Chester Hughes alleges APUA Water Manager “will no longer be there” as of January 24

Water Manager’s Future Sparks Allegations from Former MP Chester Hughes

Former MP Chester Hughes has alleged that the water manager at the Antigua Public Utilities Authority (APUA) will soon leave his position following political pressure from the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP).

Speaking at a United Progressive Party (UPP) rally in Pares last night, Hughes claimed the manager was instructed to prioritize water distribution in St. Peter’s ahead of the upcoming by-election but refused to comply.

According to Hughes, the manager was called into a meeting where he was told to ensure St. Peter’s received water “every single day, every minute of the day” until the by-election.

Hughes alleged that the manager declined, insisting on fair water distribution across the country, given recent issues at APUA’s desalination plants, including reports of salt water entering homes.

“The man said, ‘I can’t do that to the rest of the country.’ He stood his ground,” Hughes remarked.

He further alleged that the manager was told to “go home and consider [his] ways” and claimed that the manager “will no longer be there” as of January 24. Hughes did not specify whether this departure would be voluntary or forced.

Hughes criticized what he described as the ABLP’s politicization of water distribution, suggesting that such actions harm public trust in the fair management of essential services. “This is how they run the country,” he said, calling on constituents in St. Peter’s to reject “transactional politics” in the by-election.

The former MP also used the rally to highlight broader issues in the constituency, questioning whether the community is better off under decades of ABLP leadership. He urged voters to demand greater accountability and to prioritize leadership that serves the interests of all citizens equally.

The ABLP has not yet commented on Hughes’s claims, and the water manager’s status remains unclear.

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