Housing for the Poor?

"The land that you spoke about, that you showed by way of the television images, he told you that what the group wants to do with that land is to a number of projects including the setting up of a kind of sewing factory, something that particularly ease the conditions of single mothers. It seems to be that all these are wonderful things." – Prime Minister Dean Barrow

"This land belongs to the NGO group of fourteen years, Port Loyola Housing for the Poor, and what we do here is to culminate our work, here is our warehouse. It is a land for the economic purpose for the people of Port Loyola. Shortly we will be putting up a building to host the residents of Port Loyola in regards to computer training and sewing etc. – Hon. Boots Martinez

More than a year ago, in April of 2009, Belizeans raised a stink when it was revealed that an NGO calling itself the Port Loyola Housing for the Poor had been given 12 acres of prime land on the Western Highway between mile 4 and mile 4.5. The problem was that nobody seemed to know anything about the NGO, including what exactly its role was and how it was benefitting the people for whom it was named. The only thing visible on the prime clearing was a warehouse, heavy equipment always parked in front and the Minister of Works' government vehicle usually parked for a couple hours each morning.

The public outcry raised a notch when it was revealed that this particular NGO formed for the benefit of the people of Port Loyola (or so their area representative Boots claimed) was actually a for profit organization and was raking in the money off government contracts. This thing is that nobody outside of Boots' inner circle could say how much money was coming in or where that money was going. In fact, nobody outside of Boots' circle, and certainly not the poor people of Port Loyola could even say exactly what the NGO did.

When the media hounded him about his NGO/for profit organization, Boots was very abstract about the purpose of the NGO, but he was very clear about the fact that it was raking in the dough. The Area Rep didn't give any concrete stats or profit figures but claimed that all of the money goes to the people of Port Loyola, news which was surely news to those supposed to be benefitting from the bounty.

The Prime Minister was similarly hounded and went to the line to defend his colleague Boots on the issue of the 12 acres of prime land which was gifted to the obscure NGO. According to the PM, the land would be used for all sorts of 'wonderful things.'

But the reality is that 'wonderful' is a relative term and means different things to different people. After receiving copies of several land documents last week, the Belize Times has launched an investigation into the sale of lots to privileged UDP cronies and Barrow family members at mile 4.5. When our news team visited mile 4.5, we found no evidence of any parcels fitting the description of those handed out to said cronies and family members for a pittance. In fact, the only area in that vicinity which seems set to be parceled out is, you got it, the 12 acres of prime property at mile 4.

If it is discovered that the land gifted to the 'people of Port Loyola' for these 'wonderful things' which would raise the quality of their lives is the land which is being gifted to UDP cronies for a pittance, it would mean that the Prime Minister of Belize is a liar and a charlatan who cares nothing for the poor people of Belize City.

The investigation continues.

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Source: The Belize Times