With only a few weeks to go before the council of the Tunapuna/Piarco Regional corporation is dissolved, the corporation is set to spend over $200,000 on a retreat for 41 people. Councillor for Auzonville/Tunapuna Esmond Forde called a news conference at the corporation’s office yesterday. Though the media were told they could not enter the building for the briefing, Forde spoke to the media in the corporation’s parking lot. He said he was concerned about “wastage” in the corporation.
“A special finance meeting was called on June 1 to discuss a retreat, the second such in one financial year. That is probably a record,” Forde told reporters. Forde, who is a member of the People’s National Movement (PNM) said he and his fellow PNM councillors had enquired as to the need for a second retreat. “We were told that the minister wanted to fast track a development project so that they could get it ready by August to get projects up and running.”
Forde said they felt it was not the best time to have the retreat as the money being spent could go to the people in the region. He said an invoice from the Coco Reef Hotel in Tobago showed that the corporation was spending $207,400 on hotel expenses. “This does not include air fare. Forty-one persons are going but the council has only 16 members.” He said he has a list of over 61 potholes to be patched and manholes to be covered.
“When I enquire they so ‘no materials’. I am just asking if we could put this money to better use.” Forde said despite having already received plane tickets for the retreat, which takes place this weekend, he and his fellow PNM councillors will boycott the event. Following Forde’s news conference, media officials were intercepted by other councillors from the corporation including councillor for Caura Prakash Bharath.
Bharath defended the decision for the retreat, saying it was necessary for councillors to hand over the corporation with preparations already made for the future.
Khadijah responds
In a release yesterday, chairman of the corporation Khadijah Ameen described the situation as a “non-issue” created by the PNM. She said the retreat had been agreed to by all of the councillors of the corporation, including the PNM councillors.
“What is further interesting is that all of the PNM councillors having agreed to the retreat collected their e-mailed confirmation receipts from the corporation for their Caribbean Airlines tickets, spoke to staff with regards to bookings and by their words and actions confirmed their attendance.” “Why then is there this 180 degree turn by the PNM councillors? Is it because the chairman of the Tunapuna Regional Corporation has been named the UNC candidate for Chaguanas West?”
Ameen said it would have been irresponsible of her as chairman of an organisation “which services more than 220,000 burgesses,” not to have a system of succession and continuity in place as she was about to relinquish the chairmanship of the corporation. “The purpose of the corporation's annual retreat has always been to plan proper policies and programmes for the Corporation so it can continue to serve its burgesses.”
She added that the emphasis of the retreat was on efficient disaster response in anticipation of the inclement weather predicted for this rainy season and greater efficiency.