Environmentalist: Widen scope of highway enquiry

Leader of the Highway Re-route Movement (HRM) Dr Wayne Kublalsingh has written to the President asking for her advice on how he can appear as a witness in the commission of enquiry relating to the controversial construction of the Solomon Hochoy Highway Extension to Point Fortin.

If given the opportunity, Kublalsingh vowed to "chronicle all the sins of the entire project."

The environmentalist thanked the Government for the inquiry, but said it was wrong from a judicial point of view of good standards of jurisprudence. He believes the current objectives and terms of reference are too narrow.

"It is even unethical and biased, and with all due respect to the commissioners, in my view, it is plainly illegal to conduct such an enquiry using such a narrow focus. The entire process was flawed and corrupt from conception to certification to collapse.

"I would like to give the entire story of the project, unlimited by the very limited terms," Kublalsingh said.

He spoke at a press conference at the Oilfield Workers Trade Union's headquarters in San Fernando yesterday.

The letter to President Paula-Mae Weekes is dated August 15. Up to yesterday, he had not received a reply from Weekes or her office.

In July, Cabinet appointed the enquiry into all aspects of the management of the land acquisition process by the National Infrastructure Development Company for the construction of the extension.

Yesterday Kublalsingh said he had respect for retired judge Sebastian Ventour, who is expected to chair the enquiry, and the other commissioners. But Kublalsingh added that if the process continues as is, then it would be unsatisfactory and a waste of taxpayers' money.

"It should be done properly and fairly. We have to deal with the whole hog. Why just look at the tail or the snout? Good jurisprudence deserves that. The people must know how their money is spent and it has been spent wantonly. We have to deal with the whole plethora of processes involved in this project."

He accused past and present governments of engaging in the flawed process, adding that the Dr James Armstrong report highlighted the process, but officials ignored the findings.

Leader of the Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) David Abdulah was at the conference, saying the MSJ has always supported HRM. He charged that governments past and present seemed to believe development was to be achieved by mega-projects which cost taxpayers millions.

Someone or organisations ought to be held accountable, he said, for what he called the lack of proper accountability and transparency regarding the highway project.

Other members of the HRM also attended the press conference.

HRM has been involved in advocating for rerouting the Debe to Mon Desir segment of the highway since 2005, citing environmental issues such as flooding.