Another call goes out for Bolans Playing Field to be addressed, but MP Simon says he will no longer wait

The parliamentary representative for the St. Mary’s South
constituency is making yet another appeal for the Government to
address the Bolans Playing Field, which has been left in an unusable
condition since the October 2023 by-election.

Two prior calls were made – in November 2023 and again in January
2024 – but MP Kelvin Simon’s calls appear to have fallen on deaf
ears.

Since the Antigua Labour Party lost the by-election, all the
constituency projects have halted, including the erection of a
spectator stand on the field.

It is apparent that this was an election gimmick, undertaken to
secure votes and put the ALP candidate in an advantageous position,
Simon says.

But now that the “publicity stunt” has gone bad, he continues, the
Administration, through Prime Minister Gaston Browne, should put
its actions where its mouth is.

Talk is cheap and the Bolans Playing Field should not continue in
this state of disrepair, almost five months after the by-election, the
MP says.

The people of St. Mary’s South deserve better, and urgent solutions
are needed to correct the issues on the field, which is unable to host
football and cricket matches at the national level, Simon states.
He notes, as well, that neither of the area’s two football clubs can
practice on it.

Prior to the by-election last October, the Browne Administration had
begun excavating an area of the field, reportedly to erect a spectator
stand, and the heavy trucks crossing the facility left deep ruts in the
surface.

Additionally, the unfinished foundation is gathering water in some
areas and creating a breeding ground for mosquitoes at a time when
dengue fever is of concern.

Simon is of the opinion that the location selected for the stand was
not appropriate.

The MP says that in his efforts to remedy the situation others have
accused him of playing politics.

However, he says he has secured some soil, which will be spread in
the affected area to help mitigate the current issues.

Simon says he is not going to sit back and wait on the Labour Party
Government to finish what it started because it is not going to do so.
According to him, if “negligence” were a person, the Antigua Labour
Party would fit that description.

That was MP Kelvin “Shugy” Simon.