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Pastor Hood |
The main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has now made it official, Pastor Karl Ignatius Hood will be one of its 15 candidates to contest the next general elections.
Hood who announced his candidacy last year was officially endorsed last Sunday in La Borie, St. George's to contest the St. George's South East Constituency that is held by Deputy Prime Minister, Gregory Bowen of the ruling New National Party (NNP) government.
The candidate received a rousing welcome by hundreds of party faithfuls when he was presented on the podium by Dr. David Lambert who contested the seat in the 2003 general elections, but lost to Bowen.
Before addressing the crowd, Pastor Hood was joined on the platform by his two sisters, Pauline Andrews, a former government minister and Joan Duncan, and brother Cajeton Hood, an attorney--At-law and former Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister.
In his maiden speech, the born-again-christian turned around a quotation from William Penn where he said, "If men are good, government cannot be bad," and said instead, "If men are bad, government can't be good."
Hood indicated that it is not politics that is corrupt, but the men who occupy political offices.
He said he is honoured to be in a political party with national leaders like Tillman Thomas and the entire leadership of the Congress party.
He described them as men and women of stature who are renowned for their love of people and commitment to their cause of improving the quality of life for ordinary Grenadians.
Since he announced his candidacy, Pastor Hood has come in for heavy criticisms from some persons aligned to NNP who believe that as a clergyman he should not get involved in frontline politics.
And on the same day of his launching, Youth Minister Emmalin Pierre said at her party's convention that Pastor Hood should be down on his knees praying instead of being engaged in politics.
However, Pastor Hood said that having witnessed the decadence in society he felt that he could not just sit back and allow things to deteriorate further.
"I therefore, decided to lead a moral crusade to rid this country of a corrupt regime that has destroyed the moral fiber of Grenada," he told the gathering.
Pastor Hood accused the NNP administration of betraying the people of Grenada in every single area of life.
He identified the areas of betrayal as being the cost of living, housing, education, health care, transportation, family and community life, and unemployment.
"The distribution of materials after Hurricanes Ivan and Emily showed us the only way that you can benefit in this country that is so steeped in corruption, is if you have a green jersey," he said.
Hood spoke about what he called gross neglect that has been occurring in the St. George South East Constituency.
He made reference to the day care centre that was damaged since 2004 as a result of Hurricane Ivan which still remains in a state of disrepair.
"We of the Constituency Branch will begin clearing up this place to have it built," he said.
Another area he addressed was the promise made to have repairs on the road from La Borie to Confer.
Hood said while all of those promises are just made, taxpayers' money have been wasted on projects "which will never bring returns to the people of Grenada."
One of those projects he touched on was the Grenada National Stadium which collapsed in September 2004 during the passage of Hurricane Ivan.
"I bring to your mind the collapsed stadium which they said was free and then it was not free again. Hurricane Ivan came only (for us) to understand it was never insured. Money went down the drain again," he said.
According to Pastor Hood, despite those bad news, he now has good news that "help is on the way."
"We of the NDC, we have listened to the voice of the Grenadian public and our forthcoming manifesto will explain our way forward in helping Grenada out of the problem that it has found itself in under this NNP administration," he said.
Pastor Hood recalled that sometime ago he stood on the same ground where he was now being launched as an NDC candidate, and preached the hope of salvation from sin.
"Tonight, I am preaching salvation from bad governance and nepotism. I stand here as Moses calling all who hear to put down the shackles of this new Pharaoh and join us in our march to freedom," he said.
Political Leader of the NDC Tillman Thomas has endorsed Pastor Hood as an outstanding religious and community leader who has the welfare of the people of Grenada at heart.
