On Monday’s news, you heard from Health Minister Pablo Marin, explaining why he decided to hand over exercise equipment promised to the Belize City Council to the Ministry of Sports.
This is after City Mayor Bernard Wagner accused the Minister of Health of playing politics with the health and wellness initiative that he and the Mayors Association agreed to partner on.
Mayor Wagner said that Marin decided last minute to hand it over to the Ministry of Sport. That equipment is now in place at the Marion Jones Sporting Complex.
On Monday, the Health Minister accused the Mayor of behaving childishly, and that prompted the Mayor to respond today with a press release of his own.
In the 500 word statement, Wagner says, quote, “The premise that the Deputy Prime Minster is in charge of sports for the people, does not alter the fact that all recipients of the equipment are representatives of one political party, while those who were absent are representatives of another.â€Â End quote.
He then asks, quote, “Why were all the Mayors invited to sign an M.O.U if the recipients were to be selected by the Minister of Health? What factors were implemented to decide which Mayor would be exempt on the day that the equipment was distributed? Why was the matter not handled internally so that all parties involved could be informed and able to address the media with a unified understanding of the events that transpired?â€Â End quote.
Responding to Marin’s question if he and the Belize City Council have been sitting around waiting for the equipment, the mayor said, quote, “I also invite Hon. Pablo Marin to visit the public outreach platforms of the Belize City Council. The council continues to do its best to keep the public informed about our campaigns geared toward a healthier Belize… We have targeted our schools to ensure that every level of the society is knowledgeable and practices an active lifestyle and healthy eating. Our numerous sporting programs additionally support our continued efforts as well.â€
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