Supreme Court, Liberty Hall Volunteered for “Rejuvenation”

Said Musa

We have been covering the Cultural Heritage Bill’s passage through the House of Representatives. It is intended to present a regime for registration and maintenance of historical assets including buildings, and is a quid pro quo for the Downtown Rejuvenation Project focusing on the Commercial Center, City Hall and House of Culture/Government House. Fort George Area Representative Said Musa echoed his son, former president of NICH Yasser Musa, in rejecting the idea of a “Colonial Museum” at the former executive mansion, but he suggested two other historic places that could use some rejuvenation.

Said Musa, Area Rep., Fort George

“That’s what we need a Heritage law for – the establishment of a colonial museum; well we have the museum already, minister – the Belize Museum. We don’t need a “cultural” museum and we certainly should not think in terms of, as I believe what is being planned for the fund of this bill, what the Mayor of Belize City – how he sees it, this is now a Belize City Downtown Rejuvenation Project, of which we are told some fourteen million dollars is being borrowed from Taiwan, is it, Minister? Fourteen million dollars for the Downtown Rejuvenation Project. Even though I am a representative of a constituency in Belize City, Madam Speaker, I find that a little provincial, to say the least, and elitist in fact, that we think only of Belize City – unless of course the Minister will disabuse me and disabuse the Mayor of Belize City, that all this fourteen million dollars will be spent in Belize City. But while we are spending some money in Belize City, I would ask that we consider the Supreme Court, because the Supreme Court, I must tell you, Madam Speaker, is leaking; and woodlice has taken over now several courtrooms of the Supreme Court,  so maybe some useful funds can be spent to deal with a remodelling, rejuvenation of the Supreme Court. Yes, the courthouse. (Interruption) Exactly so, Minister; very good point. We don’t want leaky justice and we don’t want leaky judgments either. But anyway, so if it’s not to be a downtown rejuvenation project, I would consider Barrack Road as part of downtown too, you know, so maybe we can consider spending some money on Liberty Hall; because that is of historic value too. (Applause) Takes us back to the days of Marcus Garvey, and the Black Cross Nurses of Belize, right, Madam Speaker? So let us spend some money to rejuvenate Liberty Hall.”