THA VINDICATED

The onslaught from the Peoples Partnership (PP) came fast and furious in the MILSHIV project undertaken by the Tobago House of Assembly (THA). Sport Minister Anil Roberts was the first to launch a scaling attack of words alleging corruption and wrongdoing by Chief Secretary Orville London in the Parliament during the 2012-2013 budget debate two weeks ago. Like if that was not enough, the Prime Minister took her punch in a bid to finish off the THA and ultimately secure a winning spot in the THA election carded for January 2013. The prime Minister threatened to stop the project and advised that she had referred the matter to the Attorney General Anand Ramlogan for swift investigation. Anand last week wasted little time and attempted to finish off what was left of the THA in this matter. He indicated that he had referred the matter to the Commissioner of Police, the Integrity Commission and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), all without getting the full facts of the matter at hand. 

However, the THA looked bullet proof. The Chief Secretary stating emphatically, that they have nothing to hide and that the MILSHIV project was above board. But even as the Government was eager to question the legality of the matter in a hope to score cheap political points ahead of the THA election the acting president Hamel Smith gave his support for its legitimacy. The express stated that in a six-page legal opinion commissioned by AIC Capital Market Brokers Ltd, dated January 3, 2011, Senator Hamel-Smith confirmed the ability of the THA to enter into the arrangement, saying there was no law restraining the THA from entering into a lease/leaseback arrangement to develop the Milshirv Administrative Centre for Education, Sport and Youth purposes. the express further stated that in arriving at the decision, the law firm consulted the THA Act Ch 25:03 extensively and investigated several pertinent international cases, which sought to determine whether entities such as the THA had the authority to enter into similar arrangements without breaching the law. 

However, the PP government continues to witch hunt although given the advice to move forward. They continue to maintain that the THA has broken the Law, all in a hope that something may eventually present itself and give them leverage in the THA elections 2013. 

The express stated that in summarising its "advice", Hamel-Smith told the AIC that since the THA has responsibility for education, sports and State lands in Tobago and is required to formulate and implement policy in relation to such responsibilities, leasing the said land can be considered to be an extension of such powers, or alternatively, incidental to such power.

Further, Hamel-Smith added: "Indeed as there is no express prohibition disallowing the THA from dealing with the land vested in it, and the THA is permitted to enter into such contract as it deems fit for the discharge of its functions, leasing and leasing-back the property with the view of acquiring an administrative centre to be used for education, sport, and youth purposes may well be considered within the powers of the THA and, in any event, incidental to such powers."

Hamel-Smith took special note of the THA's responsibilities as enunciated in Section 25 of the Act, which stated among other thing that the THA may "enter into such contracts as it deems fit for the efficient discharge of its functions".

The lawyers pointed out as well that Section 54 states, inter alia that all lands and other property of every kind located in Tobago vested in the State except the residence of the President and Prime Minister, are to be vested in the Assembly in right of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

The opinion signed by the acting President made it clear that "there is no express prohibition on the THA restricting its ability to deal with its land", and that the "THA is given wide powers to enter into such contracts as it sees fit for the discharge of its functions"

Tobago Needs a Choice: It Feels Like De Ja Vu All over Again.

Reminiscent of the reality of 2000

Former Chief Secretary, Hochoy Charles, and

Current Chief Secretary, Orville London

It feels like de ja vu all over again. 2001 former Chief Secretary Hochoy Charles was nailed to the political cross at the Tobago House of Assembly's (THA) election by a revived PNM. Even the UNC, led by a vicious Panday took a throw of the spare that seemingly wounded the NAR. The Ring Bang, Ring Bang, ADDA ADDA Ring Bang scandal, brought to its knees a mighty party that ruled Tobago for almost twenty (20) years. Today, it might be more than ideal to concur with the adage of ‘what goes around comes around’. London, the individual who broke the ADDA scandal and the person who ensured that the perception and the evidence of such stayed alive in the public mind, has now become the emphasis of a very similar scandal.

For over 10 years, Tobago’s PNM mantra has been “Protecting Tobago’s Heritage”.  And even as the lessons of over 10 years have not been learnt, and on the heels of an Executive action, which Tobagonians doesn't believe would protect our heritage, the PNM is facing the same axe that slaughtered the NAR for yet again another financial adventure. The MILSHIV project have been the public conversation in Tobago lately, and with unsatisfactory and hifalutin explanations, the THA seems to be impotent in articulating financially the immediate derived benefits of such an arrangement. The purchased of 3 acres of land for 12 million dollars, the lease to a synthetic company at 10 dollars for 199 years, and rental of a building at $15.61 per square foot per month over a 20 year period for a building totally 83000 sq. ft. seems to be a sour taste in the mouth and a bit hard for Tobagonians to digest as something of sound financial judgement. The ramifications of which would be discussed in a subsequent article.

The MILSHIV project, might be the final nail in the wooden cedar coffin of the PNM, draped and compounded with numerous criticisms of mismanagement and excessive delays in the hospital project, the library, the bus terminus, port and airport expansion, the THA campus, cultural complex, a growing, expanded tertiary educations sector, a growing and on-going agro/manufacturing sector, and the list goes on.

To see Tobagonians were blinded by the glitz and glitters promised by their “saviour” PNM, none of which have materialized over the past 10 years and which I must hasten to say would not materialized before elections or soon thereafter.  Tobago inhabitants still awaits the promise of Housing for all and Millionaires for Tobagonians as promised by the PNM in 2000. What has now become a chorus of rhetoric, verbalized at deafening decibels can only be described as preposterous.  Petty allegations levied at Central Government, blames of disrespect and attempts to further perpetuate the divide of Tobago’s population by race, ethnicity and party politics has become the order of the day.

But who suffers? The People of Tobago Suffers. Tobagonians are stuck between a rock and a hard place. Tobagonians are left without a “real” choice. Tobagonians must now accept hogwash from these mindless puppets who formulate themselves into something resembling parties but are really Gangs of criminals, dressed in suits, who should be locked away for a life time.  There is no doubt that the PNM is bereft of Vision just as their accused; the NAR of 2000.  The ideas purported by those in power and those vying to attain power, continues to remind us all of how incapable, unqualified and powerless these mindless puppets are in moving Tobago forward.

The song Haiti I’m sorry comes to mind, and so let me change it and say Tobago I’m sorry. Yes, I feel sorry for Tobago and its inhabitants. As a young Tobagonian, I somehow have come to the resolve that I should accept the fate that Tobago would not realize its true potential perhaps in my lifetime, given that we continue to recycle our political garbage. Politicians that we have discarded as defected and useless reappear in our honourable house as new and improve, only to repeat the said mistakes of the old. Tobagonians are indeed a disadvantage people. Not only are we disadvantage constitutionally, but we are also disadvantage in the choices we have in these recycled, second-hand, reprocessed, balls-less politicians. I urge Tobagonians to consider carefully your options.  We are indeed tossed between a rock and a hard place and sadly we as a people must now choose between the lesser of two evils. At this epoch, let me contend that Evil is Evil, I cannot choose the Lesser of or Greater of any Evil.

Time for Tobago to have a “Real Choice”.