'Wild cry for help'

Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP) political leader Watson Duke has described as "misguided and misdirected," Tobago Chamber president Martin George's call for new Indian High Commissioner to TT Arun Kumar Sahu to establish a sub-office on the island.

Speaking to Newsday Tobago, an upset Duke claimed Tobagonians are appalled and confused by George's challenge to Sahu, especially as the call was made in the presence of Tobago House of Assembly Chief Secretary Kelvin Charles.

Duke said the challenge should have been thrown out to Charles and the prime minister.

"We believe those statements are misguided and misdirected and should have been aimed at the Chief Secretary and moreso, at the Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister, who is a Tobagonian, who has an official prime minister's residence in Tobago and has failed to develop Tobago so much so that Scarborough floods, threatening the existence and continuation of businesses, even when there is money to deal with drains and flooding," he said.

During a cocktail reception to welcome Sahu to Tobago, last Wednesday, at the Magdalena Grand Beach & Golf Resort, Lowlands, George put the new Indian High Commissioner on the hot seat.

"I would like to see the High Commissioner of India become the first diplomatic mission accredited to Trinidad and Tobago which opens a sub-office in Tobago," he had said in brief remarks.

"There is tremendous potential for that, tremendous potential for cultural exchanges, business exchanges, development of business ideas in Tobago."

George said a sub-office will serve as an incubator for even greater developmental opportunities and exchanges between the two countries.

Duke said George's call appeared to be "a wild cry for help.

"What my friend Martin George should have been doing is trying to bring about real change, if he believes that those who occupy the position as change agents, the chief secretary and the prime minister are impotent, he should be moving to create that change within Tobago and Trinidad."

He added: "Let those who lead the country develop the country. Let those persons be the one to invite the possible investors from India, China, wherever, and speak with them; because they are the ones with whom the investors can make a real commitment, not that overture made by Martin George."

Saying George's challenge sends a wrong message to citizens and the international community, Duke claimed: "I have received several phone calls from persons abroad who want to know what is going on to my good friend, Martin George, whether he has been elevated to issuing public invitations in the face of the chief secretary to would-be investors."

Duke urged George to desist from such "bad habits.

"Conversations like that should be done in private and not touted from a platform where he is in no position to invite those persons to invest publicly."