Government attempts to move ahead with the $7.2 billion San Fernando to Point Fortin Highway project hit another snag yesterday after residents of several south Trinidad communities threatened to halt work along the route. The residents made the threat as they staged fiery protest action against what they called unfair compensation for their properties and intimidation.
Already faced with a legal battle brought by the Highway Re-route Movement, whose leader, Dr Wayne Kublalsingh continued his protest outside the Office of the Prime Minister yesterday as well, Government came in for heavy condemnation as residents of Debe, Mon Desir and South Oropouche blocked roads from as early as 5 am during their action. This caused a traffic pile-up. Within minutes heavily armed soldiers and police officers were out to quell the action but residents continued.
They accused the National Infrastructural Development Company (Nidco) and Government of thuggery, saying they are being threatened to accept $50,000 compensation packages or face the demolition of their homes. “At the end of the day, all Nidco wants to do is settle and build the highway,” leader of the Highway Action Committee, Edward Moodie, said. “It is an attempt to get the highway done because this government has nothing else to show for elections,” he added.
Standing outside his demolished home along the Southern Main Road, South Oropouche, yesterday, 48-year-old Marlon Jones said Nidco workers demolished his family’s home on Saturday. He said the house sheltered 16 relatives, 12 of whom are children between eight months to 16 years old.
“My sister was duped into signing because this guy came in his Prado van and three truck loads of workers and started to demolish. She was duped into signing it, frightened and threatened,” Jones said. He said their home was valued at $500,000 but they were only given $100,000. Speaking to the T&T Guardian yesterday Moodie, ironically a community consultant with Nidco, said: “We are protesting against the inhumanity and the injustices by Nidco on the people. People are being targeted one by one.
“Nidco is coming to them with an offer even though we had an evaluator who apparently sold out the people after he met with the minister privately. “These people don’t even know if they are in the path of the highway or if they are out. We need somebody from Nidco to come to these people and say for sure whether they are in or out and if they are going to be compensated.”
Pearly Ramnarine, who has medical issues, said Nidco officials visited her on July 26 and forced her to sign a $50,000 agreement. “He told me that if he were in government, he would have never given me $50,000. He would have put me in a HDC house that the PNM built and when I died, he would have taken it away. Like I have no family,” Ramnarine said.
She added: “The evaluator came to my home on four occasions and told me if I did not sign the cheque for the $50,000, the Government will get people to break down my house and I would have to pay $500.” Even though Moodie led yesterday’s charge, last year he took part in a pro-highway demonstration, rivaling Kublalsingh and the Highway Re-route Movement. Moodie does not share the same woes as the residents, as he was compensated some $4.1 million for his Goopie Trace, Penal, home.
However, yesterday, he said: “This is not about me, I got my settlement. I am standing for my brothers and sisters.” While he wants the intervention of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, he is also calling on the Independent Liberal Party (ILP) leader Jack Warner to defend the residents. He made it clear that if Government did not heed their warnings, he would make public several instances of corrupt practices linked to the highway construction.
Moodie said: “I have so many corruption facts and I am waiting. If they do not deliver to the people, I will unleash it one-by-one. My objective is not that, my objective is for these people. “People have asked for Jack Warner. I am going to call Mr Warner very soon and I am going to ask him to come to meet the people but I do not want this meeting to become political. “This is the minister who promised us justice and we want him to come and say what has happened.
“At the end of the day, Jack could reiterate all the promises that were made, what went to Cabinet, what was approved and he will ask the questions. When he raises the questions, you would want to bet they find answers for it.” Although most of the residents did not have deeds to the lands, Moodie said Nidco had promised to relocated them to apartments but only to pay their rent for up to six months.
Nevertheless, he said, Government was destroying communities, a song persistently sung by Kublalsingh. Moodie added: “The relocation site is not ready and that has a lot of corruption issues in it. Certain contractors were selected and they are the ones doing the development with cost overruns in the millions. I heard it is close to $1 billion in cost overruns. Who is going to pay for that?” He hoped Warner and his attorney could meet with the residents tomorrow.
Efforts to contact Nidco chairman Dr Carson Charles and Minister of Works and Infrastructure Dr Surujrattan Rambachan were unsuccessful yesterday as calls to their cellphones went unanswered and they did not return messages.