Minister Hosein: I will not take any bribe

Local Government Minister Kazim Hosein says he will not take any bribes or contracts for himself. “I do not want anything for myself. I don’t want any contracts. I am not going to take any bribes. As a matter of fact I hate the word corruption. And as you all know I have a leader who don’t stand for corruption. So I will not myself down and I will not let the people of TT down.”

He was speaking on Wednesday at the Diego Martin Regional Corporation statutory meeting held at its offices on the Diego Martin Main Road.

He said all he ever wanted to be is chairman of a party group, recalling that when many of the elderly people in a party group in which he was serving died or resigned, he hoped he would be elected chairman, but they brought in someone from outside and he went home and cried.

Hosein said never in his wildest dreams did he think he would become a councillor or a mayor (of San Fernando) or a government minister. Hosein said he will use his position as minister to help everyone he can. He also said he is very accessible and he will always make himself accessible as a servant of the people of Trinidad and Tobago.

He told the councillors in their greetings they should address the chairman before him, because the chairman was “the boss.”

“You don’t even have to address me.” He was not better than any of them there, he said, and is “working” at the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government.

“I just don’t like to talk. I not here to fool anybody or myself. If I can’t do the job, I will tell the Prime Minister I can’t.” But Hosein said he found the job easy and there were no problems he could not handle. During the meeting alderman Spencer Tardieu said he had security concerns and there should not be an area in this country where contractors are paid to work but cannot because thugs are keeping them out. “That is ridiculous. I don’t understand that.” He said councillors go at their own risk to talk to people and quell what happens, when there are people paid by the State to ensure security. He also thanked the acting police inspector for her efforts, though she lacked manpower and resources and was not able to replace a round of ammunition nor a bulletproof vest.

Tardieu said though they have been promised more police manpower he was not banking on it.

Vice chairman Catherine Mendez expressed concern over the corporation’s financial situation and said releases have been very selective, with funds received only for salaries, PAYE and some contracted services.

“This means that very little is happening in the corporation. And it means that our programme of works, which is needed in the district, is not moving at all.”

She expressed hope that Hosein would bring good news and an intervention. In response Hosein said he asked the corporation CEO to liaise with the permanent secretaries in the Finance and Local Government Ministries to ensure the corporation got the money they wanted and to identify projects and ask for money.