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Friday, 05 February 2010 |
 HAMMERED: THIS IS NOT HAITI, DEBRA PHILLIPS LOOKS AT THE RUBBLE OF WHAT USED TO BE HER HOME AFTER A VISIT FROM THE HAG AND RGPF.
By: Ian George
The single mother and her six children, who were uprooted from their dwelling at Hope in St. Andrew, by the Housing Authority of Grenada (HAG), are victims of an organization that is broke and desperate to raise revenue at any and all cost, to meet its mountain of debts.
This is the shocking and vulgar response garnered from Stanford Simon, chairman of the HAG, as he attempted to defend the Authority’s callous display of cowardice over a defenseless mother who herself is in dire need of all the help she can get.
Simon told the Barnacle in an interview, which quizzed him on what many considered to be the heartlessness of the HAG that the Authority was in a financial mess. As leader, he said, it is his responsibility to make things happen for the Authority.
He said that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has given him the responsibility to manage the assets of the Authority, and he has all plans of ensuring that he does not fail in the execution of his goals, mission and functions.
According to Simon, the politicians have failed in their duties over the years, and it is now left to him to clean-up the problems that they have left behind.
The HAG chairman said, “I now have to take some tough decisions that have been left by the politicians and others for years. Politicians want to get re-elected, so they do politics. On the other hand, I run a business; one that does not get a subvention from government and therefore I have to create my own internal financing. That is why we need the land.”
Simon confesses that, when the new board took over in November 2008, the Authority was bankrupt. There were absolutely no monies to pay salaries at the end of November and to service the Authority’s loans for an entire year.
Today, the HAG is in an improved financial position and Simon is vowing that the situation will never revert under his watch. He said that there will be zero-tolerance with squatting on all lands that are under the control of the HAG.
In a tone, that was louder and tougher than that of elected parliamentary representatives, the fearless chairman spoke boldly about his plans for those who choose to squat on HAG’s lands. “There will be zero-tolerance to squatting on lands that are vested to the Housing Authority. We’re not going accept it; we’re not going to allow it. People need to understand that these are decisions that are hard to make, they are controversial, but I am willing to make them.”
Recently, the HAG – backed by members of the Royal Grenada Police Force and the Special Services Unit – journeyed to the Parish of St. Andrew. In a mass show of force, power and authority, they dismantled the dwelling place of one Debra Phillip whom the Authority was trying to remove from the location for some time.
 STANFORD SIMON: DEALS WIT A HEAVY HAND
He said a visit was made to the area and Ms. Debra Phillip, was given notice to re-locate. She agreed but as time passed, she did not move, forcing the Authority to act.
Ms Phillip told a local weekly newspaper that she was treated unfairly. “This was the first time I received a notice asking me to remove my house from the land and in less than one week they came and broke my house.”
How desperate is the need for the land the Barnacle asked Simon, who is also the pastor of a St. George-based church.
“We’re not in desperate need of our land but that’s land that we need to develop,’’ he replied. “These are new lands that we need to develop properly so that we can sell to persons and build homes for persons. We don’t want to allow anybody to go in there and squat on the land.’’
The local man of God, who claims to be kindhearted, said: “I have compassion on the woman; I have compassion on the children. But I have issues with a person who I give an opportunity for five months to move and she decided that she is not moving. I have problems with that.’’
After the news broke of the travesty committed by the Simon-led organization on a poor and desperate woman and her young children, exposing them to the elements and causing school books and uniform to wet, John Public and the “mouth Patrol” went to work and, for most Grenadians, Simon is bad news. There were calls on CRFM Radio 89.5 frequency for him to be removed from the Authority and for parishioners from within his church to remove him as their leader.
When asked about the bad press that he was receiving, the Sunday morning preacher said: “I heard the public’s reaction. I have absolutely no problem with the public’s reaction because most of the public spoke out of ignorance. They speak because they hear something, or because somebody says something, or because they just want to make themselves heard. I am going on the facts.”
Minister of State in the Ministry of Housing, Honorable Glen Noel, took matters in his own hands and subsequently overturned the decision made by Simon and his high-handed group. On compassionate grounds, he ordered the rebuilding of the Ms. Phillip’s home on the very spot that Simon and his goons removed her from, a joint release from the Ministry of Housing and the HAG said, nullifying all the fuss and ruckus that were made over the land. For Simon, it was a time to humble thyself.
In response to the Minister’s decision to over ride Simon’s actions he said, “The politicians do what they have to do,” muttered the once big talker, “but we are clear about what needs to be done. I have no issue with him taking his decision; some persons may be uncomfortable with it but as far as I am concerned, we – the board – are moving on with what we do. As a result of what had happened we discussed the matter and we are moving forward.”
As for Ms. Phillip and her family, they are trying to rebuild their lives physically and emotionally from this vicious attack that was, in essence, an opportunity for some at the HAG to gain a few dollars more.
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