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PNM candidate Shonae John - People’s National Movement (PNM) Tobago Council leader Ancil Dennis is promising to create 7,000 new jobs “when” he is returned to office after the January 12 THA elections.
Addressing a PNM meeting in the electoral district of Roxborough/Argyle on December 11, Dennis, a former chief secretary, said that he is aware that one of the major issues faced across the island is unemployment. He said he knew too that due to some "unfortunate and deliberate" actions on the path of the current “Tobago People’s Partnership” administration, a number of people have lost jobs.
“We are here to tell you how we are going to flip the script and put Tobago first again.”
He said should he be returned to office, within the four years, the 7,000 jobs will be made available across different sectors. He made mention of the construction sector.
From the beginning of the TPP's term in office, they have been accused of "spiriting away" over $300 million in Tobago’s development money to contractors in south Trinidad. He specifically cited a stalled $30 million road contract in Lammy Road awarded to a Trinidadian contractor.
“We will take a blanket policy to ensure that any project, any contract issued by the Tobago House of Assembly that can be done by a Tobagonian, where we have the capacity in Tobago to do that project, it must and will be done by a company from right here in Tobago.
"So what that means is that no contractor from outside of Tobago could come into Tobago and build roads. The point I am making is that in the first place, no contractor from Trinidad should be coming to Tobago to build roads when we have local contractors right here in this community that can build the roads and that can employ you the people right in this community to help them build those roads.”
When the script is flipped, he said, returning “all of Tobago people’s money to Tobago into the pockets of Tobagonians, 2,000 jobs will be returned to you the people of Tobago.”
He said the community has been left abandoned for the past eight years under its current representative Watson Duke as he urged residents to give the area's prospective candidate Shonae John a chance.
John said one of the visions for Argyle is to make the Argyle Waterfall a proper tourist attraction.
“That Argyle Waterfall, I don’t know when last you would have been inside there but it’s covered with bush. I’m not sure if we have properly trained tour guides, no shops, no souvenirs – nothing.
"Here is the plan that I have – I want to bring the tourism sector and the agricultural sector including the culinary arts. I want to create a farm-to-table food hub where we would come together with the agriculture person and the farmers so we can ensure that they have their lands in Lammy Road so that they can bring produce to the people here.
"When the tourist comes, all the vegetables and all the things that the farmers would have planted over in Lammy so persons can come and pick out exactly what they want and carry it straight into the kitchen and get it done and eat and hike straight up to Argyle Waterfall where we would have trained tour guides and life guards.”
It is time for Roxborough/Argyle to be heard, she said.
“To do that brothers and sisters, you have to join me, you have to join this movement. A movement for better representation, a movement for development, a movement that serves you, a movement that listens. When you call, I will answer. You can call me any day, any time, I will come.”
The TPP’s candidate in the upcoming election is Orlando Kirk, while the current representative of the area is Watson Duke. On December 8 at the PDP’s headquarters, Port Mall, Scarborough, Duke confirmed reports that the PDP will not contest the January 12 Tobago House of Assembly (THA) elections and will instead support the ruling TPP.
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