Between the Prime Minister's explanation and his engineer's that session lasted about 45 minutes - before the question and answer session - which was another half an hour. All of that necessitated, why? Because when the Minister of Works signed the contract last week Thursday - they didn't invite the media. Instead, they called in the government press office and then sent out a press release which did not cover the full scope of the project. It could all have been avoided by just doing their job and inviting the media. Our News Director, Jules Vasquez questioned them about that today:...
Jules Vasquez - Reporter
"Just to be clear, the press release said 1.9 kilometers; I can read it to you. 1.9 kilometers, engineer, I'm not an authority in math like you, I think that's 1.1 miles."
Evondale Moody - Project Engineer, Project Execution Unit, MOW
"Yes, but that 1.9 kilometers is for the drain."
Jules Vasquez
"Yes but that was the only figure in the press release."
Evondale Moody
"Yes, and that could have been an error on our part."
Jules Vasquez
"Error, he said, error, engineers never make those, sir."
Evondale Moody
"No, that is not true, we are all humans."
Jules Vasquez
"But not you though. So let me move on but we are clear that an error was made; good. Second, the real error seems to be that the Ministry of Works, the two personalities up there, are enemies of the free press. The antipathy of the media coverage when Mr. Boots Martinez, say what you will, we weren't invited to contract signings. You are all are deliberate, consistent, repeat, serial offenders of inviting the press office, sir. Is it then also an error, could the good Minister comment? This could have all been avoided if you all had invited the free press to ask questions and the brilliant, enlightened Mr. Moody could have broken it down sweetly. Would you then concede sir, that it was an awful, aberrant, oversight on the part of your ministry to continue to exclude the media, please sir."
Errol Gentle - CEO, Ministry of Works
"I could answer, I am the CEO and I am the person who organizes the ceremonial contract signing and I am the person who, not because I don't like the media but we have the press office and I usually get the press office and the press office then disseminate the information. But in the future my friend, I have never shied away from the press, I have spoken to you, I have spoken to many of the personalities and I have never shied away from the press because I'm at the top of my game."
Jules Vasquez
"It shows in this case."
Errol Gentle - CEO
"And in the future, if you want to be invited to the ceremonial signing of the contract then we don't have any problem with that."
Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow
"You dih get weh with that 1.9 you know because even though the 1.9 was used that was not all that was in the press release. You omitted all the other features of the project..."
Jules Vasquez
"Which was sent in the mealey - mouthed follow up."
Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow
"Bully for you, you get over with one."
Jules Vasquez
"A second press release had to be sent."
Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow
"Indeed sir."
The project is being funded by the OPEC Fund for Development as Phase 3 of the poverty alleviation project.
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