Jason Micallef Defends Sudden Name Change Of Mosta Road Called After His Uncle Freddie
As Mosta residents living in Triq id-Dawr woke up surprised to find that the street had been renamed to Triq Freddie Micallef, Chairman of Valletta Cultural Agency Jason Micallef took to social media to defend the decision to change the name… especially considering Freddie was actually his uncle.
“Freddie Micallef served as a minister under Labour governments between 1971 and 1987,” the veteran PL activist wrote on social media. “It was during the period between 1976 and 1987 that, from a barren area and some fields the first Government housing estate in the northern part of Malta was built in Mosta.”
“Freddie Micallef was instrumental in realising this major social project in Mosta. So much so that hundreds of Mosta young families were given government flats at that time to enable them to start new families under their own roof as private residents.”
“During the same period, in the same area, schemes were launched for the purchase of plots to build medium and large-sized houses. The price of these plots was extremely low, around 250 Maltese Lira or 500.”
“Among those who benefited from these schemes were residents on Triq id-Dawr. All this goodness came to be thanks to the dedication and hard work of Freddie Micallef. In Mosta, everyone knows this,” continued Micallef.
Meanwhile, local residents are collecting signatures for a petition against the decision. They are arguing that all the roads in the area are named after parts of a flour mill in homage to the historic mill around which the government estate was built.
The mill used to be owned by the notorious Francesco Fenech who also owned many of the fields around it which were requisitioned to build the housing project leaving him just the roundabout to grow his crops. This situation had led to him shooting and killing a man.
Residents, especially the elderly, are upset that they have to change all the ID cards and billing addresses.
Mosta Mayor Chris Micallef said that he will try to facilitate the changeover by coordinating with Identity Malta to come and help the residents locally.
He also said that the council had agreed unanimously for the name change.
What do you think about the name change?
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