So concern are they that nightly prayer meetings for his successful recovery are being said in churches within the constituency. While his illness is keeping him away from active duty in his constituency and as Secretary of Infrastructure and Public Utilities, Chief Secretary Orville London has taken oversight of the Division. On Wednesday London met with heads of the units within the Division and on Friday (4th October 2013) held a public day at Sandy’s constituency office in Roxborough.
From as early as 6.30 a.m. people began registering to have an audience with London and his Special Advisor Norris Jack to express their concerns for Sandy’s welfare and to raise issues affecting them. These ranged from seeking employment and financial assistance to obtaining a house and land.
Cuthbert St John, 79, also known as Hunter in the Calypso world and who claims to be the oldest Tobago Calypsonian, of Betsy’s Hope was the first man at the door at 6.30 a.m. He was seeking a Home Improvement Grant to rebuild his dilapidated house. St John described Sandy as the most humane and helpful individual has ever met and said prayer meetings were being held on Sandy’s behalf at churches in the constituency every night.
Similarly Pastor Michael Jerry of the Pentecostal Church, of Prince Street, Roxborough has worked with Sandy for the past 12 years and described him as a “very helpful man who tries to meet our needs as far as possible”. Pastor Jerry said there was a great outcry for prayers for Sandy. He was seeking a parcel of land at Lamy Village, Argyle to build a house. He said he took the opportunity to impress upon London the under utilisation of the Roxborough Trade School for the past two years.
Esther Douglas, a teacher at the Roxborough Secondary School met London to request a parcel of land to build a house for her extended family of 15 and herself.
A young man of Roxborough who lost his job as a social studies teacher at the Mason Hall Secondary School visited the office to seek the intervention of the Chief Secretary for his reinstatement.