MONTGOMERY DANIEL, the Unity Labour Party’s (ULP) candidate for North Windward in the next General Elections has chided persons for making derogatory remarks about his constituents.

“The people of the constituency of North Windward are no better than anyone else, but no one else is better than us and given equal opportunities, we can do as good and even better,” Daniel, the Minister of Housing, Informal Human Settlements, Lands and Surveys and Physical Planning told a ULP virtual meeting last week.

Daniel, who has been the parliamentary representative for North Windward since 2001 was responding to derogatory comments made on social media about the people of Sandy Bay, a village in his constituency.

Daniel said that history shows that the people of his constituency have suffered great injustices and it is a shame that there are still persons who traduce and abuse the people in that constituency as the British did in the 16th century.

Seemingly emotional, Daniel, himself a resident of North Windward, said that Joseph Chatoyer, this country’s first and only national hero to date, rose to this status because of his strength and bravery.

“…and he came out of the bowels of the Garifuna communities of this country,” Daniel stressed.

He said that Pamenos Ballantyne, one of the best long distance runners the country has ever seen, dominated long distance running throughout the Caribbean.

“He too was from the Garifuna community of Sandy Bay. Miss Shellicia Nanton, 2018 Carnival queen, she too came from the bowels of the Garifuna community.

“And I would say to you, Fya Empress even her grandparents, came from the bowels of the Garifuna community of Sandy Bay. She too dominated calypso and culture in this country, and I can go on,” Daniel said.

Daniel commented that if one subscribes to the reasoning that “Black Lives Matter” why is it that the people of the Garifuna communities continue to be traduced.

Daniel said the people of his area will stand for justice, equality and fair play as they have nothing to lose.

“The ULP, which has given yeomen service, yeomen support and recognition to the indigenous people of this country, we say thanks to the ULP administration and this is why for this election 2020 we are going to lift SVG higher and higher,” Daniel said.

The politician also noted that in 2001, when the ULP came to power, the conditions were terrible and a report by an independent body pointed to indigent poverty being at 27 per cent nationwide but 67 per cent in North Windward.

“Yet the NDP administration at that time continued on a path to close the sugar industry that provided jobs for 2000 persons; the Orange Hill estate was closed – an entity that provided jobs for 450 persons; and the arrowroot industry was sold in March 2001 before the elections.

“All these job creating avenues all went under the last administration,” Daniel said.

He also noted that the report indicated that in 2001, 39 per cent of secondary school children went to secondary school, but in North Windward 19 per cent went to secondary school. “And the report also indicated that the dropout rate was up to 65 per cent in some cases and it meant therefore that some 7 to 8 …[per cent] actually completed secondary education,” Daniel commented.

He said that the ULP administration has looked out for North Windward residents in many areas including housing, jobs and education while supporting the elderly.