It is unusual for a driver to get wet while driving a vehicle unless the windows are down while it is raining. But the Minister of Social Development, Mr. Evans McNiel Rogers, was soaked at one side of his trousers when he disembarked from his official vehicle.
Mr. Rogers had parked the vehicle and was on his way to attend the 30th Anniversary Service of the Fairplay Group of Companies at the Sovereign Grace Baptist Church on Sunday, January 31 when his wet condition came into public view. “Look at me, I am wet,” he laughingly said as he came out of the vehicle. The leak originated over the door area, close to the roof, trickling into the driver’s seat and onto the floor.
The official car was used by the former Minister of Home Affairs and has been retained by the present Government and assigned to Mr. Rogers.
“The leaking car is something you witnessed this morning during the rain, as I came to church,” he told The Anguillian. “That has been the case for quite some time. Yes, the official vehicle that I have is truly not in any good condition but, be that as it may, the entire island, from an economic standpoint, isn’t where we want it to be. At the end of the day we will do better and I intend to be able to access a much better vehicle.
“It is not about me because I dare say I am still the youngest ever-licensed driver in Anguilla. I still have that licence and I want to give it to Mr. Colville Petty for his Heritage Collection Museum. It is from August 30, 1974 when I was at the tender age of 15 years. In those days it was called a Family Licence. My birthday is actually on August 29 and I had to wait until I made 15 the following day to get the licence.
“I said all that to say that I have driven a lot of other vehicles in my life, some of them I owned. But, as a Government Minister, we need to do a little better. At some point in time we will be able to do a lot better, but I feel it is just unfortunate that the official vehicle I have is leaking whenever it is raining.”
