THA secretaries to be sworn in Jan 26

THE swearing-in of the new Tobago House of Assembly (THA) secretaries has been tentatively set for January 26.

The announcement was made by THA Chief Secretary Farley Augustine on January 21 on the Tobago Updates morning programme.

On January 12, the Augustine-led Tobago People’s Party (TPP)won all seats in the assembly legislature to serve a four-year term.

Augustine said he has been in contact with the Office of the President on the swearing-in of secretaries.

“Yesterday (January 20) the President’s office indicated that they are looking at Monday (January 21) morning for the swearing-in of secretaries right here in Tobago and so we’re working out the logistics of that as we speak. As soon as the logistics are finalised, the public will know. Of course, that would be broadcast live so the public can look forward to seeing that.”

On January 20, the THA (Amendment) Bill 2026 was passed in the Senate increasing the number of secretaries.

Augustine said his intention at this point is chief secretary, deputy chief secretary and to not go beyond 11 other secretaries. He said there will be some structural shifts as he noted that besides the Division for Legal and Inter-Governmental Affairs there will be another stand-alone division that will have responsibility for planning and development. Immediately after appointing these secretaries, he said he will make an address detailing the divisions and detailing where they will be placed.

There is speculation that former Secretary of Health, Wellness and Social Protection Dr Faith Brebnor along with former Secretary of Food Security, Natural Resources, the Environment and Sustainable Development Nathisha Charles-Pantin will return to their respective divisions.

“I can say confidently that no one owns a division. Let me be clear, not making everyone a secretary does not mean that everyone on the team does not have the capacity to be a secretary. We had the most stringent, the most robust, the most hectic, the most complex screening process in order to determine the candidates and so what I am confident is that I have a team of 15 that any one can be a secretary.”

He added that expectations may lead to one being surprised.

“At the end of the day, a secretary is called to have good management skills, not even to be a subject matter expert in the area that they are leading but to have good management skills. The truth is, once you’re a good manager of people, of assets, of resources, of time, of talents – then you’ll do well in any division.”

In the interim, there has since been the appointment of three councillors – Petal-Ann Roberts, Adanna Joseph-Wallace and Ackel Franklyn.

“I believe that there must be sparsity to a geographical spread. I would not be chief secretary of Tobago and have the opportunity to appoint three councillors and all three councillors come from Tobago West; it would not happen ever once I am chief secretary. Secondly, the authority to appoint councillors rest solely with the chief secretary and it does not require my consultation with anybody else – I make that decision.”