Kezel Jackson slams 'politically-paid mischief-makers'

ALL People Party (APP) leader Kezel Jackson blamed a melee at her December 22 Christmas give-away at the Centre of Excellence, Macoya, on political mischief-makers, in an angry broadcast streamed live on Facebook on December 23.

Video clips had shown a packed auditorium of people at an event that began in a very orderly way but then descended into chaos amid reports of fighting, with even a chair held high in anger.

One member of the public told Newsday those attending first had to pay a fee to join the party and then another fee for a ticket to attend the give-away, and in all of this, some people were disappointed with what they received in return in the form of grants plus household items such as appliances and toys such as bicycles.

Newsday called by phone but was unable to contact Jackson, who also did not reply to our request via Facebook Messenger for an interview. A visit to the APP headquarters on Park Street, Port of Spain, on December 23 found a door padlocked shut.

However, in a 15-minute broadcast, Jackson vented to lament those who had behaved badly and to say how much she had done to help poor people over the years and continuing.

Jackson said while she had promised to distribute $500,000 in funds/items, she had in fact delivered $1.1 million worth.

Clenching one fist, she said, "When you pay people to come and make a mess, I will give them the message."

She alleged certain people did not have the testicular fortitude to  attend the event personally, but instead sent "little puppets and little minions to come in here and be disruptive."

"So that was what that was about," she said of the melee. "It was politically-paid mischief."

Jackson said she had kept her promise to do a live give-away, but then criticised many attendees as being greedy and self-seeking.

"Some of you all are frauds, some of you are the scammers, some of you are opportunists."

She said some of those who attended treated the event like a game of roulette rather than a chance to support her political party.

"Go to your government who have you hungry!" she chided.

Perhaps alluding to reports of altercations at the event, Jackson said she came from the ghetto.

"Don't think you could come with your 'ghettonian' behaviour and think you all can come and take charge."

She said she did not need a seat in Parliament in order to be comfortable and described the Trinidad and Tobago dollar as "Monopoly money."

"That is why I work outside of TT. I make more money than your Prime Minister."

She described the Government as nasty, stinking and wicked and claimed it was responsible for many people in TT now being hungry.

Jackson alluded to years of charitable donations she had made.
"Do you know how much money we spend for the schools that kept calling, 'Aunty Kezel! Aunty Kezel! Aunty Kezel!'?"

She again turned her fire to the behaviour of some attendees, including one woman who had been given a grant but then tried to steal items from the stage.

"Learn to share and care. People want to stay right there and see how much you could get for yourself."

Jackson again dubbed some attendees "opportunists."

She recalled a woman receiving a bicycle but then complaining, "I have six children and I only got one bike."

Jackson commented, "You want to have a set of children, but you want me to mind them?"

She said she had never told any woman to have so many children.

"How could you want six bicycles for six children?
"See the level of wickedness? If you alone get, what happens to the others?"

She said after the event some dissatisfied attendees had complained that they wanted a refund, but she said the event was not a parlour or a sou sou.

Jackson vowed to persevere.

"We are going somewhere. I will continue to be the queen of the poor."

However, she warned she would not tolerate "nasty behaviour" by individuals who had already received items but whose mindset was "beg, beg, beg."

Jackson's personal website lists six books she has written, including Secrets Married Couples Never Speak: Sex, Lies, Relationships; Rich Hacks Poor Traps: How to Beat the System; and Ping Pong: The Evolution of Steelpan in TT.