Calypso Rose: Duke, Farley must behave

DAUGHTER of the Tobago soil Linda McCartha Monica Sandy-Lewis – known the world over as Calypso Rose – is calling for an end to hostilities between PDP leader Watson Duke and THA chief secretary Farley Chavez Augustine.

She said this political tug-of-war and power struggle between the two does not bode well for Tobago.

Speaking to the Newsday from New York on Wednesday, Rose said she was saddened by what is playing out between Duke and Augustine. She called on them to seek God's help to settle their differences.

“That infighting is not good for Tobago.

“Put down your arms, lift your eyes to the hills and ask the Lord to give you both health and strength to govern my beautiful Tobago, shining in the morning sun,” Rose said. She said if the two have so much energy to burn, they should turn their energy to gardening.

“Put down the (verbal) arms. Take up the shovel and rake and go to the garden and plant food so the children could get fresh vegetables. Go out to sea and catch some fresh fish to feed the people.

“The soil good and ready for planting right now. We need food, we don’t need argument and fighting.”

Duke recently fired the three PDP deputy political leaders – one of whom is Augustine – while the THA chief secretary has promised to review Duke's role and function in the THA as deputy chief secretary.

The war of words came after Duke took to social media to castigate the THA for allegedly abandoning a group of Tobagonians who went to the United States to perform at cultural functions.

Augustine, who has admitted that the THA did partially fund the group by paying for their airfare and other costs, is disputing Duke's version.

Augustine is now daring Duke to bring a motion of no-confidence in the chief secretary at the next sitting of the assembly, warning that if that motion fails after a vote, Duke's tenure as deputy chief secretary could be in jeopardy.