$600m campus waste an insult

THE EDITOR: Ah, the great saga of the University of the West Indies (UWI) Penal/Debe Campus, a true testament to the art of lavishly squandering taxpayer money.

Twenty long years have passed and what do we have to show for it? A whopping $600 million down the drain, and the campus remains as deserted as a ghost town in a Western film.

This brilliant project, which started during the People's Partnership administration, promised to decentralise tertiary education and benefit thousands of south Trinidad students. Instead, it has become a masterclass in bureaucratic inefficiency and fiscal mismanagement.

The campus that was meant to empower our youth and future leaders has morphed into a mere quarantine site, with its dormitories turned into a "step-down facility" during the covid19 pandemic. A true testament to the saying, "When life gives you a $600 million lemon, make it into a lemonade stand for a few months."

So, kudos to the ever-efficient government for this remarkable display of financial wizardry. This story of the UWI Penal/Debe Campus is a stark reminder of the need for greater transparency, accountability, and fiscal responsibility in public projects.

Blowing $600 million on an empty campus is not just a waste of money; it's an insult to the very people who bear the financial burden.

It's high time for citizens to demand better governance, prudent spending, and a government that respects their hard-earned money.

S BENOIS-SELMAN

Woodbrook