No stones will be left unturned with regards to the response, says substantive minister
NASSAU, BAHAMAS — House Speaker Patricia Deveaux gave a scathing rebuke of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and its leader, Captain Stephen Russell, in the House of Assembly Thursday morning for their response to a downburst that affected some members of her constituency on Wednesday.
What I can say is we had the team on the ground, but NEMA was not present. Natural disasters do not happen between 9 and 5 — House Speaker Patricia Deveaux
Deveaux said Bamboo Town was severely affected by the weather system, including two elderly citizens who lost their roofs and the inner structure of their homes.
Before criticizing NEMA, she thanked several people for helping in the aftermath of the event.
She said when she called Russell, he referred her to the Ministry of Works for assistance.
“What I did not see on the ground was NEMA and I am saying this because I reached out to Commander Russell,” she said.
“I don’t know if he was home watching the game because I heard they had a game last night to say that he was not there and that is who we have to reach out to with emergency response and I am terribly, terribly disturbed by that.
“And I say to him, I told him — I did not lie to him — I told him I will speak to it from my chair.
“This is where I have my voice. I had senior citizens at the age of 80 who had live wires, electrical wire hanging and also no roof and no electricity last night.
“They had to go to bed with such damage done to their house.
“What I can say is we had the team on the ground, but NEMA was not present.
“Natural disasters do not happen between 9 and 5.
“Natural disasters happen anytime in the dead of the night and so, I say this to say, these people, if they want desk jobs from 9-5, give them their desk job.
“[Because] I had a natural disaster last night and the minister and all of these other persons were on the ground until 9pm last night trying to help me bring some resolve and this morning the Ministry of Social Services is sending breakfast out.
“Thank you minister to those persons making sure they are having hot meals and we are trying to find some roof to put over their heads as we speak.”
Deveaux said Myles Laroda, Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for NEMA, was helpful when she contacted him.
“But sometimes,” she said, “we have persons who are on assignment under our umbrellas that do not have the same vision that we have in place to take this country forward. s
“So, I am very disturbed about that and they’ll understand me, when it comes to Bamboo Town, I don’t second guess and the way those persons had to sleep last night was unbecoming, so you tell Mr Russell for me.”
Laroda said he told Captain Russell about the speaker’s disappointment and the fact that other agencies were on the ground assisting.
He said Captain Russell told him he was advised the bad weather was in the Cowpen Road area, not Bamboo Town.
He said he told the permanent secretary to schedule a meeting today involving Captain Russell and other NEMA officials.
“There will be no stones left unturned with regards to the response,” he said.
