Minority Leader Ashworth Jack says he will not condone any official of the Government forcing themselves on the Tobago House of Assembly (THA). Jack was referring to the current controversy surrounding the handing over of keys to the multimillion dollar Scarborough Financial Complex.
Speaking at Tuesday's bimonthly Minority Leader's news conference, Jack said as soon as he heard the concerns raised by the Chief Secretary of the THA Orville London, he intervened. "I immediately called the minister with the responsibility for Udecott and would have told him what my own decision was, that if the assembly did not want Udecott to have a ceremony to hand the keys over then they should not have one. I think that the assembly as the client has the prerogative to say if they want those keys handed over in a ceremony or simply to have the keys posted to them or whatever," he said.
Meanwhile, up to Monday London said he had not received any word on when the keys for the Scarborough Financial Complex would be handed over to the assembly. London said he received correspondence last week inviting him to the official handing over of the keys, but has not heard anything else from Udecott officials.
An official from Udecott said the decision to have Minister of Housing and the Environment Dr Roodal Moonilal preside at the handing over of the keys ceremony was an oversight. The official opening of the complex was expected to take place tomorrow as Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and her Cabinet ministers are in Tobago. The ceremony was cancelled because of London's protest.