UNC: Rumours of Hinds being fired united the country

OPPOSITION MP Dr Roodal Moonilal said it's usually difficult to get people in this country to unite, but it was achieved last week when a false rumour was spread that National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds had been fired.

He spoke at a UNC press briefing in Port of Spain on Sunday morning.

Last Thursday, a local media house published a story online saying Hinds had been fired, but quickly deleted it and apologised, saying it was not true.

But screenshots of the article had already gone viral.

Hinds then took to Facebook, posting photos of himself in office, saying he had no time to lose when it came to doing his job and that he was still Minister of National Security.

Asked about this, Moonilal said the rumour sparked a "collective euphemistic (sic) spirit of optimism and hope.

"I never thought this country could be united under any issue. There are times when I feel uniting this country is so hard."

He said he saw unity but that people eventually "crashed into despair."

"There was a collective groan throughout the island when it became clear that it was just a rumour."

Moonilal said Hinds "went posing" in his office "suggesting that he's working very hard when the murder rate is the highest in the history of Trinidad and Tobago."

He said anyone who has served as a government minister knows what "personal files" look like and opined that the stacks of paper seen on Hinds' desk might very well be vacation requests.

He said the Prime Minister had done this country a disservice by keeping Hinds in the National Security portfolio.