Dennis: UNC obstructing Tobago development

Government senator Ancil Dennis, in his maiden contribution to the Senate on October 22, criticised the UNC for blocking development in Tobago. He said the Opposition had been nothing but an obstruction.

He said when the UNC was in power, the only real project that was completed was the new meteorological office.

Dennis said Tobago has thrived under the current central government.

He said the new hospital in Roxborough had everything in place for 24-hour operation when the new THA administration came into power, but this had not happened.

“The current THA administration has no excuse. It has to do with priorities. This current administration has been treated better than the previous PNM administration, but they have not prioritised operationalisation of that hospital.”

He said Tobago depended on the airbridge to bring people to the island.

“We have gone from having two flights out of the UK to one flight, because the current administration decided they wanted to send Virgin Atlantic packing. This new airport, with a capacity of three million people annually, is expected to attract significant new airlift to the airline.”

He said Tobago missed out on a great opportunity to accelerate its tourism sector success when it lost the Sandals hotel.

“We saw what happened when a few Tobagonians said they didn’t want it, supported by a few operatives in the opposition, because their intention is to obstruct and any opportunity the central government takes for development in TT, they believe they must obstruct it. As far as they are concerned, it is party first and people after, so anything to advance their political ambition – even it means obstructing development – they are going to do it.”

Dennis said after Sandals was dissuaded from building on the island and went to St Vincent and the Grenadines, that country saw a significant increase in the number of flights to the island.

“Tobago’s tourism sector would have been significantly changed. The hotel would have needed lots of eggs and lots of produce, so agriculture would have been positively affected.”

He said small hotels would have had more occupants as not all passengers would have gone to Sandals, and there would have been more linkages between Tobago and other locations.

He said the UNC would obstruct development because it felt once the government looks good, it was not good for them on election day.

“To hell with the country, it’s all about elections for them, and winning elections. But they don’t understand the people of TT are wise and we see through that. That is why we voted them out in 2015 and voted the PNM in again in 2020.”

Dennis said the UNC operated only for its own benefit, rather than that of the country.

“They are not a national party. They are a Trinidad party. The PNM is the only national Trinidad and Tobago party, so they (the UNC) will never put a candidate to run for Tobago East or Tobago West. They will meet with Farley and others quietly at night, they will plan their strategies and ensure that Tobago’s resources which were originally circulated in Tobago for the benefit of Tobagonians are no longer available to the people of Tobago.”