In October, we told you about an interesting plan that the Ministry of Health and the Mayors Association came up with to improve the health of the residents of municipalities countrywide.
The two sides signed a memorandum of understanding to work together to help Belizeans live longer healthier lives, by building wellness spaces and promoting healthy lifestyle habits.
These wellness spaces were supposed to be integrated in the public parks in the different cities and towns around the county. A part of those wellness spaces was supposed to include exercise equipment which the Ministry would purchase using funds donated by the Taiwanese Embassy.
It should have been a non-partisan initiative, where the mayors, regardless of the party they represent, would work along with Central Government for the sake of health of the citizens. In fact, some of those equipments have already been handed over to some of the Mayors. But, one complaint has emerged about how the program is running. Bernard Wagner, the PUP Mayor of Belize City, alleges that the Deputy Prime Minister, Patrick Faber, somehow got involved and managed to get access to the equipment that should have gone to Belize City. The mayor says that the equipment was then redirected, and placed at the Marion Jones Sporting Complex, instead of at one of the parks under the Council's control.
He doesn't like that one bit, and today, when the press asked him about it, he called it petty party politics. Here's that conversation:
Bernard Wagner - Mayor, Belize City Council
"In October of last year, 2018, I believe, the Mayors Association - that includes all the Mayors of all the municipalities, we signed on to an MOU, a memorandum of understand, with the Ministry of Health. And in that signing of that memorandum, we made certain commitments to health and wellness, and there would have been some level of support for equipment that we would have placed in various parks in each municipality. I was a bit appalled that the Deputy Prime Minister received the equipment, and that was not part of the MOU. He was not a signatory to the MOU, and I felt that - I think we're past that stage of partisan politics. I think the people of the city, the people of the country demands a better type of government, demands that we put out party politics and serve the people. And I am still appalled at it."
"We would have placed it in one of the parks that we control. We have several parks that we control, but the Deputy PM took control of the equipment and placed it at the Marion Jones Stadium. I still will take this matter up with the President of the Mayors Association."
Reporter
"Can it be argued, however, that if it's a donation made by the Taiwanese Embassy, to the Government of Belize, then the Government essentially has its own right to do with it as they may, if that were the case?"
Bernard Wagner
"I agree, it's a Cabinet decision, but we signed on to the MOU. It's us who were at the foothills of the House of Representatives. They put us up out there, and we signed on to the MOU. So, it's common decency, man."
The Deputy Prime Minister of comment has not responded to our request for a comment. We'll keep trying.
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