Vernella slams Chief Secretary's failures

Vernella Toppin

The TOP once again flexed its political message last week Saturday night with a mammoth public meeting in the heartland of Tobago East Pembroke. The TOP heavyweights Ashworth Jack, Vernella Alleyne-Toppin and Dr Delmon Baker all seemed to be lifted by the overflowing crowd and delivered speeches of high potency to their mass of supporters.

Tobago East representative and Minister in the Ministry of the People, Vernella Alleyne Toppin unleashed a concerted attack on her former teaching colleague, and Chief Secretary Orville London. She accused London of presiding over a failed education system in Tobago. Under the London regime she said, "due to the failed system in Tobago, youths are being channeled into URP and CEPEP jobs while the educational institutions on the island are left wanting in several areas." She pointed to the Roxborough Secondary School which he said, "was established in 1965 and has no form 6 and she noted, "in one year there 75 Fifth Form pupils who dropped out of school in Tobago east, while 45 Fourth Form pupils also left school during the same year."

Alleyne-Toppin indicated, "the plot is to keep the Tobago youths dependent on the PNM for jobs in order to dictate how they vote." She also slammed the London regime for their failure to complete the Scarborough Library after 12 years in office and the non-functioning of the Charlotteville Library. "The lack of library facilities are a serious blow to the academic development of the Tobagonian," she contended.

She also took serious issue with what she described as PNM instigated rumour about "Indians coming to buy out Tobagonians land."

She accused the PNM of resorting to their historical policy of racist bigotry and of preaching politics of division in a rainbow nation. "How could Indians buy up Tobagonians lands when 87 per cent of Tobagonians have no titles to their lands?" she asked.

Alleyne-Toppin said, "While the PNM is resorting to lies and rumours to salvage their dying campaign, Orville London and his cohorts in the THA are sitting on 34 estates while Tobagonians are scrunting for lands for agriculture and housing. London has failed to grow the Tobago economy and for that reason, they must be voted out of office," the eloquent minister urged.

Reproduced from TobagoNews