THE COLLAPSE OF THE PARLIAMENT ROOF IS PNM THIEVERY IN PLAIN SIGHT – THE GOVERNMENT MUST PROVIDE OSH CERTIFICATION TO ENSURE THAT THE RED HOUSE IS SAFE FOR WORK
The collapse of the Parliament roof almost two weeks ago demonstrates how PNM leaders have systematically stolen money “legally” from the Treasury – in front of our faces – ever since they put their hands on it in 1956.
After much fanfare only 2 years ago, spending close to $500 million on the restoration of the Red House – calling it “money well spent” – the shoddy work has been proven. The Opposition had warned about this beforehand.
Now, even more money will be spent on repairing the badly done work in the first place – more money for favoured contractors.
It is a PNM racket, which has thoughtlessly put the people of this country in danger and at risk, without care or any patriotic feeling whatsoever, totally opposite to what the PNM claims.
This PNM racket – now led by Keith Rowley — defines the Trinidad and Tobago state that they created in 1962. The same goes with road paving and infrastructure work, school textbooks, anything they put their hands on. Nothing is ever designed to be fully complete or functional, because that is the nature of the racket – to keep the money flowing.
When the PNM were called out about the roof in Parliament on Friday 11 November 2022, they were proud of the poor-quality work, even as the building was collapsing around them.
Indeed, in January 2020, less than one week after the Red House was reopened, a heavy downpour resulted in leaks in the building’s roof and flooding on the compound.
Yet, the PNM brazenly told Trinidad and Tobago that citizens should be thankful that they did such inferior work.
This is the deep moral, intellectual, spiritual and financial corruption that the PNM has embedded in this society since 1956. It must be erased.
On Tuesday last week, consummate PNM-insider and “eat ah fooder”, Noel Garcia, attempted to further arrogantly downplay the collapse, and tried to insult the Opposition in the process.
Garcia stated that it was merely a piece of moulding that had fallen, and that the Parliament Chamber was closed simply “out of an abundance of caution”.
Garcia then contradicted himself, however, saying that repairs would take 26 days. This is obviously more than a piece of moulding falling. Clearly, Garcia was boldfacedly misleading the country about the extent of the damage.
What is worse is that this misspent $500 million could have been used to buy laptops, to fix infrastructure, to sustain the fuel subsidy, and many other purposes.
But the PNM’s priorities are to keep their rackets flowing. The Rowley regime has ramped this up to in-your-face corruption, with their 210 recusals so that Cabinet ministers and their families can directly benefit from state contracts and payments.
Under Rowley’s PNM, not only has Parliament roof collapsed, the economy has collapsed, the society has collapsed, and the government itself has collapsed.
We need to rebuild this society from the ground up – not only our Parliament, but our entire democracy, economy and society, so that the PNM cannot sabotage it with its racketeering and corruption, ever again.
In the meanwhile, as MP Rudranath Indarsingh stated at the Opposition Media Briefing on Sunday, the Opposition demands a written certification from the Health and Safety Officer assigned to Parliament that the building is safe and fit for usage.
Should any injury occur, insurance payments and/or Workman’s Compensation may apply for Parliamentarians sitting in the Chamber and its staff.
We also demand a full OSH report on the structural integrity of the Red House and a certified assessment of the recent work done.
We must not tolerate Keith Rowley’s corruption and endangerment of our people any longer.
Dr. Kirk Meighoo
Public Relations Officer
United National Congress