by Reynold Benjamin
In Part two of this article, I placed before you, fellow Grenadian, the contents of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by our Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Dr. Keith Claudius Mitchell with the company Grenada Development Company Inc. (GDCI) in March, 1998 for the building of a hotel and golf course at Levera. Your attention was drawn, also, to a letter written by one Andrew R. Oliver to Finance Minister, Anthony Boatswain, in July, 2001 with respect to the project and to the guarantee by government of a loan of US$5.9 million and how that money was to be spent. You were asked to consider the evidence. Is the jury still out?
Kent Estates Limited was paid. But whatever happened to the other owners of private lands of whom Henry Crawford Williams also known as “Little” was one? Up until now, the Keith Mitchell administration has not paid one cent to any of the other land owners whose lands were taken to give to the “so called” investors. As I wrote in part one, Little got a stroke and died while running up and down in the Court House trying to save his property and trying to get justice. He left his wife and son. They are almost destitute.
In the letter of July 31, 2001 written to Minister Boatswain, GDCI promised to “negotiate with private owners to purchase the approximately 60 acres in private ownership, some of whom were identified and some of whom the company was unable to identify or who had refused to negotiate a fair market value”. If GDCI is unable to negotiate a fair market sale, the letter states, “the government commits it will establish a fair market value and acquire the land with funds provided from GDCI during the second stage of the project”. In other words, government promised to take private citizens land and give it to a company involved in private development for gain. And GDCI intends to pay for that land from further borrowing, obviously to be guaranteed by government and obviously to be repaid by the Grenadian taxpayer. The Minister of Finance, Anthony Boatswain, is on record to have said that the government provided loan guarantee of EC Twenty-nine million dollars ($29,000,000.00) to do the Levera project. It is a fact that save for Kent Estates Limited, which was paid Four Million Three Hundred and Thirty-four Thousand Nine Hundred and Six Dollars and Fifty Cents Eastern Caribbean (EC $4,334,906.50) on 6 September, 2001 for 120 acres, no other land owner has received compensation for lands taken by the government and given to the developer.
I crave your indulgence and beg your patience as I take a break from the main story to talk about “Little”.
Henry Crawford Williams alias “Little”, late of Levera, St. Patrick was no exceptional Grenadian of his generation. He was one of many thousands of Grenadian emigrants, boys and girls, young men and women, persons from all walks of life and all sectors of society who left for England in the late 1950’s and during the sixties. They left seeking the opportunities that were not available to them here, in Grenada. Some went to work. Some went to work and study. Some went to get away. Some went to see. And, some just went. Some were no more than kids leaving home for the first time and “feeling big up”. Your humble servant was all of eighteen years and as rude as ever. Little was slightly older. Little’s mother had traveled to Aruba and worked there, I believe, as a domestic. She had several boys. She managed to send at least two of her sons to the GBSS. No mean feat in those days. Little was not afforded the opportunity. She would have paid his passage to England. It would require several books to chronicle the experiences of those who made that passage. Each would have an individual tale to tell. But the common thread in every history would be one of hard work and sacrifice. Those who made the passage would tell you that England was no bed of roses. The great majority of Grenadian who immigrated to England applied themselves diligently and carved successful lives for themselves and their offspring. They acquired professions; doctors, nurses, lawyers, teachers, engineers, accountants, public servants etc. They acquired skills; builders, electricians, plumbers, mechanics etc. They worked on the buses, on the trains, in hospitals, in factories, on buildings, you name it they have done it. But above all they worked hard and made significant contributions to the motherland in many areas from maintaining families and relatives at home, saving money here, purchasing lands, building homes and most of all returning home with the professions, skills, and experiences gained abroad. The beautiful homes they build are not to be envied. For most, it is sheer love for the motherland that inspired the return journey. They felt they could and had to make a contribution. Little, like so many others, returned to make his contribution. He purchased 34 acres at Levera, planted citrus, mangoes and other fruits and raised animals. He worked hard. He was a soft spoken, quiet and humble person. He always paid attention to his business and helped others.
For a moment, place yourself in Little’s shoes. Imagine that you are Henry Crawford Williams, the man I am writing about. You sweat and toil for twenty years in England. You sweat and toil for twenty more years working the land you have bought with your life saving. Then one morning you wake up and someone calls to tell you that government take your land to give to foreign investors. Not to build a school for Grenadian children. Not to build a hospital for sick people. Not to build a playing field, a road, a church or to give to landless farmers to grow food for the nation. But, to build a golf course. You are not paid. You are forced to look on while bulldozers run down your plantation and ruin your life’s work. How you go feel? You feeling anything? Well some of us have conscience and could feel. Use your imagination because you can’t ask Little. He is laid to rest in the Marli cemetery. May the Lord grant him peace and have mercy on the rest of us. May He, one good day, save us from the Evil hand. I know it can happen to you, too!
And the golf course and the hotel and the what else. Go! See for yourself! You have eyes. And, after all is said and done, it is your country. I can’t find words to describe the rape and mutilation of what was one of Natures most outstanding preserves. If you can’t go, call your friends or family in the area and ask them about it. But go, if you can. You will find a savannah with cattle grazing in a bewildering entanglement of grass and wild bush. All sorts of trees compete in disorder in what was once a naturally ordered environment pleasant to the eye, comforting and soothing to the spirit.
So what does the future hold for Levera now that the Evil hand has touched her?
To date, the people of Grenada have been given no explanation by the Keith Mitchell administration why the Levera Resort Project has collapsed. Through the grape vine, the public learnt that the developers had packed their bags and left. How much of our money they left with is anybody’s guest. The Minister of Finance, Hon. Anthony Boatswain, has admitted to Parliament that the government had guaranteed EC$29 million for GDCI through the International Bank of Miami. Of that sum, the Minister admitted that EC$24 million were drawn down. It means that GDCI pulled EC$24 million out of the bank and the people of Grenada is now responsible to see that the bank is repaid. Like the Dipcon EC$21 million and the Mt. Hartman EC$16 million that sum is gathering interest, daily. The people have been given no audited figures as to how much, in fact, has been spent on the project, so far. No explanation , no accounting, yet during his presentation of the 2005 budget the Minister of Finance, Anthony Boatswain, with a waive of his hand, grandly made a one sentence announcement that a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed with a Canadian company named Belselcior Ltd to “recommence the Levera Resort Project”. Jog your memory for the MOU with GDCI and tell me if it is not the same stupidee syndrome we have to deal with. Who, in heaven’s name, is Belselcior? Wey dey come from? What is in this new MOU? Have they got money and how much are they putting in? Are we going to sign fresh guarantees with the Bank of Miami for this fresh bunch of faceless investors? What is the revised estimated cost of the development? The original cost in 1998 was US$150 million. Isn’t it Mt Hartman all over again? The first time they said it was a mistake. The second time, they said it was a mistake, too. The third time a mistake, again? Are there issues still outstanding between the government and GDCI for settlement? There is talk of a breach of contract by the government in the arrangement with GDCI. Is there likely to be a law suit by GDCI against the government? Has GDCI broken the contract and liable to compensate government for loss suffered? How much do we, the people of Grenada, owe the Bank of Miami right now on the guarantee of EC$29 million?
There are endless questions to be asked. Will we, the people donating the 5%, receive answers from this government? Are we donating to the cause of redeveloping Grenada after Ivan? Or, are we paying for our folly of having such a government?
Come on, the Rt. Honourable Dr. Keith Claudius Mitchell, Prime Minister of Grenada; let us have a little bit of the TRANSPARENCY and ACCOUNTABILITY of which you so often speak. Who wants to bet? You! want to bet that as usual he can’t answer.
Can we do better? It is easy to criticize without providing solutions. But I assure you that as a resourceful people we can do better, much better. In part four of this article, I will make some suggestions to deal with this problem of guaranteeing money for foreigners to invest in Grenada and will also invite you to contribute your own suggestions on how to deal with this situation. .