Constituents’ love for Young split

ON Monday the Prime Minister had the confidence to appoint Stuart Young Minister of National Security, though he also holds two additional ministerial posts as Minister of Communications, and Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister.

When Newsday spoke to some of his constituents in Port of Spain North, residents said he is doing a good job as MP and will perform in his new post. However, St Ann’s West residents lamented that Young’s new post will not be fulfilled because he does absolutely nothing for the part of his constituency that lies in Cascade.

A resident from St Ann’s West, Melville Prescott, told Newsday Young was in the area last Sunday on a personal matter, but residents from Upper Cascade do not exist or have been forgotten by Young.

“Once you pass Wellspring (a housing development in upper Cascade) it’s like there is a barrier that blocks off the rest of the community. We are quarantined in the back here. We are living around too much people in high offices and cannot get some assistance to help build our community.

“We also have a councillor who is supposed to be our voice and he is never around to know what is happening in the community to transfer the information to our MP.

“There are more than 212 children within the community and there is no playground for them. They have to play with their lives in the road while playing cricket or football.”

Prescott said the community is challenged with a lot of issues which no one in government offices seems to care about.

“The country is in the rainy season and the Cascade River is in dire need to be dredged. Can you see the condition of the river?

“There are also a lot of talented youth in the community who finished school and cannot get jobs. There are a lot of works going on around, but they are not taking people from the community to work.”

He said mentorship plays a very important role in a community, and a new form of structure and management is needed to develop the community.

Another resident, who only gave his name as Andy, said Young will only meet the residents when another election comes around.

“Nothing good happens in communities unless there is some kind of rebelling. This is how society has become, especially in ghetto areas.

“There is not even a cultural centre to help uplift these youths in the community. What makes you feel he will fulfil his new post as security minister?

“Every time we approach the councillor to get help for us to fix the roads, especially the river, we don’t even see him, far less to see our MP.

“If it becomes absolutely necessary to demonstrate, we act, because we are tired of our complaints falling on deaf ears.”

Akil Razzaq said it is hoped Young can bring new ideas to the Ministry of National Security for the country’s sake, to curb the upsurge in crime.