Nigel Petillo Rallies Protest Against Controversial University Hospital Relocation

Grassroots activist Nigel Petillo is organizing a protest in Belmopan on Friday, in response to the government’s decision to relocate the site of the university hospital. Petillo says he takes serious issue with the justification provided by the government and says that the purchase of the fifteen-acre plot for six-point-nine million dollars was not a decision made in the best interest of Belizeans. He added that the entire transaction and the government’s reasoning that technical experts recommended the move are questionable.

Nigel Petillo, Land Activist: “There’s about five acres about away from that where there’s a WASA sewer, an area that gets stink. The people in the area are complying about it. I know about that area as well because while I was on Forest Drive many times we’re wondering where that scent is coming from. I used to think it was my septic when I realized it was the whole general area. The next issue here is that there are other land for sale in the general area. Far much cheaper. I could take you to a land right now in the are at the entrance of the road that goes by Rancho area, an individual has about fifteen acres selling for $150,00 an acre and it’s the distance is no more than not even a quarter mile. Maybe ten lampposts away. So did we take our time to assess the value ? Did we take our time to find out or are they telling us that that is the only piece of land that is available in Belmopan. The next issue to add to that, when I spoke to one of the individuals involved with the valuation of that whole area his thing to me is that Mr.Petillio we weren’t buying this land by acreage you know ? We ended up having to buy this land by parcel because the area was already subdivided and approved by Lands Department so they said they had to pay this individual $35,000 up to that magnitude per lot in the area. Was that in the best interest of Belizean tax payers money ? No !. So that’s the issue I have with that. So we have valid questions. We want answers. If the government was very accountable and transparent in the transaction we wouldn’t be at this stage right now.”

Reporter: So I did an interview with the minister yesterday, Minister Bernard. He said that it was cheaper to purchase the land than it would be to upgrade the lands that the university is giving. 

Nigel Petillo, Land Activist:  “So what kind of expertise does Mr.Bernard have here ? First Mr.Bernard told us that his people from the department of health advised him that better we buy this land because this is a better area, are those experts any sort of what type of skills do they have to advise him and the cabinet because I heard other ministers saying the same thing that the people from Minister of Health thought that this was better so we went with that. I mean seriously ? This is where are now ? We’re not going to go to the professionals ?”

Reporter: So now you’re taking it a little further I think than most people. Most people are upset you know they will sit down home on their couch, talk …but you you are planning a protest Friday. Tell me about that. 

Nigel Petillo, Land Activist:  “Listen, just like you rightly said that is the problems with Belizeans. That’s why I start to blame us as a people rather than blaming the politicians because the politicians already know that we will just take it, it will blow over like a little breeze. We’re going to go home, quarrel and complain about it amongst our spouses and our neighbors and friends about the issue the government this, the government that but we never take action. And the government knows that too.”

Leader of the Opposition Moses “Shyne” Barrow says that he will be in Belmopan on Friday supporting the protest and he is calling on all like-minded Belizeans to do the same. Barrow says that with the estimated value of the land being only three hundred thousand dollars, paying almost seven million was unjustifiable.

Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader of the Opposition: “These parcels of land that make the 15 acres, according to the Belmopan City Council, are assessed at about $350,000 with 15 acres. How can you justify spending $7 million for a parcel of land or two parcels of land that culminate to make the 15 acres? How can you justify a 39 times the cost of said land. There is no justification for that. No technocrat can explain that. No scientist can explain that. That makes absolutely no sense. The Government of Belize is charged with protecting the taxpayers’ dollars, spending it in a way that is consistent with the betterment of Belize and that does not lead to any betterment of Belize. The government gave an unsatisfactory response and we put out a subsequent press release on Friday or Thursday. And now we’re going to have a protest. We’re joining with our civil society partners on Friday, activists such as Nigel Petillo and other members of civil society to express our outrage and we will be convening at the prime minister’s office Belmopan.”

Petillo confirmed with our newsroom late this evening that he had visited the Belmopan Police Station earlier but there was still no update on his application for a permit to protest on Friday. He says that if the permit is denied he is willing to protest alone.