Work Minister Anthony Boots Martinez – in some quarters he’s become synonymous with pool tables...and that’s only after he came on this newscast in October and did what no other politician has ever done: Laid bare his bank statement, showing us that he was clocking major figures, and spending them as fast as he was earning. And he did that after a banking institution made report of suspicious activity concerning his account; the issue was brought to the attention of the Prime Minister in a complaint from the Leader of the Opposition.
Well, this time it’s no leader of the opposition, but members of Boots Martinez’s own party – and not just two of them - who have whispered to use that something’s got to be up with a certain prime property that Boots has been linked to on the Western Highway. Yes, his own party...could be petty jealousy or what the kids call “hater-ating,” but Boots says he’s got nothing to hide, again he came clean and told us what’s really up with the property.
Jules Vasquez Reporting,
It’s hard to miss: a huge tract of land under development just before the police checkpoint at mile three on the Western Highway. It’s raised eyebrows because political wags say that area representative Anthony Boots Martinez owns the property. He says not so.
Hon. Anthony Boots Martinez, Minister of Works
“This land belongs to the NGO group of fourteen years, Port Loyola
Housing for the Poor, and what we do here is to culminate our work, here is our warehouse. It is a land for the economic purpose for the people of Port Loyola. Shortly we will be putting up a building to host the residents of Port Loyola in regards to computer training and sewing etc. So that is neither here nor there. Couple heavy equipment was parked here but they rented the place from the group.”
Jules Vasquez,
So you don’t own those heavy equipment?
Hon. Anthony Boots Martinez,
“No, never. No part of those equipment none at all. That will surely be conflict of interest man.”
But equipment will be parked there, because that’s part of the revenue operations of this very robust NGO. It pays 80 male constructions workers a week, plus 20 single mothers. And indeed, the project site is bustling, there are sheds filled with housing supplies, cement blocks coming in, mixers going out and workers painting these plycem sheets that end up here on construction sites – like this one in Port Loyola.
Hon. Anthony Boots Martinez,
“The group is preparing to set up some houses, just like the Mennonites do, of which we will put up on some display and we will be selling houses too.”
Jules Vasquez,
And the proceeds, the incomes from those sales will go to?
Hon. Anthony Boots Martinez,
“They always go to the people of Port Loyola. I don’t know if you recall, this same group built over four hundred septic tanks for the people of Port Loyola free, outside of government.”
And while the work is ongoing, Martinez makes no apologies about the for profit operations of the NGO.
Jules Vasquez,
Who puts the seed money for all that I am seeing here? Where does that come from?
Hon. Anthony Boots Martinez,
“We are so reputable that we have good credit for donkey years. You can go and check the history; Benny’s, Mena, EZ Lumber Yard, we are a reputable company – we are a reputable good. We stand on our own.”
Jules Vasquez,
But if you have good credit that is usually reserved for people who are operating for a profit because the reason I may have good credit is because I pay my bills because I work for money.
Hon. Anthony Boots Martinez,
“But nobody is saying that this group doesn’t operate on a profit from time to time.”
Jules Vasquez,
Well it is an NGO so it should operate in the interest of those it represents.
Hon. Anthony Boots Martinez,
“Yes no problem and I am saying to you that apart from that, that this is an NGO group but we do private business too. Nothing in the Articles of Association or memorandum says that the group does not operate privately in the best interest of the people of Port Loyola.”
But what is not in black and white is the plan for this piece of land, it goes from the road to the sea, quite a spread indeed.
Jules Vasquez,
Why does Housing for the Poor need such a huge piece of property, particularly prime real estate on the seafront?
Hon. Anthony Boots Martinez,
“Who should own that property and this is in Port Loyola? Mr. Ashcroft or any people with big money should own prime property? This is in Port Loyola man, we as a reputable NGO group, we are entitled to a part of this jewel.”
Jules Vasquez,
So in the future, the sea frontage that’s here, what will be on the sea front?
Hon. Anthony Boots Martinez,
“Well apart from that, you ask me I am saying to you that I am no director of this company. I support this company, this NGO group 200%. The people of Port Loyola will decide, who are members of Port Loyola Housing for the Poor, will decide what goes on henceforward.”
Jules Vasquez,
But just imagine, you cannot enter this land and not think this land will be good for “x” – fill in the blanks.
Hon. Anthony Boots Martinez,
“I was just saying to you that we will do a piece of farming, as I understand it from the group they will do a piece of farming, they want to open a place where trucks can park, they want to look at a gas station, they want to deal with setting up a sewing industry where we could start to sew uniforms and stuff for primary school instead of people going to Melchor to buy uniforms. And like what I said, it is not a NGO group that goes around stretching their hands, we go around and look for work.”
And they are working import Loyola and earning wherever they can, including bidding for public contracts such as one from the Social Investment Fund.
Boots also disclosed that Housing for the Poor has also taken on government contracts to do home improvements.
