Shamfa: Tobago changed for the worse

Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Shamfa Cudjoe has called on Tobagonians to accept that Tobago has changed for the worse. Speaking at the funeral for Tobago’s third murder victim Donald Parks at the Scarborough Methodist Church Cudjoe said Parks’ murder caused her to cry for Tobago.

“When this death happened, a number of people were saying 'I’m sure it's a Trinidadian,' and often times when this happens we say it’s a Trinidadian. In little patches across Tobago, there are some negative things happening and we need to stop being naive and understand what is taking place around us. We know there are people around us not living a right life even in our own home or community but we pretend to be blind.”

Parks was shot and robbed at his Summer Hill, Plymouth, home on March 5. Shauneil Charles, 22, of Golden Lane was arrested and charged for his murder.

Cudjoe described Parks' death as a hard blow to Tobago and pleaded with Tobagonians to say no to crime. “I cried for Tobago and for young people because this is where we reach.
"We keep saying it’s a wake-up call, but what are we doing about crime? We are told in Tobago to go out and build bussinesses, but what does all that mean if you can't operate in peace? What (does) it mean if you can't build a big house with your hard-earned money and live in it in peace?”

Parks was remembered as honest, courageous, caring, forgiving, a great father and friend and a man of purpose. Many gathered Parks' funeral this morning to say their final farewells, including members of the Tobago House of Assembly, the business community, close family and friends including senior superintendent in charge of the Tobago TTPS division Jeffrey George who paid tribute to the businessman and retired police sergeant.

George said he only knew Parks for his kind heart, “He was a great person and the pathologist who did the post mortem said this man’s organs were in such (good) condition, he had no known illness and could have comfortably lived for another ten years.”
Parks was also said to have lived a life of love and was described as a man with a huge heart.