London announces changes for THA Executive Council

TOBAGO House of Assembly (THA) Chief Secretary Orville London has made three changes to his

executive council as a result of the absence of Roxborough/Delaford West Assemblyman Hilton Sandy, who is recovering from a stroke.

Sandy will be replaced as Secretary of Infrastructure and Public Utilities by Councillor Gary Melville, who has been overseeing his constituency.

Secretary of Settlements and Labour Huey Ca­dette will replace Melville as Secretary of Education, Youth Affairs and Sport while Assistant Sec­retary Councillor Deon Isaac will replace Cadette.

Isaac, who is also the deputy presiding officer, will be sworn in as secretary by President Anthony Carmona in Tobago next Thursday.

The Assembly will elect a new deputy presiding officer at its next plenary sitting on Thursday, February 27.

The changes were announced by London at his weekly media briefing on Wednesday.

The Chief Secretary also revealed that Sandy, who suffered a stroke on his right side last September, will be going to the Bap­tist Medical Centre Rehabilitation Unit in South Florida, USA, for rehabilitation, assessment and management.

London said he was ho­ping for an improvement in his physical condition. He said the decision to send San­dy to Florida was on the recommendation of hospital medical director Dr Nathaniel Noel.

The Assembly will foot the bill for Sandy’s accommodation, rehabilitation and other related issues.

London said Sandy had shown advancement in his physical condition, but a lot more improvement had to be made fom him to return to his former condition.

He said he was hoping for an improvement in Sandy’s condition and wanted to wish him all the best on behalf of all Tobagonians.

Howai Has to Wait.

Chief Secretary, Orville London

Chief Secretary, Orville London yesterday indicated that Finance Minister Larry Howai has to wait a little longer than the seven days for documents on the $143M MILSHIRV office complex at Shirvan, in southwest Tobago.

Howai wrote the THA Chief Secretary last week requesting that all documents relating to the office complex being built for the Assembly under a BOLT (Build Own Lease Transfer) arrangement be made available to him by seven (7) days. 

In a media conference yesterday, London indicated that under the laws and the T&T Constitution the Finance Minister has no authority to instruct him to provide information to him within any timeframe.

However, London indicated that in the interest of public disclosure and due to the considerable discussion that surrounded the transaction he has a responsibility to make the information available to the Minister as well as the general public.

London further indicated that he has would send a letter to Minister Howai on Thursday (1st November 2012) explaining that the various documents are being vetted by Senior Council and the THA Senior State Council following which the information will be made available to the public and to him.

London also disclosed at the weekly Post Executive Council media briefing on Wednesday (31st October 2012) that the Integrity Commission had written him requesting that the documents on the MILSHIRV office complex be produced within seven days.

The Tobago Chief Secretary said the Integrity Commission has the legal authority to so instruct and therefore that information will be made available to it within the seven days. He added that more or less the same information that was going to be made available in the public domain will be made available to the commission for it to continue its investigation.

London said he wanted to make it very clear that the decision not to submit the documents within seven days to Howai was by no means meant to prevent the information from being made public; "Quite the contrary, we want to ensure that at the same time the Minister has the information, the public has the information," London added.