Chief Sec asks Sturge to beef up Tobago's defence

KINNESHA GEORGE-HARRY

THA Chief Secretary Farley Augustine has laid bare a litany of issues compromising Tobago's security, during a meeting with Minister of Defence Wayne Sturge on August 29. The pair held discussions on strengthening Tobago’s security framework, with a focus on support for existing bases.

Speaking with Newsday on August 31, Augustine said they held very favourable discussions on a number of issues.

“I would have raised the issues of our open borders; protection for our fishers while they ply their trade; the usual lack of responsiveness from the Coast Guard when fishers are in trouble out at sea; lack of vehicular assets for the Coast Guard and Defence Force; the deplorable state of Camp Signal Hill and the Coast Guard base; the need for a staging area and possible helipad in the north of the island; an operational base for Coast Guard and Defence Force at Hermitage; and human trafficking and the impact on the island, especially since there was a successful raid and detention sometime last year.”

He said the issues were explored and they reviewed the help provided to Naval Lieutenant Valentine, who is in charge of the Coast Guard base in Tobago.

“He (the Minister) assured that he would revisit the protocols for how they would respond when fishers call in. The normal practice is that the fishers would call into the Coast Guard when they’re in trouble, and the Coast Guard base in Tobago must then get clearance from somebody in Trinidad before they can proceed to provide the assistance.

"So they will revisit that process, that protocol governing how they respond. So he assured that he will do that because he found that to not be very efficient.”

The minister also visited Camp Signal Hill to see the conditions first-hand, and Augustine believes the minister will now move post-haste to send engineers to look at a nearby building to see if it can be utilised and also to identify short-term arrangements at the camp to accommodate the officers. He said the same will be done for the Coast Guard base in Scarborough.

The Office of the Chief Secretary, he said, remains committed to collaborating with the Ministry of Defence to ensure Tobago’s safety and security.