. Stated that Drainage don’t have the Equipment to removed the boulders or restored the course. Drainage Director directed me to M.T.W, Deputy C.T.O, Mr. Philip Tudor, in our telephone conversation about my complaint, and plea for a remedy. Mr. Tudor said, what was done to the watercourse is illegal. He promised to have the boulders removed and the course restored, Nothing happened to this day.
I then turned to M.T.W, C.T.O, Frank Thornhill who (almost) recited, what Mr. Tudor said of the situation and the actions that will be taken. The almost, is that Mr. Thornhill is the Chief Technical Officer. The promised actions of both top Technical Officers have not yet, materialized.
Hon. Prime Minister, The dangerous situation at the water-course, became worse, due to an obvious biased. Arthur’s Construction, wrongfully placed B.W.A pipes, into a part of my adjacent backyard, that was eroded by redirected spread flooding, from the illegal road within, and across the course. For two purposes ( 1 ) To saved company cost of cutting track. ( 2 ) To ensured the wrongful private botch road, probably built by the said company in 2002 remained. As a result of those unjustly actions, combined with the inactions to, and overlooking of, the dangerous situation by the then M.T.W, C.T.O. Mr. Frank Thornhill and Deputy C.T.O, Mr. Philip Tudor. The Black Residents had to endured the results of Clarke’s Road becoming the new watercourse
late 2006 I asked Mr. Roy Morris of the Nation newspaper, to highlight my plight, due to wrongful created dangerous encroachment, and the shoddy job of Arthur’s Construction. From what Mr. Morris saw, and his investigation, he published an article “St. James man fearing the worst” in The Nation on 26 October 2006. I was then enlighten years after making verbal complaints, that an Official of the Ministry, said Mr. Blackman must make an Official complaint in writing.
After that, I made written and verbal complaints, requesting a remedy to the said dangerous situation. Only to be completely ignored, by the then M.T.W, C.T.O, Thornhill and Deputy C.T.O Tudor who reneged on all verbally made undertakings of remedying the watercourse..
One response came from the Ministry of Environment and Drainage in 2015, informing me that the authority in the “prevention of floods Act Cap 235 section 6B and 7” to carry out remedy of watercourses, lies with the C.T.O of M.T.W.
The Nation Newspaper published two other articles highlighting the dangerous situation in the watercourse. The last article by Ms. Maria Bradshaw highlighted the November 2016 flooding in Clarkes Road, that caused damages to residents.
The muchly read Barbados Underground that bring news and opinions to the people ( that certain people want to hide) highlighted this dangerous situation in many articles over the years. But, M.T.W, Top Technical Officers continued inaction, and ignored the plights of Black Residents in Clarke’s Road
As if the apparent continued ignoring, inaction to the caused were not enough. M.T.W, said Top Technical Officers, discriminatory assisting in the upkeep of this wrongful created private botch road, leading up to the 2013 General Election. Tasked M.T.W. work men paved said road, supervised by the then D.L.P, M.P for St James Central. Mr. George Hutson
I email a letter requesting an urgent rectification of said wrongful dangerous situation, to our new Minister of Transport, Works and Maintenance, Dr. Hon. William Duguid, J.P MP.( I thank him for his quick reply) on 24, Feb 2019 he stated, “I have asked for a Town Planning Enforcement notice, that is the first stage”.( that was 3 years ago )
Hon. Prime Minister, M.T.W, D.C.T.O, Mr. Philip Tudor email me for the first time in 15+years, about a comment I made on Face- Book about his inaction to the watercourse situation. He stated on 20, Feb 2019 “ that this matter was referred to the chief Town Planner whose agency is responsible for issuing enforcement notices please note that no demolition of this structure. in St. James could have been carried out by the Ministry of Transport and Work without the prior authorization of Town and Country Planning Department. To-date we Have received no such authorization. I will however contact the Chief Town Planner in an effort to see if this situation can be remedied before the 2019 hurricane season”.
Hon. Prime Minister, Certainly, with all due respect, this wrongful created dangerous situation, is deserving of much more attention, than a 14 worded statement, from the Hon. Minister Duguid (due to the fact that Town and Country Planning, has nothing to do with an encroachment within and across the watercourse.
Did M.T.W, CTO Frank Thornhill or Deputy C.T.O, Philip Tudor, seek Town and Country Planning authorization, to removed or demolished the boulders, after It was brought to they attention, and a formal verbal pledge made to remedy and restored the watercourse in 2004 ?
Who or what hindered, Hon. Minister Kerrie Symmonds during 2006-2008 from obtaining a remedy to the said dangerous situation ?.
Why did M.T.W, maintained the said wrongful private botch road across, within, and along the centre of a watercourse, leading up to 2013 General Election, despite the fact that from 2002, the said road caused flooding in The Black Residential Area of Clarke’s Road ?.
Who at M.T.W, authorized the asphalt paving of the said wrongful Private Road, who pay the cost ?.
Hon Prime Minister, the blatant discriminatory assistance to the wrongfully placed private botch road, that caused the dangerous situation, was enable by M.T.W. Top Technical Officers and others concerted corruption.
Hon. Prime Minister, there is a need for an urgent justly intervention, attention, and rectification of this wrongful created dangerous situation.
Best Regards.
Alden Blackman
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