Ameen says she’ll continue her duties as MP,

Senior Reporter

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Minister Khadijah Ameen says she will not be intimidated by any alleged threats to her safety and life and will carry out her responsibilities as normal.

Speaking after the handover ceremony for equipment to clear sargassum seaweed at Kent House in Maraval yesterday, the Rural Development and Local Government Minister said she will not allow the alleged death threats to stop her from performing her duties as an MP and Government official.

During a United National Congress meeting on August 11, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar revealed that the lives of Ameen and Public Utilities Minister Barry Padarath had been threatened in connection with changes to the Unemployment Relief Programme (URP) and the Community-Based Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme (CEPEP).

URP programme manager Feeroze Khan and Defence Minister Wayne Sturge have also been alleged targets of threats.

But yesterday, Ameen reiterated that she would not cower in fear to the criminal elements. She also praised the protective services for ensuring she remained safe.

“I will not be intimidated by any threats. I want to commend those who are responsible for our safety, for their continuous advice, intelligence-gathering, and putting the necessary systems in place to keep us safe,” Ameen said.

Ameen stressed the importance of maintaining visibility in her constituency and across the country through Government outreach.

“It is important for me as an elected representative to continue being present in St Augustine and throughout Trinidad in local government.

“Our Government has always been very hands-on in terms of governance, consulting, and working with stakeholders, and we will continue that,” she noted.

The minister admitted that all citizens have grown accustomed to living with heightened security measures due to rising crime. She said her role as an opposition MP before entering Government had already prepared her to take precautions while on the ground in communities.

“Of course, this has escalated, and we will take the necessary steps, but that will not hinder the work that we have to do. I want to give my commitment to the public that I will not be intimidated, I will continue with my work,” she declared.

Ameen also voiced support for the Prime Minister, praising her decisive stand against corruption. She had claimed the siphoning of state funds by the former administration deprived vulnerable citizens of critical support.

Ameen pointed to inflated contracts, misuse of funds in programmes such as URP, CEPEP and reafforestation, and exorbitant legal fees as areas where resources were squandered.

“Corruption caused millions of dollars to be siphoned out of the Treasury, at a time when people were below minimum wage, children were dropping out of school, and families were struggling below the poverty line. The truth is, many of those things did not have to happen,” Ameen said.

Meanwhile, Ameen welcomed the donation of equipment from the government of Japan in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme.

She said the build-up of sargassum along the country’s eastern shoreline was more than just an annoyance but a national concern.