Barbuda’s parliamentary representative Trevor Walker has publicly refuted claims made by a development consultant regarding sanitation conditions on the island, suggesting the misinformation may have been utilized to secure funding for a project that ultimately delivered no benefits to Barbudans.
During a parliamentary address, Walker recounted his direct challenge to a consultant who asserted that pit latrines remained a pressing issue during poverty-assessment consultations. The MP characterized the claims as both inaccurate and disrespectful to the island’s development status. “When the consultant referenced pit latrines as an ongoing problem, I immediately questioned this narrative,” Walker stated. “I instructed her to inform her sources that such characterization was entirely unfresh and forward.”
The parliamentarian raised serious concerns about whether these purported sanitation issues were leveraged to justify funding allocations for a dual-island solar energy and water system initiative. Walker emphasized the fundamental inequity in using Barbuda’s name to secure project resources without subsequent delivery of promised infrastructure.
Evidence of the project’s failure manifested in the complete absence of implementation, according to Walker’s account. Despite seven to eight religious institutions qualifying for assistance under the project’s criteria, not a single church received system installations or repairs. This outcome has prompted questions regarding transparency and equitable distribution of development resources between Antigua and Barbuda.
Walker carefully clarified that his criticisms targeted the consultant’s specific remarks rather than the Department of Environment itself. The MP stressed that perpetuating outdated narratives about Barbuda’s development needs not only misrepresents reality but potentially undermines genuine assistance requirements. He called for greater accountability in how project proposals utilize situational assessments to justify funding requests.