Highs and lows of Charles' 3-year reign
Last week Chief Secretary for the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Kelvin Charles announced his decision to step down from the post after he was defeated in the People's National Movement's (PNM) Tobago Council internal elections on January 26.
Tracey Davison-Celestine now leads the Tobago PNM council after she won a runoff against Charles. The TT Ambassador to Costa Rica received 3,150 votes compared to Charles' 2,142 votes. The latter will step down by the end of April.
Charles was elected Chief Secretary on January 23, 2017 with a 10-2 victory over Watson Duke's Progressive Democratic Patriots in the THA elections.
He made it clear to Tobago after receiving his instrument of appointment from former president Anthony Carmona that his mantra “business as unusual" signalled a different type of governing style.
Newsday looks back at some of the highs and lows of the Kelvin Charles era.
Among the notable criticisms were the collapse of the seabridge, buying a brand new BMW, poor working conditions at schools across Tobago, ANR Airport expansion project chaos, Tobago Regional Health Authority failures, the Sandals resort project fiasco and education issues.
Despite these criticism he achieved a number of successes and showed an ability “to do more with a declining revenue.”
Charles said his team managed to make a significant impact in education, infrastructure, enterprise development, tourism and sport in three years.
A few of these include the success of the Tobago Jazz Experience 2019, the Tobago Tourism Agency, reconstruction of the Studley Park Quarry and the Barbados Bay jetty, the construction of Scarborough RC school and Roxborough Administrative Complex.
RISING CRIME
Another challenging area Charles fought to control was the spike in murders and crimes against tourists.
In his first year Tobago reported 12 murders compared to 2018 where nine murders were recorded. There were ten murders in 2019, including the double murder of John Mills and his wife Eulyn John at their Buccoo home. Mills was a close friend of Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and a former classmate.
No murders have been recorded for 2020 but the island has increased a surge in gun-related robberies.
During the last three years a number of tourists were assaulted and robbed at gun point. Police were able to arrest culprits in most of these matters.
The opening of the Shirvan Road Police Station in March 2019 was expected to be a huge boost to policing. At the opening, Deputy Chief Secretary Joel Jack said the $59m police station is well equipped with modern technology to give police the advantage in the fight against crime.
SEABRIDGE COLLAPSE
A major hurdle for the Charles administration came when the seabridge collapsed.
This situation left many Tobagonians and travellers to the island isolated and frustrated and was a huge economic blow to the island. With travellers being forced to wait in long lines for hours, many vowed never to return to Tobago until the inter-island transportation service was sorted out.
The beginning of the collapse of the seabridge began when the Super Galicia decided to withdraw its services from TT.
Government utilised a barge and the MV Atlantic Provider to service the cargo needs to Tobago.
The seabridge totally collapsed when maintenance issues resulted in the Port Authority of TT putting the TT Express on dry dock. With just the TT Spirit fast ferry operational but also in need of maintenance, visitors to the island declining significantly as well as a supply of goods.
Hundreds of travellers crowed the airports daily and many were left stranded on the island because there weren’t enough flight spaces to accommodate the influx.
The issue gravely affected the Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the Tobago Hotel and Tourism Association and the Truckers and Traders Association with repeated calls made by them to rectify the situation.
Even with the arrival of the Cabo Star cargo vessel, Charles was criticised by the Minority and member of the Truckers and Traders Association for his silence on Tobago's transportation woes.
Despite promises on public platforms across Tobago to fix the seabridge once and for all, Tobago stakeholders said the island would take years to recover losses experienced during the collapse.
Minority Leader Watson Duke, in an outrageous attempt to shed light on the plight of Tobagonians, sought to swim from Tobago to Trinidad. Although eventually boarding a boat after initially beginning his journey swimming, thousands logged online to see Duke's protest swim.
After the arrival of the Galleons Passage in 2018 Charles told the media he was grateful to have another ferry despite a sailing time of around five hours to make the inter-island journey.
He added, "We have passed the worst and we are now heading into the boosting of our passenger service and a regular supply of goods and service…In the not too distant future .”
Charles was finally able to declare the seabridge fixed with the arrival of the Jean de la Valette fast ferry in 2019.
NEW RIDE
Charles' new $700,000 BMW Li740 vehicle came into spotlight in 2018. In a release, Charles said the new Chief Secretary vehicle was necessary to replace the six-year-old Lexus. He said the THA had considered its age and cost of repairs and security requirements for the Chief Secretary and found it feasible to approve the price of a brand new vehicle.
The vehicle cost $777,817.33.
Members of the minority condemned the executive council for allocating money for a new vehicle while leaving outstanding gratuity and contractual agreements unmet. Minority leader Duke said it was suspicious that the government was asking citizens to tighten their belts when “Chief secretary would then purchase a vehicle worth over $700,000, when there are other, cheaper options available.”
HISTORIC SEA
The 2019 SEA results was a historic moment for Tobago, according to Charles. It was the first time three Tobago students secured places in the nation's top 200 performers.
Tobago’s top three students, Sebastian Rampersad of the Buccoo Government Primary School, Daniella Taylor of the Bethesda Government Primary School and Archelle Melville of the Signal Hill Government, placed 18, 68 and 103 nationally.
Charles, also the Secretary of Education, hailed the achievement as testament to the work put in by his division.
NEW SCHOOL
Charles had a moment of great pride during the ribbon-cutting ceremony to open the new Scarborough RC school. The $85 million project has three storeys with 27 classrooms to accommodate 750 students, a staff room, a computer room, cafeteria, sick bay, library, chapel and an elevator.
Charles boasted it is the first of its kind in the country. Less than a month later a number a classes including a hallway flooded when rain blew into the building.
It was also reported a member of staff and a student slipped and fell on the slippery tiles. This issue was blamed on the contractor and eventually fixed with new $3 million non-slip tiles.
CLASHES WITH TTUTA
In 2017 a number of contract teachers took legal action against the Division of Education Innovation and energy.
A decision delivered in the High Court last month by Justice David Harris, ordered the THA to immediately pay contract teachers all outstanding payments, plus interest.
The teachers throughout Tobago won a constitutional motion which they filed against the THA for their rights to all gratuity payments and money owed to them
Newsday reported the teachers said the THA had treated them unequally, compared to the permanent teachers in Tobago, and also unequally as compared to contract teachers in Trinidad, by paying them less and not allowing them the same number of leave and benefits.
During his time Charles also clashed with the TT Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA) for as number of issues.
Teachers took to the streets in several demonstrations across Tobago calling on Charles to do more to make teaching better.
His efforts to refurbish and repair poor structures, meet with teachers and TTUTA, implement a zero tolerance on school violence and bullying and work with police to improve security wasn’t enough to fix 10 year old problems in three years.
And even as Charles prepares to leave office Tobago teachers continue to grapple issues of promotion and placement, poor working conditions, inadequate staffing at primary schools and security issues.
MEMORABLE JAZZ EXPERIENCE
The Tobago Jazz Experience 2019, held from April 26-28, received huge plaudits.
The show featured R&B legend and seven-time Grammy-award winner Toni Braxton and pop-rock icon Michael Bolton, supported by performances from local R&B acts, jazz singers, calypsonians and steelbands.
There were also performances by Jamaican reggae queen Marcia Griffiths, Busy Signal, conscious reggae artiste Duane Stephenson and soca star Olatunji Yearwood.
Despite its successful staging and assurances from the Chairman Festival's Commission George Leacock of the event's "musical and economic" success, the data on the revenue this year has not been released despite attempts by Newsday to acquire the information from the Tobago Festivals Commission.
TOURISM PLAN
Charles can boast of helping set a solid platform with the Tobago Tourism Agency for the tourism sector to thrive
The agency was formed in 2017 and by February 2019 reported a 5.2 per cent growth in international arrivals between December 2018 and January 2019.
By the end of 2019 a 8.2 per cent increase was reported after five years of decline before 2018.
TTAL’s efforts landed Tobago the Silver Award for Best National Tourism Board Campaign at the International Travel and Tourism Awards hosted by World Travel Market at Magazine London in London, England,
Tobago ranked 44 among the top 50 islands in the world on a list compiled by international travel website Big 7 Travel.
The island was short-listed in the International Travel & Tourism Awards 2019, in the Best National Tourism Board Campaign and Best Destination Campaign categories for its Tobago – Beyond Ordinary campaign.
TTAL also reinvigorated the German, Canadian and UK market and reported growth in the US market.
There was also a 50 per cent increase in domestic arrivals in 2019.
TTAL CEO Louis Lewis told Newsday Tobago welcomed 88,000 arrivals via the seabridge that year.
HEALTH FIASCO
Tobago health system plummeted over the last three years under Secretary for the Division of Health, Wellness and Family Development Dr Agatha Carrington. Some of these issues stem from the management and procurement areas.
Daily paid workers gathered at the division's office in 2018 calling on the secretary to pay all outstanding payments. In one instance the workers complained they hadn't been paid for three fortnights.
In March 2019 several workers in the IT, Finance and Human Resource department were sent on paid leave pending and internal audit.
During the investigation members of the minority raised concerns about Carrington's hiring spree during the investigation into the HR department.
Almost eight months later the workers were reinstated.
Medical Chief of Staff Dr Rufaro Celestine was fired in November, two weeks after she raised an alarm of the hospital's inability to provide specialist care for patients. In a leaked email she called on TRHA CEO to put the hospital in emergency mode as there weren't enough specialist doctors to care for patients.
After this there was an online petition of over 2,500 signatures for the removal of Carrington.
In November 2019 nurses at the Scarborough Health Centre refused to report for work unless several OSH violations were addressed. Staff also complained of feeling ill under the strain of working in unsafe conditions. Carrington subsequently acknowledged over 15 issues affecting the health centre and immediately addressed some of them.
In a press conference last week Carrington said she will resign if she is asked.
Last month Charles announced the composition of a task force to have a comprehensive review at the healthcare delivery system in Tobago.
Despite the challenges Carrington was praised for the establishment of a men's health and wellness clinic in Scarborough, a Women’s Health Service/Pink Room and Breast Health Clinic in Tobago East, and the sod turning for the Roxborough hospital.
SURVIVING KAREN
Last November Tobago was hit hard by tropical storm Karen.
Tobago east and businesses in Scarborough reported millions in damages.
The Scarborough port and other areas of the capital became impassable by the high level of flood waters.
No deaths were reported.
Charles and his team along with members of the Tobago Emergency management Agency (TEMA) mobilised assistance to those affected.
In less than a month normalcy returned to the island.
In his 2020 New Year address to the island Charles said Tobagonians had proven resilient in 2019.
STUDLEY PARK SUCCE$$
Restructuring of the Studley Park Quarry in November 2017 to make it more efficient is a feather in the cap of Charles.
Within the last three years the quarry generated $66.7 million and recently began exporting and earning foreign exchange.
Studley Park Enterprises Ltd was last year granted a three-month licence to export aggregate from the Studley Park Quarry to Guyana. The licence expired at the end of January.
Charles hailed the initiative as ground-breaking.
“That is huge…it is big, because for the first time the quarry will be able to generate foreign exchange and the truth be told, this has been accomplished within three years of its restructuring,” Charles said.
“We are already exporting to Trinidad, as we seek to make sure that for Tobagonians, we generate income on our own steam to support our developmental efforts here on the island."
Charles added, “It did take some work to restructure; the jetty was repaired in no time after being out for commission for a number of years and that jetty has been used to facilitate the transport of aggregate to Trinidad and will also be used as a basis to transport aggregate to Guyana, before that we had to do it by trucks on the boat or on the ferry.”
Quarries Secretary Kwesi Des Vignes said productivity has increased by over 400 per cent since the restructuring took place and also noted Studley Park's significance in tackling the problem of coastal erosion.
Comments
"Highs and lows of Charles’ 3-year reign"