$200m spent in Roxborough

KINNESHA GEORGE-HARRY

Buccoo/ Mt Pleasant representative and Assistant Secretary in the Office of the Chief Secretary Ancil Dennis on Thursday claimed Minority Leader Watson Duke is claiming credit for PNM projects in Roxborough. Dennis encouraged the people of Tobago East to do the "right thing" in 2021, “by rejecting everything that is not good, reject everything that is worthless and anything that does not represent Tobago and our good values and ideals.”

Dennis was speaking at a PNM Tobago Council meeting in Roxborough which he labelled “Operation RR – Retain and Retake."

Dennis said as he journeyed to the meeting, he was astonished by the transformation of not just Roxborough, but Tobago East.

“I’m saying that while that transformation took place over many years, over 18 years of People’s National Movement leadership here in Tobago, that development was tremendously accelerated over the last three or so years. I want to suggest to us that that kind of development was only possible because of the level of collaboration that we had between a PNM THA and a PNM Central Government in Trinidad.

“Interestingly, we have a situation where this particular community, what we consider to be the second town here in Tobago has developed tremendously over the last three or so years, and when I did my own investigations, and I am sure that many of us have not realised that between the PNM Central Government and the PNM THA, we have spent almost two hundred million dollars in this very community, in this very electoral district."

Dennis referred to the ongoing construction of the new fire station and police station, as well as the soon to be commissioned Roxborough Administrative Complex.

He stressed, “When you do the math, from 2015 to now, in just about three years, this administration’s partnership with the PNM central administration in Trinidad, under the leadership of your Tobago Prime Minister Dr Keith Christopher Rowley, has invested $200 million almost in the people of Tobago East, and I am saying – that is delivery.”

Dennis refused to give Roxborough/ Delaford representative Watson Duke any credit for the projects, saying he had no input whatsoever.

“We have a certain individual who was nowhere around when these projects were initiated but all of a sudden wants to take credit for these projects, wants to take the credit for the fact that Roxborough now has a new police station, although he should be afraid of that, and Roxborough has a new fire station, and a new administrative complex and very soon we are going to get a new hospital... All of a sudden, he wants to take the credit for that.

“I’m saying that Watson Duke should get no credit for the establishment of those projects or any development as a matter of fact, here in Tobago East or here in Roxborough/ Delaford.”

Dennis, with one eye on upcoming elections, added, “As Tobago people and as people of Tobago East, we ought to ensure that come 2020, after the general elections, that we retain the Tobago East seat and that this powerful dynamic young lady (Ayanna Webster-Roy) would continue to be the Member of Parliament for Tobago East, and that’s the retain part of it.

"But I’m also saying that come 2021, we must restore dignity to this electoral district of Roxborough/ Delaford by ensuring that we send the current representative packing and elect in 2021 a PNM THA representative for this electoral district.”