Powell: CCM can’t take credit for water enhancement project

ZIZ News — Hon. Carlisle Powell of the Nevis Reformation Party (NRP) says that Concerned Citizens Movement’s (CCM) Mark Brantley and Troy Liburd have absolutely nothing to congratulate each other on or take credit for as the Water Enhancement Project was envisioned and initiated by the NRP. According to Powell, all the CCM has done is making a mess of executing the project.

“The thirty million dollar Caribbean Development Bank Nevis Island Administatartion woater development project should have been well advanced had it not been for the incompetence of the CCM administration,” he said.

“On assuming this in January of last year, one of the first things they did was to review the project and terminate the employment of Mr George Morris who, as water manager, was the most experienced person in the project.  We assigned to him special duties for this water development project.  Unfortunately, the CCM seemed not to have been able to get things right.  Pipes that should be been delivered since the start of the year were only just received earlier this month.  And so now that they have decided to proceed with the project let’s hope that they can get things right.  Because, there are areas in Nevis that are, as I speak, without water,” he added.

Mr. Powell also expressed serious concern that deadlines for completion of the various phases of the project are not being met. He said because of the incompetence of the CCM administration the project would very likely greatly exceed the funding allocated for it. 

“The CCM incumbent, their track record is that any project, any and every single project that they administer always goes over-budget.  And I can speak to you about the road from Cotton Ground to Newcastle which was ten million over budget.  And the Newcastle airport which was eight million dollars over budget. So the  Caribbean Development Bank would be so wise to pay close attention to how the funds are being used because they require tremendous monitoring. I, on Inside the News, heard them referring to having to borrow money from the SIDF or try to get the SIDF to set up the counterpart funding …it is time for the them to realize that they are in government”.

Carlisle Powell said full blame for the delay in meeting deadlines and concerns about staying within budget for the project lay with the CCM and were a direct result of their dismissal of the former water manager, Mr. George Morris, who is very knowledgeable and highly qualified in his field.

The Water Enhancement Project on Nevis is expected to be completed by January 2015.