18 August 2019, Couva South Multipurpose Hall, Trinidad & Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago family!
Your party has been hard at work preparing to return good governance to T&T.
Today, this massive show of support indicates that the people of T&T are ready to move with the UNC. Rowley must go!
I thank you for your continued support - you inspire me, you give me strength, and I pledge to continue working for you.
Our country is trying to navigate turbulent waters.
The Prime Minister said the ship of State is sailing smoothly. I don’t know which Fantasy Island he’s living in, but we are in rough waters and if we don’t take action, the ship will capsize.
UNC on the move
We are a party United in name. United in Purpose. And United in our pledge to serve all the people of Trinidad and Tobago.
Since our National Assembly in January, our party has been on the ground, in the communities, because we want to hear from you.
We have held 100 meetings in the last several months and have reached thousands of people across Trinidad and Tobago in our pre-budget consultations, pavement reports, MNF and otrher meetings.
We will continue to meet with as many of you as we can including civil society groups such as NGOs and CBOs and others to listen to you and craft the best way forward.
We are ready, we are able, and we have a vision and plan to get T&T working again!
Announcement of local government candidates
The response to our call for people to come forward; to step up and claim your space - has been overwhelming.
Since nominations were opened, we’ve seen hundreds submit their forms, seeking to serve our nation on behalf of the United National Congress.
People from every walk of life, every creed, every race, young and the not so young - have responded to our call.
I am extremely pleased to see so many young people come forward - because as we go forward it is the youth who will become the leaders of tomorrow.
We’ve completed screening for 9 Regional Corporations, and today, I have a special announcement.
I will shortly introduce some of your candidates for the next Local Government election.
Thank you for answering the call to serve.
These bright and brilliant minds are the future.
UNC plans for 2020 and beyond
This is a clear sign of the vibrancy, the strength, the diversity and the innovative spirit of the United National Congress.
The UNC’s core philosophy has been to improve the lives of all citizens of Trinidad and Tobago.
During the Government I led, we invested in policies, projects and programmes to achieve this.
We also recognized that investment in our human capital, particularly our young people, is critical to national development.
As we move forward, we remain focused on ensuring that our young people are given opportunities to grow, develop and become productive citizens.
We laid a strong foundation during our term in Government, and when we are returned to office, we will build on the good work and advancements we made, to return our country to growth.
UNC’s Record
I feel it’s important that I share with you, once again, some of the many achievements of the Government I led.
The PNM has done nothing in the four years they’ve been in office, (except their blame Kamla campaign) and hope that the people forget the work we did.
But it is important that you are reminded:
- We created more than 55,000 jobs
- We stabilized the economy and returned to a growth path
- Crime levels were brought down to the lowest levels in over three decades
- Health care delivery across the nation was improved
- The Children’s Life Fund was established to give critically ill children a chance at accessing life-saving medical care
- More than 100 new schools were delivered
- 70% of the population received clean water supplies
- Hundreds of kilometres of new roads were constructed
- Thousands of new homes built
- The state of the art Couva Children’s Hospital was built
- Police stations were built
- Infrastructure development across the length and breadth of TT
These are just a handful - because there are simply too many to mention here.
I will never apologize for investing in our people because that is the simple mandate of any government - to protect, provide and invest in its people.
Preparing our youth for the jobs of tomorrow
It is the responsibility of all of us to leave our nation in a better way than we found it.
We must ready our youth to be able to rise to the challenge when we pass the torch to them.
That’s why a UNC government did, and always will invest in our young people.
Inclusive and accessible education is crucial to achieving sustainable development and is a critical component in addressing the root causes of crime.
Education plays a pivotal role in poverty eradication, good health, gender equality, decent work and growth, reduced inequalities, action on climate and in creating peaceful societies.
As the world moves towards the Fourth Industrial Revolution, transforming education will grow in importance as we seek to ensure that future generations are prepared for rapidly changing work environments, and can take advantage of the opportunities and challenges that arise.
Investing in our Youth
The Government I led from 2010 to 2015 made significant investment into the lives of young people which enriched and empowered thousands of our nation’s youth.
The grant of laptop computers to children entering secondary schools was the first stage.
This resulted in Trinidad and Tobago’s dramatic surpassing of expectations in our world rankings for technological development. Today those youths who benefitted from 2010 to 2015 are, and will be at an advantage in the International workforce.
Including the laptop programme, we were looking at implementing e-text books so that by today families would not have been forced to buy textbooks.
We built the UWI Debe Campus, established the Aviation Institute of Trinidad and Tobago, expanded the GATE Programme to include technical and vocational training, established the first-ever Drilling Academy in the history of our country to respond to the upstream energy activities.
In addition, together with YTEPP and MIC, we opened the state-of-the-art Tobago Technology Centre. This centre was the largest facility of its kind within Tobago as it provided training and development in the areas of computing, entrepreneurship as well as a myriad of vocational skills for Tobagonians.
Our plans for young people
These are just some of the many initiatives that my Government launched geared towards the youth.
Today, our young people continue to face the most difficult time in our nation’s history, and I say to you today: do not lose hope for better days are coming. The change is going to come.
I believe you our young people are pivotal to the development of our future, and even more importantly, the development of our present.
The Future of Jobs Report 2018 by the World Economic Forum states that:
“By 2022, no less than 54% of all employees will require significant re- and upskilling...Skills continuing to grow in prominence by 2022 include analytical thinking and innovation as well as active learning and learning strategies. Sharply increasing importance of skills such as technology design and programming highlights the growing demand for various forms of technology competency”.
As I noted earlier, we began this process of preparing our young people to take advantage of the Fourth Industrial Revolution with the laptop programme.
When we return to office we will look at ways to increase the use of technology in classrooms, and improve the curriculum with the addition of new subjects in the areas of information and communication technologies (ICT), coding and other digital skills at all levels.
We will introduce life skills and basic financial training as core parts of the syllabus.
Getting T&T working again - 2020-2025
What are people crying out for? What are the most pressing issues that this Government has failed to address?
Crime, most certainly. But also jobs.
Thousands have lost their jobs and cannot make ends meet.
The UNC has prepared a plan.
I’ve spoken about it before: our National Economic Recovery and Diversification Masterplan 2020-2025 lays out a wide-ranging suite of plans and programmes which we will pursue to get our people working again and working towards a better future.
Diversification is at the heart of our economic masterplan.
We will encourage strategic investments in niche non-energy sectors where we have strong competitive advantage, market opportunity and growth potential.
These bold steps must be made now. We will, of course, not ignore the energy sector, which will remain our economic engine for the time being.
Of the many interventions, we have identified and singled out 12 “prosperity engines” spread across both Trinidad and Tobago..
We will create 50,000 new jobs by 2025.
We did it before, and we can and will do it again. How will we do it?
These are just 12 projects that we will embark on when we return to office that will create jobs:
1. Brechin Castle Agro-Processing Complex
2. St. Madeleine Manufacturing Facility
3. East West Biotechnology Manufacturing Corridor
4. Sevilla Digital Innovation Park
5. Tamanna ‘SolarTech’ Renewable Energy Park
6. West Port of Spain 'Trinidad Creative Arts Street/Area’
7. East Port of Spain Steelpan Manufacturing Facility
8. Piarco Aircraft Maintenance, Repair & Operations Hub
9. Cedros Special Economic Zone
10. Point Galeota Energy Logistics Hub
11. Plymouth International Cruise Ship/Marina Complex
12. Tobago’s First Locally Branded Hotel
Yes, Keith Rowley, T&T is in fact in crisis
On August 31st, our nation will celebrate 57 years as an independent nation. But never in our 57 years has our nation been in such peril as it is in now.
Today T&T is ruled by a shambolic, incompetent government that is destroying everything it touches.
Keith Rowley has destroyed our once proud energy sector.
He has gutted public services meant to help the poor and the vulnerable.
He has slashed and burned resources for learning and education like the University of Trinidad and Tobago.
Patients can’t get medicine in our hospitals. Every institution is collapsing.
The Keith Rowley government has collapsed. Last week we had the shocking scenes of a Government Minister being arrested over allegations of corruption followed by the disorganized scenes of yet another person being hired and then fired.
And only Keith Rowley could come and try to convince people that they should “feel good” about it.
This is not a government. This is a farce.
Crisis of Leadership – Absentee Prime Minister
Last week the Prime Minister finally broke his silence over the matters now before the court.
But instead of providing leadership, at this critical time, he instead chose to blame everyone but himself.
In his media conference meltdown, we saw Rowley blame and attack the media, Former Prime Minister Patrick Manning.
And of course, he attacked me. Again.
People always tell me “the only ministry that working in this government is the Ministry of Blame Kamla for everything”.
In Keith Rowley’s world, everyone one else is always to blame apart from Keith Rowley.
On Thursday night Keith Rowley said that you can’t fault him about his judgement when he didn’t know then what he knows now.
Well Keith, the people of Trinidad and Tobago saying the same thing, ”If we only knew then what we know now-you would have never been Prime Minister!”
PNM failures/scandals
Rowley and his cronies keep repeating their mantra about “scandals” of the Government I led.
“Never forget,” they cry.
Here’s what the country should never forget.
Never forget that this shameless PNM leader lied to the Parliament - bringing fake emails accusing me as Prime Minister and members of my Cabinet of nefarious plots!
He was shown to be lying, and yet he is still in the post of Prime Minister.
They’ve spent billions of dollars but where has the money gone?
- 3.5 m for Chair of CL Financial on sexual harassment charges
- Roamsingh Shamfa $59 k bill
- Smith $92 k romp in Tobago
- Massy communications $ 225 m
- Lobbyist - $18 m
- Petrotrin strike cost $4 m
- E and Y - $20 m for audits
- PwC 10.5 m for audits (they no longer use the state Auditor General’s Office)
- Brian Lara Stadium $ 100 m
- Soca on the seas $3 m
- Paintings $3 m
- House in Tobago $20 m
- Jazz festival $12 m
- Golf course $.25 m in south
- $3m for CDA golf course
- Cepep legal fees to sue Moonilal $ .5 m
- $2.5 m for a fete match - to open the BLCA
- $100m on fake oil
- $23 million in rent for the family of the AG etc
MORE F’s in The Government
Family
Stuart Young’s Brother
Wives’ club
Rowley’s cousin in law
Wife of a Minister earned 40,000 per month as a technical adviser to the Minister of Works
Faris’ family $millions in rentals by government
Labour Minister has questions to answer about expenses in her Ministry
Camille has questions to answer about a bank account
Deyalsingh has questions to answer about a company called Unicom
Friends
Fake oil
$2m US Plyboard man getting $19m contract to build houses
Financiers
Fake Oil
A company hired by what used to be Petrotrin to hire people and allegedly giving a 15% kickback to high officials
Faris
Multi-Million Dollar Leases
And now another F -
Foster
PICAL Services
Cummings and Associates
The Next F- FOSTER
The Prime Minister is the man who doesn’t know anything about his Cabinet and Party colleagues.
That’s what he wants you to believe, because every time a member of his Government gets caught in shady activities he suddenly does not know.
He knew everything about corruption in his party when he was part of another Government, but he suddenly forgets everything and he changes his refrain.
Just like in the old reggae Song from Shaggy “It wasn’t me”.
He didn’t know about all the corruption happening under his watch, from appointing a Minister allegedly involved in multi-million dollar contracts, which is before the courts to multi-million dollar Fake Oil, to Romping Darryl and Roaming Shamfa from the Billionaire Wives clubs to the 23 Million Dollar Attorney General.
Millions of YOUR TAXPAYER DOLLARS.
Well Mr. Rowley, I am going to help you out today. I’m going to reveal what is happening under your watch.
And I challenge you to answer the following questions and take action.
You all may know this man; he is the General Secretary of the PNM and also:
o A temporary Government Senator from January 2008 - 6 April 2010.
o A temporary Opposition Senator from 18 June 2010 - 24 June 2014 then
o A Government Senator from 23 September 2015 - 21 July 2019 . He was removed to make way for Donna Cox and for him to focus on party matters for the elections.
o Government Senator from 14 August 2019 – Present, reappointed Foster after Rowley had to embarrassingly remove Garvin Simonette.
I want to ask Mr Rowley, is this man the General Secretary, your handpicked General Secretary of the PNM?
There are three Companies today I want to speak to you about:
1. Cummings and Associates Company Limited;
2. PICAL Services Company Limited;
3. Klydon Enterprises Company Limited.
According to the documents filed in the Company Registry, Foster Cummings and his wife Juliet Modeste were the directors and shareholders of Cummings and Associates and PICAL Services.
Foster Cummings and his wife Juliet Modeste are the owners of PICAL Services. We have the records in black and white. And all from the Ministry of Legal Affairs official records.
These are facts. These facts are undisputable, so the Prime Minister cannot deny them.
According to Foster Cummings his company is worth $25,660.00.
The Company has only 2 shares one for him and one for his wife.
CONTRACTS AWARDED TO PICAL
Contract Number 1: Besson Street Demolition.
Newsday Article of 3rd June 2019
“The project is being managed by the Urban Development Corporation of TT (Udecott).
The contract to demolish the building was awarded to Pical Services Limited owned by Government Senator Foster Cummings.
The completion date for the demolition was supposed to be May 4 according to Udecott who responded to emailed questions in March. The cost of the demolition was $455,625 VAT inclusive.
Pical Services was awarded the contract through selective tendering. Cummings directed all questions about his company's ability to complete the job to Udecott, who up to yesterday evening had not responded to the emailed questions that had first been put to Cummings.
“Selective Tender was chosen because demolition works are specific. As such, proponents were invited based on previous demolition works done for Udecott.
The evaluation criteria (were) based solely on cost and Pical Services submitted the lowest bid,” Udecott stated in their March email when asked about their decision to select Pical Services Limited.
During the demolition the main beam of the building was knocked down and the building collapsed leaving it in an unsafe manner for persons in the community and children. The work was done badly.
https://newsday.co.tt/…/07/condemned-police-station-collap…/
So the facts are:
1. The contract was awarded by Udecott;
2. PICAL Services Limited was awarded the contract;
3. PICAL Services Limited is owned by Foster Cummings and his wife;
4. The contract was awarded by select tendering.
Who is responsible for Udecott?
On the 15th November 2018, the Prime Minister took over Udecott as he reassigned responsibility of Udecott to the Office of the Prime Minister.
This was Gazetted on the 22nd November 2018.
REASSIGNMENT OF RESPONSIBILITY TO THE PRIME MINISTER
IT IS HEREBY NOTIFIED for general information that Her Excellency the President, acting in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister, under the provisions of section 79(1) of the Constitution of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, has assigned to DR. THE HONOURABLE KEITH ROWLEY M.P., the Prime Minister, the responsibility for the administration of the Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (UDeCOTT), with effect from 14th November, 2018
So ultimately the Prime Minister is responsible for Udecott.
While sitting as a Government Senator in the Senate and owner of PICAL Enterprises Limited, Senator Foster Cummings was awarded a contract by Udecott which falls under the office of the Prime Minister by select tendering.
What is select tendering?
They usually hand-pick you and tell you to bid for the contract.
When select tendering is used there must be justification.
The Prime Minister must answer what experience this PICAL Services Limited has with respect to demolishing buildings?
What is their track-record that they were awarded the contract?
What were the bids from the other tenderers?
Is it that the Prime Minister is handpicking contracts for his handpicked PNM General Secretary? That is the question that Mr Rowley has to answer.
What is the justification for hand-picking PICAL Services Limited?
Contract Number Two: PICAL and HDC GARBAGE COLLECTION SERVICES
I want to ask the Prime Minister, if this same company, this same Foster Cummings PICAL Services Limited that was awarded contracts for Garbage Collection Service in HDC Developments?
If you look at the screen, you can see the trucks with the PICAL Logo in HDC Developments.
The questions arise…..
• So what procurement process was used here?
• Selective tendering again?
• What is the value of these contracts?
• Why Is PICAL the contractor to receive these multimillion dollar contracts?
What about the other smaller contractors with their vehicles parked up and rusting away while they fight up with this PNM to get monies owed to them for the last 4 years?
The small man is suffering while the PNM big wigs get everything, handpicked by the PNM Government. Big People Party. And what for you? Nothing. Again.
Contract Number Three- Accelerated Housing Contracts
I want to ask the Prime Minister if he knew that Foster Cummings was the owner of Pical Services Limited when he was the Minister of Housing in 2004.
Because according to Rowley in Parliament on the 14th December 2004 he admitted that PICAL SERVICES LIMITED received a contract from NHA not by way of public tendering in the tune of $1,155,337.15.
http://www.ttparliament.org/hansards/hs20041214.pdf
On the 09th June 2004, he again admitted that PICAL Services Limited was given 5 contracts to construct 5 housing units at Edinburgh 500.
http://www.ttparliament.org/hansards/hh20040609.pdf
PICAL and CARONI 1975 BUILDING AT EXCHANGE COUVA
And again, it does not end here!
On the screen, you will see a photo and video of a former Caroni 1975 Building located in Exchange Couva currently barricaded and with no signage indicating who or what is going on there.
We are asking the question-
Are there any vehicles belonging to PICAL Services Limited being parked up there?
Is PICAL Services Limited the owner or tenant of that piece or land?
Who currently occupies and manages the building owned by Caroni 1975?
Does PICAL Services Limited have any interest in the land and the building?
PICAL and the INDIAN TRAIL COMMUNITY CENTRE
And you thought that it would end there…
A contract was awarded to Klydon Enterprises Limited for the construction of a Community Center at Indian Trail.
Who are the directors of Klydon Enterprises Limited – Donetta Pierre and Leonora Pierre of 33 Cemetery Street, Perseverance, Couva.
But what is strange is that they are not the owners of the Company, no shares have been issued so the Company has no owner neither does the Company has any capital (no assets).
Yet according to the Auditor General’s Report of 2018 at p 265, Klydon Enterprises Limited was awarded a contract of $1,209,329.53.
http://138.128.179.50/…/volume-iii-accounts-of-administerin…
This Company was only incorporated on 25th November 2015, right after the General Elections.
It has no shares, no assets but has been awarded a $1.2M contract.
What is interesting is that on the Annual Returns filed on the 22nd October 2015 for Cummings & Associates Company Limited, Donetta Pierre is listed as the Secretary of that Company.
Foster Cummings and his wife Juliet Modeste have also been named as directors of the Cummings & Associates Company Limited.
Do you know how coincidental it is that the same lawyer who files the Annual Returns for PICAL Services Limited filed for Klydon Enterprises Limited.
I want to ask:
1. Whether there is any link between Klydon Enterprises Limited, Cummings & Associates Company Limited and PICAL Services Limited?
2. Whether there is any link between Sen Cummings and either of these companies?
3. What was the procedure used by Udecott to award the contract to Klydon Enterprises Limited?
4. What is track record of Klydon Enterprises Limited?
5. How many community centres have they built before they got this $1.2M contract?
But once again, like the Besson Street Police Station demolition reported in the Newsday earlier, who is the Line Minister for UDECOTT?
And once again, The Honourable Prime Minister is the Line Minister
Another Multi-Million Dollar Contract to a Favoured Friend, not just a Friend though- The General Secretary of the PNM and a sitting Government Senator!
Is this true? We are asking the Prime Minister to answer the question.
Are you awarding multimillion-dollar contracts through UDECOTT, Your Tax Payers Dollars to party officials?
Is this so that you can use our Treasury to build your War Chest for Elections because you are desperate.
You are desperate because from the North, from the South, from Central, from the South and in Tobago, the country is saying to you. Go! Go! Go. It is time for you to go.
But before you pack your suitcase, we the people demand an explanation to these questions!
We call on you Mr Rowley……
Where is our Money going!
Answer the questions, enough lies, enough corruption.
Enough is enough!
Let us reclaim our beloved T&T
Our Trinidad and Tobago is a paradise. An unspoiled sanctuary of beauty.
A land of equality, different races, beautiful faces, neighbors shared roti for bake; Accra for pholourie.
We would send our families who went away by packing a maxi, with coolers of roti, pelau and pepper.
We all celebrate Christmas, Divali, Carnival, Eid and Corpus Christi by opening our doors wide open, ready with rolls of foil to pack some curry duck, ham or pastelle for visitors to take home.
We had our challenges, yes, we did, but we moved forward, constantly changing through what would be a process of trial and error.
We are a product of this evolution. Over time we have literally changed the face of this land.
Merging our unique cultures, our own strangeness, our own beauty.
Winning all levels of accolades, from Nobel Prizes, to Olympic Medals to Miss World and Miss Universe.
And we celebrated together.
Today, in this year 2019, we look back in fondness at those years, we see so clearly now the harm that can be done to this land by a group of people every time they get into power, and it now seems irreversible.
We are told by this Government that we are failures, that the economy is dying, and we must take responsibility.
We see daily that everything that we once took pride in and which we celebrated; from the destruction Caroni to the ruin of Petrotrin.
But “never fear” they say, we will save it and we trust them because we are expected to believe our leaders, it’s a heroic notion but it hasn’t been very effective in changing our behavior so far.
Nor is it true.
We are in danger. Widespread crime and accompanying violence triggered by massive employment, deprivation of education and a failed social system by this Government has now led to a massive panic and angst in our population.
That is what we are now seeing before us: a country angry, a people unhappy and a Government uncaring.
The very patrimony that is a feature of our own history and pride; the oil and gas, the lands of our ancestors are now being savagely ripped from us, from our children, our grandchildren.
In these rural towns and villages, very soon no more would a child expect to be the first University graduate in their family, where once GATE helped defray the cost of renting in St. Augustine, and with the UWI South Campus left to rot, our children will no longer even be able to dream of being a clerk or checker or even a cleaner in Petrotrin for that too is gone.
One day very soon, we will be asked, what did we do?
And can we say, we did everything we could. We have to.
Because if we don’t there won’t be anyone left to ask. We have never faced a crisis of this scale and scope.
This is a pivotal moment ion our country’s history. This is our only home.
This is the flood that has come to pass, is it that we are going to join hand and lift our brothers and sisters up and float safely together or are we going to try and make it on our own- only to realize that when we get to where we think we are going, there is no one left there?
Our theme song of recent has been the beautiful “A change is gonna come” a song of hope, of dreams of long days of work and toil and short of dreams of a better tomorrow.
I suggest now to you that yes, a change is going to come but more importantly a change must come.
It must come, to stop the blood flowing in our land, to end the suffering and misery of all our people living in destitute poverty, to give our youngsters the spaces and places and tools to equip them for a better tomorrow.
To make our health system work again. To restore dignity and pride in our citizens.
That change is grounded in our hearts and minds. We must cast off the shackles of doubt and suspicion, be our brother’s keeper and our sister’s friend.
We must hold hands as we once more walk that freedom highway paved with the blood sweat and tears of our forefathers.
We must do their memories justice.
We must be the change they dreamed of when they worked in the cane fields or the cocoa lands.
We must come together today in a united movement of change.
We must stand together. And side by side, with a place and a space for every creed and race, we must ensure that A Change Must Come.
Let that journey back to good governance begin formally today. If not now .... when?
The time is now. Let us take our country back, for all of us. Let us rescue T&T.
And when we sing that victory song on election night, you too will know that you have been on the right side of history.
More than ever, we are strong; we are united in purpose; and we are ready to return good governance to T&T.
Let us continue to work together towards fulfilling our vision of a prosperous nation.
I have faith in you, and I know we can make it a reality.
Together, let’s get T&T working again!
God bless you.