PHILIPSBURG:--- It is both disappointing and disingenuous to see Mr. Cecil Nicholas, now Deputy Leader of SAM, publicly criticizing efforts to provide relief to the displaced market vendors when he himself played a central role in creating this very problem.
Let us not forget: Mr. Nicholas served as Chief of Staff to the then Minister of TEATT, appointed by the USP. It was under their party and his leadership that the market vendors were forcibly removed in 2017 in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, an action instigated and overseen by the very ministry he managed. That decision left vendors displaced for years with no clear plan or urgency for reconstruction.
In fact, the Ombudsman’s 2021 report revealed that:
Only 3 out of 27 kiosks were beyond repair, meaning most could have been restored. The same kiosks are still in use today in many areas, including the “VROMI Yard” in perfect condition.
The decision to remove all vendors was made without proper consultation.
Vendors were left in limbo for years, with no clear or timely relocation plan from the government. These are not the opinions of opposition Members of Parliament; they are the official findings of the independent Ombudsman, which directly contradict Mr. Nicholas’s attempt to rewrite history.
In late 2023, the final plans were approved by the previous administration, and groundbreaking was set for June of 2024. With the installation of the Mercelina Cabinet, in which Mr. Nicolas forms part as Chief of Staff of another Ministry, the current coalition government decided to scrap the old plans, leaving the vendors in even more disarray.
After one year of constant pressure from the vendors, parliament, and society as a whole, the current government decided last week to revert to the plans that were signed and approved by the then Minister Doran.
Now, years later, Mr. Nicholas seeks to deflect responsibility by attacking Members of Parliament who are taking real steps to correct the damage caused by the TEATT ministry he served. The motion to support the vendors is not a political stunt; it is an overdue act of justice for hardworking people whose livelihoods were cast aside.
Rather than offering hollow lectures on “responsible governance,” Mr. Nicholas should acknowledge the role he played in dismantling the market without providing an adequate solution. Leadership means taking responsibility, not rewriting history to suit political convenience.
Let us focus on solutions, not scapegoating.