By Cecily Asson Thursday, September 2 2010

Arts and Multiculturalism Minister Winston “Gypsy” Peters yesterday said the worst display of human greed he has ever witnessed in his life was during the recent distribution of relief supplies to flood victims across the country.

Peters who is also the Member of Parliament for Mayaro was at the time delivering the feature address at the opening of the Regional Disaster Relief Warehouse in Rio Claro yesterday.

He told the large crowd which included members of the corporate sector that many of flood victims and volunteers were engaged in hoarding the relief supplies. He warned persons must guard against the practice which has now become a challenge for them.

“Everything you waste and to everything you grab by greed, you have deprived the other person of a need of that very thing that you just took for wanting it sake,” he said.

Peters said during the floods, he saw individuals who had already gotten “six and seven mattresses” still begging for more while others could got none. “People pass now and they give them two mattresses, because that is their need, and then somebody pass in a little while, ‘me too, me too,’and they want a next mattress. You pass and you give them five hampers and then somebody pass around going by the neighbour who didn’t even get one and ‘I want a hamper, I want a hamper too.’ We have to guard against these things,” he said.

He said there was no room for greed in times of disaster and did not spare persons who came forward to assist but instead help themselves to the relief supplies.

“We have to understand that when people take the time to give you something to give to others who are less fortunate than yourselves you must be able to do that,” he said. “They will have to answer to some higher source one of these days.”

Local Government Minister Chandresh Sharma was also at the function.

“The goods that will come here will stay no longer than three months — it will be given away in three months if it is not used in a disaster to homes for the aged, mandirs, masjids, church groups, NGO’s whoever it might be - you all will decide that,” he said

The Rio Claro warehouse which was donated by the Mayaro/Rio Claro Regional Corporation is the fourth disaster relief warehouse. The others are located at Macoya, Skinner Park and Couva. Scores of persons volunteered their services while businessmen pledged support for the relief programme.

Tomorrow, the first truckload of goods will be delivered at the warehouse, President of the Supermarkets Association Vernon Persad said.