Ramdial calls on Hinds to apologise

COUVA North MP Ramona Ramdial has called on Minister in the Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs Fitzgerald Hinds to apologise for remarks he made on a television morning show yesterday. Hinds reportedly said government security patrols would have helped search for the missing central Trinidad fishermen if their families had asked for help.His comments were also condemned on social media, with a number of people expressing disgust.In a media release yesterday, Ramdial described Hinds’ remarks that no government representative had visited the families of dead and missing Orange Valley fishermen “since there was no MP for Couva in government.”Ramdial said there had been no visits or communication between the Minister of National Security, Minister of Agriculture, Chief of Coast Guard and the families of the seven dead and missing fishermen since the tragic incident on July 22.“I wish to remind Minister Hinds that as elected public officers and a sitting government Minister, he has a duty and responsibility to all the people of TT and therefore his comments were rather unfortunate and indicate his political bias toward the people of Couva.”She observed that the Prime Minister, on the night of the election in 2015, told the country he was now Prime Minister of all of TT.

As a former minister under the People’s Partnership government, she said, “Care and compassion was shown by then Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and every single member of government to the people of TT, especially in times of need.”

“We visited families along the length and breadth of TT to give comfort and words of encouragement.”