Controversy over gift of land to Rihanna

CONTROVERSY reared its ugly head yesterday as Barbados celebrated the achievements of pop star Rihanna with an Opposition MP querying Government’s choice of the exclusive, upscale Apes Hill, rather than any of the other new developments, like Bushy Park, to gift her a house spot.But St George North MP Gline Clarke was told his question showed he had a “snobbish attitude”.Minister of Housing and Lands Michael Lashley, who introduced the resolution in the House of Assembly to vest 2 635 square metres of land at Apes Hill, St James in the name of the international star – Robyn Rihanna Fenty –  also chided Clarke for his “audacity” and asked whether the exclusive community was “too good” for her.Lashley noted that Clarke’s query was “suggesting to me, indirectly, that Apes Hill is too good for this young Barbadian”.“To me, it was one downside in this debate that a Member . . . could be questioning why we are looking at land in Apes Hill for Rihanna, and why not Westbury.”He also recalled Clarke saying someone had asked why Government was paying millions of dollars for land for someone who was making millions of dollars in the entertainment industry.“The . . . member sat in a Cabinet that wasted taxpayers’ money on things that were promised that never came to fruition, and [there] was no protest,” he said.“But here we [are] now supporting a young Barbadian that actually was able to penetrate the American music industry – and it is not easy to penetrate the American music industry – paving the way forward for other young aspiring entertainers, and a member in this House had the audacity to get up and question a Government that is making a contribution and rewarding a young Barbadian for his or her efforts; he has the audacity to get up and question why this Government is doing that.”Clarke interrupted to say he had asked a simple, legitimate question: Whose idea it was for the land and whether it was Government’s or Sir Charles Williams’, and why Apes Hill and not Bushy Park or St Lucy?“Is Apes Hill too good for Robyn Rihanna Fenty?” Lashley asked. Clarke said he had never said Apes Hill was too good for anybody, but Government had to say why it chose Apes Hill.Lashley said Cabinet took the Apes Hill decision in February 2008, but he had brought the Bushy Park matter to Parliament only two weeks ago.(AB)