SUCKER GARDEN:--- Several homes in Sucker Garden are now in danger because of the work stoppage issued by Minister of VROMI Maurice Lake. The Flanders family told SMN News on Tuesday afternoon that their homes and several young children are at risk because of the decision taken by Minister of VROMI Maurice Lake to stop the work that was being done as the FOGA Development.
According to the Flanders family and the President of the Sucker Garden Community Council Leroy La Paix, the FOGA Development was placed on bid on January 2013 and four contractors submitted their bids. Millinium Construction Pro's won that bid for the sum of Naf. 5,291,137.07. La Paix who spoke on behalf of the Sucker Garden community said he wrote several letters to government regarding the safety and security of the children that are at risk due to the work stoppage. La Paix said he could not say exactly why the work was stopped but he knows that the project was supposed to last a period of five months and the intention was to build proper drainage which would also lead to the sewage plant on A.T. Illidge Road. Louise Flanders said there are over 40 children living in the area and their homes will flood out if it rains. "In 1995 when hurricane Luis hit St. Maarten our family lost every single thing and we knocked on every door looking for help and we did not get the help we needed. We saw trucks passing with beds and everything for people who really did not need it but because they support certain politicians they were taken care of. Right now if rain falls our homes will flood out again. Besides that, these guts are seven to eight feet deep and filled with water that is stagnant. Anyone of the children could fall in the guts and drown. Our children play in the yard and there is no security around the guts that were widened by Millinium Construction Pro's. N.V. La Paix said the work was supposed to begin on August 1st, 2013 and it had to be completed in five months. He said a team from VROMI visited the location before the work started including the secretary general Louis Brown and they all gave the green light to start the work because of the upcoming hurricane season.
Slyvian Flanders, a shareholder of Millinum Construction Pro's N.V. told SMN News that his managing director did not want to speak about the company's dilemma in the media because they took an attorney who will be taking government to court. Flanders said that of the four companies that submitted their bids, MCP won the bid. He said he also got written authorization from VROMI to start the work earlier because of the hurricane season. Flanders said the company ran up a bill of $162,000.00 and to date the Ministry of VROMI did not pay them. Flanders said that the workers who worked on the project for about ten days were not paid, the truckers that removed the mud and rock material and the excavator still have to be paid while he built an office area just next to the where the project was taking place for his workers and to store materials all of which indebted the company. Flanders said that the current Minister of VROMI Maurice Lake is attacking Slyvian Flanders and not Millinium Construction Pro's N.V. He said he is of the opinion that politics is playing a major role in what has happened to the FOGA Development. Flanders said four companies bid for the project namely MNO Vervat, Windward Roads, Millinum Construction Pro's N.V., and Sobrezo's. Flanders said the FOGA development was placed on bid in January 2013 and MCP won the bid but now Minister Lake is saying Government does not have monies for the project. He asked how could it be possible for SWW2 cabinet to put a project on bid and now they are saying they stopped the project because government does not have monies and using the 2013 budget as an excuse.
Click here to view more photos of the stagnant water that is beside the Flanders home in Sucker Garden.
Click here to view the contract issued to MCP in January 2013.
