PM: Government working to resolve Coast Guard's 'shameful management'

PRIME Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar says the government is taking steps to address inadequacies in the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard (TTCG) as she described its management as "poor and shameful."

Persad-Bissessar told Newsday that work is expected to begin next week at the Cedros Security Complex. She said this would begin with T&TEC upgrading the lighting system around the facility, National Petroleum upgrading the fuel systems and the Urban Development Corporation of TT inspecting and creating a scope of works to upgrade the buildings.

"The facility was left in a total state of disrepair. The coast guard officers working there are working in horrible conditions. The facility is in desperate need of upgrades. It is only because of the visit of the Minister of Defence (Wayne Sturge) a couple of weeks ago that we were able to find out what is happening there," she said in a WhatsApp message.

She said there aren't any lights on the jetty or around the compound, the fuel tanks and lines are rotted, and there is structural damage to the buildings, which are in a general state of disrepair, as toilets and air conditioning aren't functional.

While the Prime Minister has blamed the former administration for many of the issues plaguing the country, she said senior TTCG and TT Defence Force (TTDF) staff are also culpable for the conditions.

"It's clear incompetence and disregard for duty exhibited by senior officials, and that is why the influx of drugs, guns, immigrants went unchecked."

She added: "I can say with certainty that some members of the coast guard are complicit in illegal activities and in the running down of the physical infrastructure and resources."

Despite her strong words, Persad-Bissessar said the majority of TTCG officers are "genuinely responsible and hardworking."

To address the issues, she said the government was working with the Commissioner of Police, Allister Guevarro, and foreign partners, particularly in addressing the management issues at the TTCG and TTDF.

"The management of the coast guard resources and operations by those in charge is exceedingly poor and shameful."

When asked about the police commissioner's remit over the TTCG and TTDF, Persad-Bissessar said: "He is the commissioner of police for all of Trinidad and Tobago."

The Prime Minister did not respond to questions about the cost of the upgrades. She also did not respond to concerns raised by Patriotic Front political leader Mickela Panday. In a video posted to her social media page, Panday said she visited Cedros and there was only one TTCG vessel offshore with a pirogue in the water without fuel. She said there aren't any vehicles available for patrol or rapid response, all of which are insufficient to secure the borders.

"While threats are easy to issue, the people of Cedros and Icacos remain dangerously exposed," Panday said.

However, the Prime Minister assured that there are enough human resources and vessels to protect the borders.

It comes as Persad-Bissessar rejected a call from Colombian president Gustavo Petro to search for the bodies of those killed by the US in a strike on an alleged drug boat last week, saying the country would not waste its resources on such an endeavour.

“Our coast guard resources will be utilised for the protection of our borders, not to look for dead drug traffickers," she told Newsday on September 9.