A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) Member of Parliament (MP),Gael Clichy Manchester City Jersey,MP, Richard AllenRichard Allen wants reliable, safe drinking water to be on the list of priorities of the new administration for Region One (Barima-Waini.)On Saturday,Blank Netherland Jersey, prior to attending a community meeting in Baramita,Park Joo-Ho Jersey, Region One Allen pointed his finger at the previous administration for failing to provide a permanent solution to address the issue. Minister of Indigenous People’s Affairs Sydney Allicock was the main speaker at that forum.”Over the years,Georginio Wijnaldum Jersey, no form of attention was paid to water woes in Matarkai Sub Region and Region One as a whole.”“Nowhere in this Region can we say, yes, we have potable water,” despite the fact that the Region’s water woes have been highlighted and were public knowledge for some time. “In Baramita here, when the rain does not fall, it is problems for people to get water and the administration had known that…We have a new Government in place, I am trusting that our Ministers, after visiting the Region for themselves and seeing the conditions under which residents are living, will be able to put systems in place to improve such,” he said“…If we do not have a healthy nation, it is as if we do not have a nation,” and water is most important for such conditions to take place.“Now at Port Kaituma, remember two years ago, when we had the issue of 1000 persons who had to be treated because of poor sanitation and water, and with all of that the officers sat by and received taxpayers money,Jesse Lingard Manchester Jersey, every month and did nothing to improve the system.”“We are going to be taking this matter up very seriously and I know the President and his team will work with us …We are saying, we are going to put it right, we are going to ensure that there is potable water for residents,” he said.Improvement to the Region’s roads network also needs urgent addressing. Allen said that it took him and team almost nine hours to travel from Port Kaituma to get to Baramita for the meeting.He said that the Public Health Minister is aware of the issues, as he visited the Region in April (during the campaign season) and heard the complaints. President David Granger when he visited in February had also learnt about the shortcomings of the education system.”So our officers have fore-armed knowledge, because they have actually walked the ground and spoken with residents, so they know some of the concerns and we will be taking them up so the lives of people will be enhanced to a better standard,Tom Carroll Jersey UK,” Allen said. (GINA)