‘Dangerous to toe the line’

Kinnesha George-Harry

A secretary on the PNM-controlled Tobago House of Assembly (THA) has voiced grave concerns over plans to relocate Crown Point residents to make way for the expansion of the ANR Robinson International Airport, declaring he could not simply "toe the line".

Secretary of Settlements, Urban Renewal and Public Utilities and Canaan/ Bon Accord representative Clarence Job shocked many when he spoke out and questioned the relocation process during a stakeholders’ consultation at Rovanel’s Resort and Conference Centre, Store Bay Local Road, Crown Point on Friday. The consultation was hosted by the National Infrastructure Development Co Ltd (Nidco)

“I know that there are persons living in those areas but is there any consideration for those persons who have their guesthouses and houses in that area, or would it be taken from those persons?” he asked.

“I am not 100 per cent comfortable as the area representative. I’m speaking as the area representative. I have to toe the line and toeing the line could be a dangerous thing because at the end of the day, the people is who I have to represent. I am part of the THA but there are some processes that I am uncomfortable with.”

Jacob said although plans for the project were on stream, there were still lingering concerns among many residents, which have not been addressed comprehensively by the authorities.

He said: “We all have the plan for the airport, but the more critical part is that we are not informing the people with regards to what are the options. So, people would be uncomfortable.

“We gave them until November but that is not as reasonable as we think, and we should consider giving the people more time and give them more information for them to create their new life. So, going forward, I think that we should give them a bit for more.”

Jacob added: “Relocating their lives now, relocating their families now in November to me is very, very, very, very unreasonable. So, as the area representative, I am not speaking because I am part of the THA, I am speaking as an area representative, I am speaking as somebody who is affected as well.

“If this is not done properly, I know for sure, there would be repercussions and those repercussions would not affect Nidco,” he said.

In response, Nidco's vice president of engineering and programme management Steve Garibsingh assured Job that his concerns were noted.

“If it was one thing that resonated, we’re hearing that the timelines are too short. So that would definitely be a take away from the consultation for us and we would feed back up to those who it needs to be fed to.”

However, former THA chief secretary Hochoy Charles, in boisterous opposition, declared Government "is breaking the law".

“All the parties concerned; the Government, the THA and you, Nidco, need to operate within the laws of Trinidad and Tobago and not be law breakers," he said.

Charles took issue that Nidco– a special purpose company– and not the THA was in charge of the airport project, saying the exercise breached the Constitution and THA Act.

“This is a Tobago House of Assembly responsibility, to build the infrastructure for the airport,” he stated. He also disputed the logistics of the project, saying the original plans did not include moving homeowners.

Charles – political leader of The Platform of Truth (TPT) – told the forum the current 7,500-foot long runway was built by the THA.

“What was left to be done was the terminal building, which was supposed to be done simultaneously with the one in Piarco.

He said it was agreed the terminal building would be built east of the airport so as to not disrupt any of the homeowners in the area.

“If you go east with the terminal building, you are going to be affecting only two or three people. We need to look at that and do not disrupt this community. You are operating illegally and I’m very serious,” he said.

Charles, who has re-emerged on the political scene as a member of the Tobago Liberation and Empowerment Team, listed several projects which the THA developed over the years, including the Claude Noel Highway, as examples of the autonomy the assembly should have.

“We do things differently in Tobago and that’s why you have a Tobago House of Assembly. I do not understand how the Government of Trinidad and Tobago get involved in the breach of the law,” he said.

“We had consultation and the people of Tobago then agreed that we are going to build the terminal building in the east and not disrupt the people.

“You know the cost of lands in Tobago, the people should not be having this conversation at all with any Government of Trinidad and Tobago and they should call the assembly to explain to them what is happening… no further discussions should be taking place here…the assembly has the responsibility by law to build that.

“You’re creating a problem in this community. That is not how we do business in Tobago. We’re mature enough to build our own terminal building in Tobago, to suit our people and to please them,” he said.