Khadijah ‘ejected’ over taunt

Being unamused by a taunt led to Opposition Senator Khadijah Ameen being ejected temporarily from the Senate from which she was about to storm out in protest during Wednesday’s budget debate by a stern-faced Senate President Christine Kangaloo.

It all began when the usually mild-mannered Government Senator Foster Cummings himself was teased by the Opposition that their senator Taharqa Obika’s maiden speech was a hard act to follow. Cummings warmly congratulated Obika and said they had both once trained together at an unnamed institution, but after his initial agreeableness then turned up the heat, saying the former People’s Partnership regime had left a part-built Brian Lara Stadium to rot, until completed by the Government, to the supposed delight of Opposition Members including Ameen.

“It took the PNM to come back after five years and then you are hiding with sunglasses to go and look at the CPL, because you criticise it so much.

“I noticed one or two of them ducking and hiding every time the camera passing because you don’t want to end up in the papers.”

Grinning broadly, Cumming teased, “I saw somebody looking like Senator Ameen, but it probably was not her.”

“Don’t call my name in your bacchannal, please!” shot back a straightfaced Ameen. Cummings continued, “Somebody closely resembling her.”

Ameen rose in protest saying aloud that she wished to leave the chamber.

Kangaloo rose and quelled both sides of the Senate. “Senator Ameen, this is the third time. Ameen said, “I’d like to leave please.”

Kangaloo replied, “And I’d like you to, as well. You can return at 7 pm.”