Duke tells licensing officers to pack up, leave Tobago

Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP) political leader Watson Duke’s has some advice for Trinidad-based licensing officers, who were sent to Tobago more than a week ago to hold road exercises as part of an anti-crime initiative to address the island’s worsening crime situation.

He is telling them: "Pack up and leave Tobago."

At a news conference on August 2 at the party’s head office, Port Mall, Scarborough, Duke disagreed with the view, in some quarters, that the licensing officers were terrorising Tobagonians.

He said they were only doing their jobs.

So, he said, “I want to say to the licensing officers, good job, you have reminded us of the law."

But he added: "Now that you have done that, it is time to pack up and leave Tobago. You have spent a week – not terrorising us, because you were doing your work. And so those persons who say you were terrorising us, they are wrong. The licensing officers, they were not terrorising us.

“You must use the correct words.

"What they were doing was provoking us. And you must not provoke people, because provocation could lead to other acts.”

He recalled a video on social media, earlier this week in which a man threatened to use black magic to prevent the officers from obstructing the lives of Tobagonians.

“I am saying to my friends today in the licensing division who came to Tobago – not those who are here – it is time to go back.

"I am putting it politely to you: do not spend another week in Tobago.

“This has nothing to do with any protest or anything like that. But I am advising you kindly, pretty please, do not spend another week in Tobago.”

The Belle Garden East/Roxborough/Delaford assemblyman said he was not threatening the officers but giving a word to the wise.

“There are no prophetic statements in that. I am just saying to you, do not spend another week in Tobago. You have done a good job. But you can pack up your stuff and go back now.

“Write in your book, you have made Tobagonians recognise the law. You have done well. Thank you.”

Duke said the officers should not mistake Tobagonians’ calmness for stupidity.

“Tobagonians are quiet people, but they have tolerance limits. Do not take Tobagonians’ calm as permission to be aggressive towards them.”

Saying he represented licensing officers during his tenure as Public Services Association president, Duke said many of them were his friends and he had no problem with their coming to work alongside their Tobago colleagues.

“What we are against is provocation. Know when to stop. Is a very serious word I am giving licensing officers today.”

Duke said Tobagonians are suffering from repressed anger – a condition he believes is being exacerbated by the strained economic realities on the island.

He said it is inconceivable to think that Tobagonians can pay exorbitant fines, since many of them are employed on “cutlass wuk.

“When you work half a month, you getting $1,500 month, then you want to give a man a ticket for $2,000 – how he paying he bills? What going on with that?

“You have to understand that the economics of Tobago does not allow Tobagonians to pay these excessive bills. People are afraid. They can’t handle the bills. They can’t take it any more.”

Duke also told the licensing officers they should not return to Tobago any time soon.

“Let this blow over, because it will take them a while to forgive and forget.”

Earlier this week, Rodhill Kirk, police senior superintendent in the Tobago Division, said while the roadblocks might be seen as an inconvenience to commuters, police and licensing officers were only doing their jobs. He urged members of the public to bear with them.