By Rayford Young
This past weekend I had some time on my hands, was searching the web and came across a website and decided to check out my ancestry. My parents always told me that we came from a large family and would be surprised who we were related to, and to my surprise I am related to a big time politician in Belize. I was shocked and for a while did not believe the findings. But as I researched this distinguished family I'm now a part of I can see the resemblance. We look alike as the saying goes. I'm the very distant nephew of the Hon. Gaspar Vega the Minister of Lands and National Resources and the Deputy Prime Minister of Belize. Wow, how could this be? So I went to work to find out who my newly found family was and I'm impressed with the Vega family. They are truly a tight niche family and they sure look out for each other. I can't wait for my first family reunion to meet all of my nephews and nieces and the rest of the family. What will I say when I meet the Hon. Gaspar Vega? I can't wait to hug my great uncle and listen to all his wonderful stories of how he got all those parcels of land and gave titles to all his family members. What a guy! I can't wait for him to give me my title to my piece of land in my beloved country of Belize. What a day this will be!
I was so disappointed with the BELIZE TIMES for publishing the names of all my cousins and my other family members who my uncle helped with lands. They made it seem like he was doing something wrong and all he was doing was helping his family. He's a family man and looks after all his family members to make sure they are taken care of with a piece of land - including me! The TIMES even said they would publish more family members' names who received lands at ridiculously low prices. Why is the TIMES (which I liked before all this) doing this to my uncle? They said that so many of the poor people of Belize are having a hard time getting lands and that my uncle's family doesn't have any problem getting lands. Daaa! He's the Minister of Lands. Of course he knows how to get land easily - it's his job! Look people, all you have to do is go online and see if you are related to my uncle and if you are, you're in. Do your homework like I did. We always want something for nothing.
Then I saw on TV last week this BYGEA (Belize Youth Grassroots Empowerment Association) group demonstrating in Belmopan. They talked about the corruption and mismanagement of the Ministry of Resources and the hardship of owning a parcel of land they were promised, and in some cases, paid for. That's why they were demonstrating against my uncle and all the nice, sweet people that work at the lands department. Thousands of Belizeans are members of this organization and all have the same problem - the difficulty and bureaucracy involved in owning a piece of land - and they are fed up with the process.
The area representative of Cayo South the Hon. Julius Espat brought up this fact at the house of representative meeting last week and gave five suggestions to improve the situation at the lands department. Well of course he was mocked and laughed at. Then my uncle got up, this man of stature and decency to set the record straight. My uncle told that man that everything is just fine and he was proud of the ministry of lands. He even said that the lands department was opened on a few Saturdays to accommodate the people who wanted lands. Wow isn't that what you are supposed to do? Isn't that your job? Well things got heated on the floor and the attacks flowed towards Mr. Espat as he was trying to say my uncle didn't know how to run his department. How dare you bring this up - trying to make suggestions on how to make the lands department more accountable and efficient for the people! That's not how we do things around here.
My uncle told Mr. Espat he too received lands when the PUP was in power. The Prime Minister was the lead instigator telling Mr. Vega what to throw at Mr. Espat. It was really funny how the PM and my uncle teamed up against Mr. Espat. It was like a tag team slinging dirt at each other. I tell you I love the PM, he loves to argue and bring up stuff from the past and throw it at those people on the other side. Of course the PM did not take these allegations seriously and investigate the activities of Mr. Vega and all the land my uncle owns. My uncle knows a lot that's why they can't touch him and that's why the PM helped him out when that Cayo representative was trying to bring up all that stuff about lands and corruption. My uncle doesn't have one piece of corrupt bone in his body.
I think my uncle should be the PM. You see how he takes care of his family. Once he becomes PM he will make sure every Belizean has the opportunity to buy a piece of land from him. That's who he is - always looking out for the family. Once my uncle is PM I can become the minister of lands and carry on the family business. We love this Belize land so much so we have taken it on as our own, like our own family. Don't listen to all that talk about land grabbing and corruption. My uncle is a good man, a people's man, loves this country but most of all he loves this land. This land has been good to my family and we will do whatever it takes to protect this land. You can count on us. This is who we are. You are in good hands with Gapi.
The Belize Times