The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

SOME residents in Acklins are reportedly being denied hurricane relief aid and supplies to repair their homes following severe hurricane damage on the island, according to a local resident.

The resident, who spoke on the condition anonymity, claimed that residents as far as Salina Point have been turned away after driving many miles for relief aid and supplies stocked at the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) distribution centre.

The individual accused a Royal Bahamas Defence Force officer at the centre of not only refusing to distribute supplies to those who need it, but also speaking in an unkind manner to residents.

“The officer speaks badly to residents who come there for assistance (and) treats us as if we are starving animals,” the resident said.

The individual claimed that many persons are now very discouraged from going to the centre for relief aid because of the officer’s attitude towards them.

In an email to The Tribune, another resident complained: “(The officer) constantly argues with the natives in public… the people of Acklins are asking the powers that be to please have (the officer) removed from the island… the storm already has our spirits broken, we do not need (the officer) here.”

It is also claimed that some elderly Acklins residents, whose homes were severely damaged by Hurricane Joaquin early last month, are being overlooked in terms of building supplies.

“A priority list was established for the elderly, disabled and single parents; however there is a blind man in Lovely Bay whose roof was compromised and he has not been given any repair supplies, an 84-year-old woman is living in a house with her daughter with a damaged roof and there is another elderly woman in Lovely Bay with roof damage who is not being given any attention and assistance,” the resident claimed.

The resident also said that there are situations where people are not being given adequate supplies for home repairs. He claimed that there is not a fair distribution of supplies according to a person’s needs. “Persons with less damage are getting more than they need, while others with much more damage are not getting enough of what they need to repair their homes,” he said.

According to the resident, another issue of concern on the island is the hiring of unqualified people as “skills men” for the home repair programme. He claims that qualified people are not being hired for those positions.

“A recommended list of skills men and labourers was sent into Nassau and it came back altered, with unskilled persons being given the skills men position over qualified skilled men, who are being given the labourers position, and others are being left at home and unemployed,” he complained. The resident fears that the hiring of unqualified skills men could lead to improper and unsound home repairs in Acklins.

He also claims that many young men who are willing and able to work are being denied the opportunity for employment in the government home repair programme.

“They have hired men who are in their 60s and 70s to work on home repairs when we got young fellas walking up and down through Lovely Bay, Snug Corner and Spring Point with nothing to do. There is also discrimination going on down here because many qualified persons who are FNMs are being refused jobs. We want equality,” he said.

Attempts to reach the island’s administrator, Harvey Roberts, for comment yesterday were unsuccessful.