By Sean Douglas
October 20, 2009 – newsday.co.tt
PULLING no punches as he fearlessly trained his guns on his political leader, Diego Martin West MP Dr Keith Rowley yesterday launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Patrick Manning, declaring the Udecott scandal was ten times worse than the Piarco Airport affair and warning that come the next General Election, the issue would be about PNM corruption.
Speaking in the Lower House on the Validation and Immunity from Proceedings Bill 2009, a bill which seeks to validate the Uff Commission of Inquiry into Udecott and the local construction industry, Rowley unleashed his verbal assault against Manning while at the same time appealing to his PNM colleagues to, “do the right thing” and save the party from being tainted by the Udecott scandal.
“There are strong forces that are making it their duty to make sure this Commission of Inquiry does not succeed,” Rowley declared.
“As we validate this (Bill) today, we are validating the hope to save the PNM. We of the PNM, other than anybody else in this country, have a particular interest in this matter. And as we come here to validate this Bill, to validate the work of the Commission of Inquiry, the PNM is on trial!” Rowley declared.
He said those PNM members who bear the stain of corrupt former Minister, the late John O’Halloran, could not take the view that the Udecott Commission of Inquiry, was mere “old talk”.
Rowley asked how could Manning allege a Tobagonian company was too small to hire NH International (which built Landate) but never asked if a company was too small to hire Michael Zhang’s Shanghai Construction Group. “Then $700 million in contracts land on the Princes Building Grounds.” Rowley said that no Trinbagonian got a day’s work on that project which he added was done with 100 percent Chinese labour and materials.
“Mr Speaker, this country has to understand that sometimes you have to break the mold to make a new shape. And I am breaking the mold! I am breaking the mold! I’m breaking it on behalf of all the PNM people, who in 1986, when we went to campaign in my area, I was there, I don’t know who else was there, I was there and you are going door to door and they are slamming doors in your face in Westmoorings, in Glencoe, in Bayshore and all they telling you about is, O’Halloran,” Rowley thundered.
And as Rowley tore into him, Prime Minister Manning sat in his chair, between Leader of Government Business Colm Imbert and Attorney General John Jeremie, staring straight ahead, silent and never once looking at Rowley.
Recalling his firing from Cabinet as Housing Minister for demanding accountability on Udecott — a mega state entity which oversees construction of Government buildings and which has at its disposal, billions of dollars in state funds — Rowley challenged PM Manning, looking directly at him. “Do me a favour, Prime Minister. In this debate, get up and tell the country what I said in the Cabinet!” Manning remained silent. The Opposition members were in their glee and energetically pounded their desks.
Rowley made the challenge as he alluded to Manning’s statement several months ago that he (Rowley) had engaged in “wajank behaviour” at a Cabinet meeting which precipitated Manning’s decision to fire him from Cabinet. “The whole country knows that this is a contrived lie!” Rowley said. He then chastised Manning for earlier, during yesterday’s sitting, repeating allegations made a year and a half ago, against him.
“It appears as though as long as Udecott is involved, they don’t care whose character and reputation they destroy.” Rowley recalled that Manning, “my leader…my Prime Minister” tried to make out a case against him, over the Cleaver Heights housing project in Arima. Rowley said one design cost had actually been just $175,000 and not the $6 million as alleged by Manning.
Rowley wondered aloud, “Mr Speaker, why should people be sacrificed to allow others, wrongdoers, to prosper? That is what we are being called upon to do, colleagues. Those of you who think I am being obstructionist, what we are being called on to do, by a small clique of people in the country, is to support wrongdoing…pretend that we know nothing and see if we can ride it out. We are not going to ride this out!”
He said former PM Dr Eric Williams never publicly defended O’Halloran in the face of corruption allegations. “Right now, I am saying to my colleagues that what this Commission of Inquiry is looking at, is ten times worse than what happened in Piarco Airport. It’s even more brazen. I cannot believe they could have been so bold”.
Recalling spending the whole night sifting through six cartons of documents, released by Udecott the night before the inquiry hearing, Rowley said, “I had to defend myself from those vermin”.
Rowley then demanded that Government remove the Udecott Board, as he warned: “The next election will be the Udecott election”.
http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,109475.html
Trinidad and Tobago News Blog’s URL for this article:
www.trinidadandtobagonews.com/blog/?p=1767
Rowley: Udecott affairs smelling
In a scathing attack on his political leader and Prime Minister Patrick Manning, Diego Martin West MP Dr Keith Rowley yesterday said the affairs of controversial State-owned Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (Udecott) “smells to the high heavens.” He said the PNM was being put on trial because of the support its political leader Manning was giving to the controversial Udecott.
PNM on trial
Rowley on Bill to save UDeCOTT enquiry
He wasn’t fired over Udecott —Manning
Prime Minister Patrick Manning is insisting he fired Dr Keith Rowley from the Trade and Industry Ministry because of his behaviour and not because of concerns raised by the Diego Martin West MP over the Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (Udecott).
‘I never fired Rowley over Udecott’
AG: Lucky report on UDeCOTT in 2 weeks
Rowley targets Annisette
This is not the Calder Hart inquiry
In a strong counter-attack, Works and Transport Minister Colm Imbert landed punches of his own in Parliament on Monday night as he defended the Government and Udecott chairman Calder Hart from PNM MP Diego Martin West MP Dr Keith Rowley’s verbal onslaught.
PNM divided on Rowley
DIEGO Martin West MP Dr Keith Rowley’s fiery attack against Prime Minister Patrick Manning during debate on the Validation and Immunity from Proceedings Bill 2009 in Parliament on Monday, yesterday drew mixed reactions from some of his former Cabinet colleagues and sitting PNM MPs.
PM: I’m drunk on God
Prime Minister Patrick Manning says sacked Trade Minister Dr Keith Rowley and Opposition MP Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj are part of a conspiracy to bring down his Government.
We Will Not Fall
Manning defends UDeCOTT, tells of 12 years of bullying by minister
Satan also quotes scripture—Rowley
Diego Martin West MP Dr Keith Rowley has warned that Satan has an inclination to quote scripture from the Bible to suit his purposes. He noted that Prime Minister Patrick Manning’s use of Biblical scripture as a tool in the growing tiff between the two, appeared to downplay concerns about corrupt practices at the Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (Udecott).
… ‘Self-serving hypocrite’
Diego Martin West MP Dr Keith Rowley attempted to sell Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (UDeCOTT) chairman Calder Hart a plot of his family property in Tobago.
Rowley, Abdul-Hamid lock horns
DIEGO Martin West MP Dr Keith Rowley has denied claims by Chaguanas East MP Mustapha Abdul-Hamid that he escorted UDeCOTT executive chairman, Calder Hart, to his wife’s land in Tobago for Hart to make a purchase, saying it is as an “unadulterated lie” and part of the “character assassination” against him led by Prime Minister Patrick Manning.
Imbert: Allegations against Hart unproven so far
In the eyes of Mr Manning
What’s the difference between a Rottweiler and a wajang? We pose this question in light of Prime Minister Patrick Manning’s renewed insistence that he fired Diego Martin West MP Keith Rowley for untoward behaviour rather than, as Dr Rowley insists, for opposing the policies of the Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (UDeCOTT).
House passes Uff Bill
THE House of Representatives yesterday unanimously passed the Validation and Immunity from Proceedings Bill 2009 to approve the Commission of Inquiry into Udecott despite a previous omission to gazette the probe chaired by Prof John Uff.
PNM’s wake up call
Not only did he slam this State company for its non-accountability, but he reached into the bowels of the PNM to try to appeal to party members to stand up against the practices which are clearly severely tainting the party’s reputation.
Udecott to build delayed Roxborough complex
$500m for Scarborough Hospital
Chinese contractors give May 2010 deadline for completion
$500M Scarborough Hospital by next year
THE NEW 103-bed Tobago Regional Hospital is being constructed at an overall cost of $500 million inclusive of the cost of certain equipment and the institution is expected to be in operation by the third quarter of next year, Health Minister Jerry Narace revealed yesterday.
He’s still PNM
Prime Minister Patrick Manning says that Diego Martin West MP Dr Keith Rowley will continue to be a member of the People’s National Movement team in the Parliament.
PM preaches peace to Rowley
ONE DAY after unleashing political fire and brimstone on PNM Diego Martin West MP Dr Keith Rowley in Parliament, Prime Minister Patrick Manning was yesterday preaching the gospel of peace and reconciliation to his former Cabinet minister, at the post-Cabinet news conference at Coco Reef Hotel in Tobago.
Rowley: I had no talk with Hart about land
Sitcom in House
Speeches in the Lower House this last week, particularly Tuesday and Wednesday, provided the national viewing public with much entertainment. The name John O’Halloran associated with corruption in public affairs surfaced like a ghost from the PNM past.
If innocent, UNC will back Hart
THE Opposition United National Congress (UNC) will be the first to call for Calder Hart’s reinstatement as Udecott chairman if the Uff Commission of Inquiry finds there is no evidence of wrongdoing by him or by the company.
Say no to politicization of every issue , I say. It is time that we the socially conscious, take a stand on eliminating all forms of corruption , irrespective of who are the culprit.
The unfortunate reality is that due to inaction ,our entire society suffers as a consequence – be it in government, or the private sector.
http://14iacc.org/
Love country.