Former Minister of Home Affairs and Education, now Leader of the Opposition, Mrs. Cora Richardson-Hodge, says the current Anguilla Programme projects were a result of the work of the past United Front Government and were near and dear to its officials.
She was at the time leading a tour of the primary school projects on Thursday, November 12, which began at the Adrian T. Hazell Primary School. The other opposition colleagues with her were: former Minister of Health, Social Development and Lands, Mr. Evans Rogers; Parliamentary Secretary, Tourism, Culture, Youth Affairs and Sports, Mr. Cardigan Connor; and At-Large Elected Member, Mr. Jose Vanterpool. They were accompanied by the contractor, Mr. Lennard Bennett.
In looking at the new Adrian T. Hazell Primary School buildings, Mrs. Richardson-Hodge told media representatives: “Some of us may remember how the school looked prior to Hurricane Irma. After Irma, we lost the auditorium and a number of classrooms. Although the money for the new buildings was given to us by the British Government, the design and hard work was conceptualised here in Anguilla in collaboration with our education officials, contractors and others. Now, that it is all coming together, we are seeing the hard work that has been put into these projects over many months and so I am very proud that we are here today.
“Although we are no longer the caretakers of these projects, as a result of a change in Government, they are near and dear to us. This is because the policy decisions that went into creating the structures that we have today were done under our administration. I think there is a lot to say about the hard work that we did to create what we now have here.”
Earlier, Mr. Evans Rogers thanked the British Government, the Governor’s Office and the British taxpayers for the post-Hurricane Irma 60 million pounds grant to finance the projects.
Mr. Rogers further stated: “It was in November 2017 when the Honourable Cora Richardson-Hodge, Minister of Education, and the Premier, the Honourable Victor Franklin Banks, made their way to the Unite Kingdom. There, they had discussions at the Joint Ministerial Conference with the British Government in terms of a package for the projects that are now taking place in Anguilla and we all knew about the criticisms then. Sometimes the funding is never enough, but we have to be thankful for the package we got from the United Kingdom, called the Anguilla Programme, and it is for Health, Education and other projects.
“We have to give kudos to our local contractors for their excellent work as well. I am pleased that we are now having an official tour of the schools and next week we will visit the health projects.
“I am grateful to the British Government, the Governor’s Office and the British taxpayers for their generous contribution at a time of need, and when we are preparing for the future generation of our beloved country.”
Following the tour of the Adrian T. Hazell School, the AUF touring party travelled to The Valley Primary School where the contractor is Mr. Bumber Carty; the Orealia Kelly Primary School where the contractor is Mr. Vincent Proctor and where furniture, white boards and other facilities are being installed; and the Morris Vanterpool Primary School at East, where the contractor is Mr. Bennett, with the project supervisor being his son, Mr. Velroy Vanterpool. It was arranged for the tour to continue at the new Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School in The Quarter the following day, Friday.
