Minister: National Enrichment Centre not yet safe

AND CLINT CHAN TACK

Minister of Social Development and Family Services, Donna Cox, is denying claims by the head of the Cerebral Palsy Society, Philip Metivier, that it was evicted from the National Enrichment Centre. Instead, she is askioning who let it in to begin with.

In her contribution to the budget debate on Tuesday, Cox said the building is not fit for occupation.

"The first thing I'd like Mr Metivier to tell me, where he got the authority to utilise that building. Because the building is not fit for persons to be there. It's under refurbishment. From August 3, 2022- March 16, 2023, the ministry has worked conducting the fire and safety works at the building. So it begs the question, how did he get in there? Who gave him permission to use the building?
"That is not a building that you're supposed to use. At this point in time, the works are ongoing and therefore no one should be there. That is a risk and it is a risk for children with disability."

Cox said work would be completed as soon as possible.

She said she would like Metivier to produce evidence of getting permission from the ministry's permanent secretary.

In a phone interview with Newsday on Monday, Metivier claimed his group was given access to the building between 2018 and2019 by then Minister of Social Development and Family Services Cherrie-Ann Crichlow-Cockburn.

"In 2020 they relaxed it (restrictions) so activities could go on, so they gave us a place in Couva, that's the child development centre, so we were using that. Then, I think, early this year they said, 'All right, allyuh could go back to the centre now, it's ready. It's in working condition," he claimed.

He said last week, his group was given a week to vacate the premises without an official explanation, and all he got was an oral explanation from the facilities manager that the building was going to be repaired.

He said the move left some 30 members, one as young as three years old, unable to complete their ten-week therapy schedule. The building was used to provide free therapy to cerebral palsy children from as far as Guayaguyare. This is facilitated by the Caribbean Kids Family Therapy Organisation, free of charge to the group.

Apart from clarity, Metivier said the society wanted a space where it could continue its work.

"Just get a place in the interim for us so that we can continue doing our therapy until the building is finished...because that building was built for the purpose.

"The National Enrichment Centre was for people with disabilities."

He said if the members lost out on their next five weeks of therapy, it could undo up to ten years of work put in by the patients and their parents.

On Monday, Chaguanas East MP Vandana Mohit called on the Prime Minister and Cox to intervene and allow the Cerebral Palsy Society to stay at the Carlsen Field building until alternative arrangements could be made to house it.

In Parliament on Tuesday, Cox found it curious that Metivier was speaking to the media and not to her about the matter, and described his actions as mischief.

"The tenders actually just went out with regard to the outfitting of the building."

Cox said efforts were being made to complete the work  as soon as possible. She added that the Digicel Foundation was assisting.

Cox also expressed her hope that the Disabilities Bill would come to Parliament soon. She added that 15 government ministries and nine organisations that work with people with disabilities collaborated on the bill.

"We don’t believe in the top-down approach, we believe that persons with disabilities have a voice and must be heard. We believe in their motto – 'Nothing for us without us.'"