Abdulah: SOPO didn’t know of any uprising

The Summit of the People’s Organisation (SOPO) never had any intimation that Abu Bakr, a member, and his followers were planning a violent overthrow of the government in July 1990. And if SOPO had any information from the Jamaat about the plot members would have never supported it in any way. Senator David Abdulah, head of the Oilfields Workers’ Trade Union’s (OWTU) education department at the time and a prominent SOPO member, cleared the air on the controversial matter as he gave evidence at the commission of enquiry into the 1990 insurrection yesterday. He said: “There was absolutely no intimation, no information, no discussion by the Jamaat to SOPO (on the matter).

“SOPO would have never accepted or supported that in anyway.” SOPO, made up of an amalgamation of trade unions, non-governmental organisations, public servants and prominent individuals, like Bakr, Canon Knolly Clarke and deceased PNM MP Morris Marshall, staged several demonstrations in the months preceding the July 1990 coup d’etat.

 

Jamaal Shabazz, one of the insurrection leaders, testified to the commission at an earlier session he was told by the leadership of the Jamaat that SOPO would ensure that the people took to the streets once the government was overthrown. Clarke also is reported to have said in a fiery Labour Day speech at Fyzabad to SOPO members that on an appointed day a call would be made to them. Abdulah, dismissing any link between SOPO and the attempted coup, said SOPO advocated peaceful protest action and that the rank-and-file would have abhorred 1990. He recalled after the coup the organisation issued a statement saying it did not support the attempted overthrow.

He admitted, however, that SOPO came under fire for not saying it condemned the uprising.

 

“SOPO did not feel the action was justified but felt the circumstances of the day gave rise to the event.” Abdulah said the Jamaat “did not necessarily” continue to be members of SOPO after the coup d’etat. SOPO withered after the tragic incident because members did not want to be associated with the Jamaat and the coup d’etat, he said. Recalling the oil boom of the 1970s preceding the economic downturn of the 1980s and 1990, Abdulah said there were overnight millionaires in that period. While there was plenty oil money the then PNM government did not develop a national economic plan and did not seek to diversify the economy away from dependence on oil, Abdulah said. Former PNM prime minister George Chambers tried to prepare for the impending economic crisis when the demand for oil fell. He said “the fete over, back to work,” Abdullah recalled.