Obika ejected from Senate

OPPOSITION Senator Taharqa Obika was put out of the Senate on Wednesday by Senate President Christine Kangaloo after ignoring her order to withdraw a remark and to take his seat.

He had asked about Chatham Government Primary School pupils now housed at the Southern Gardens ECCE centre (nursery) until their school is rebuilt, but was dissatisfied with Agriculture Minister Clarence Rambharath’s reply.

Newsday asked if he had been defiant to the Senate President and if so, had he felt justified in doing so.

“If I am defiant it is for the pre-schoolers and the children of Point Fortin," he said. "If that is my crime, I will proudly wear it as a badge of honour.” Saying he has sought to get the Government to come clean to the people of Point Fortin, he felt the Senate President “had missed the mark” in her ruling.

It had all begun with Obika’s question as to the Government’s timeline for completing the ECCE centre in Southern Gardens, Point Fortin.

Rambharath replied works had been delayed by the covid19 pandemic.

Obika retorted that the people of Point Fortin had been suffering for five years and added, “The minister is an embarrassment.”

Kangaloo chided Obika, who then told the Government, “You have all failed.”

She told him to withdraw the remark but he remained standing at the podium, muttering something inaudible to reporters.

Kangaloo then instructed, “Leave the chamber for the rest of the sitting.”

He duly complied.

Obika later told Newsday he had said Rambharath was embarrassing himself as his explanation blaming covid19 was at odds with Education Minister Anthony Garcia's previously blaming the incomplete works on a lack of funds.

Obika said the Government had met the school 90-95 per cent complete, but had failed to finish it simply for a lack of the remaining five per cent or so of funds.

Asked why he had defied then President’s call to withdraw those remarks, he alleged Kangaloo had not likewise reined in Trade Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon, whose cross-floor banter towards him he said had made her as culpable as he. Obika termed his ejection “harsh and oppressive.”

He lamented that only 77 primary pupils can be seated at the Southern Gardens ECCE, while the new Chatham Primary School building will take 200 pupils. The new building will fit in 130 more primary pupils, and free up 77 places for ECCE pupils.

Obika is the UNC prospective candidate for Point Fortin, now held by the PNM’s Edmund Dillon, against Point Fortin Mayor Kennedy Richards Jr as PNM nominee in the upcoming general election.