A few weeks ago as quoted in The Nation News (link here), Senator Lynette Eastmond was all aglow at an “African Sensitisation” workshop about establishing closer ties with Nigeria and the rest of Africa. “Africa should now seem less distant to us in the Caribbean. We, in Barbados, must begin to feel the urgency and utility of an enhanced relationship with Africa,” she said.
Senator Eastmond might be correct: Barbados and Nigeria seem to have a lot in common – at least when it comes to politicians. Today I was reading Chippla (a Nigerian blogger) who was commenting that Nigerian President Obasanjo and other politicians just don’t seem to know what constitutes corrupt behaviour.
Says Chippla…
One is however left wondering if (Nigerian President Obasanjo) saw nothing immoral or wrong about a sitting president, and a public officer, buying a significant number of shares in a conglomerate that in turn had been busy buying up publicly traded companies. By acquiring millions of shares in TransCorp, Obasanjo seemed to be telling the very people he governs that he finds it quite difficult to discern what constitutes a corrupt practice. Furthermore, according to renowned Nigerian lawyer, Gani Fawehinmi, Obasanjo violated the “Code of Conduct for Public Officers” as stipulated in the Nigerian constitution.
Could It Be That Barbados Politicians Just Don’t Know What Constitutes Corruption?
And it suddenly occurred to me: it is the same situation with the Gline Clarke scandal. We have a Barbados Minister of Government who lives in a home built on land that was expropriated by his own government, and serviced by his own Ministry of Public Works… and the Secretary of his political party rushes to say “There’s nothing wrong here.”
Dr. William Duguid, Secretary General of the Barbados Labour Party commented on the Gline Clarke scandal, saying…
“I have made a few enquiries and have been told that this is not his house but belongs to his special female friend where he spends alot of time.”
Fellow Bloggers,
I hope that with this simple submission I will be able to put this issue to rest. I have spoken to Minister Clarke about this matter and he has informed me of a few facts.
1. The land at 37 Lower Burney is owned by a private citizen and not Minister Clarke.
2. There is currently a mortgage on the property held at Barbados Mortgage Finance.
3. The owner is Minster Clarke’s special friend and he does spend alot of time there.
4. This land was bought by the crown to do two things re site people from the City ( Murphy Pasture) and sell to other people seeking to purchase land.
5. There are over 200 lots in this area which the Government has developed for sale by putting in the infrastructure some time ago.
Clearly from this information there is no wrong doing here.
“Clearly from this information there is no wrong doing here.”
Despite citizens’ calls for answers about whether Gline Clarke has any money invested in the home, and observations by neighbours that the Minister and his “special friend” are, in reality, defacto man and wife living together permanently at the home since it was built, Minister Clarke continues to hide behind his woman and his political friend.
Is the continuing silence by Minister of Public Works Gline Clarke and his politician friends a sign of guilty contempt – or ignorance?
Story Links
Barbados Government Minister Gline Clarke – House and Mercedes On Expropriated Land – Barbados Free Press
Defining Corruption: TransCorp Nigeria – Chippla’s Weblog
