Warner: I never had aspirations to be PM

National Security Minister Jack Warner says he has no intention of becoming Prime Minister. Warner was speaking yesterday after Exercise Golden Ibis, a brigade training exercise for members of the Defence Force in Blanchisseuse. On Tuesday, People’s National Movement (PNM) leader Dr Keith Rowley said Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar had plans to be the next president and Warner would become the next PM.

“Rowley talking some nonsense day after day, night after night. I want to tell you all here today, I never had any aspirations to be Prime Minister of this country. I never had and I never will have, that is not my intention. I have aspirations to achieve as a Minister of National Security, because that is the portfolio that...the Prime Minister in her wisdom has given me, and anybody who don’t like, know what they have to do,” he said.

Warner said people should question who is behind the funding of certain individuals. “The people who protest, that object to Jack Warner being Minister of National Security—ask them who their friends are, ask them who pay their travel tickets to go overseas, ask them who pay their bills, who pays their salaries for their employees and who their friends are,” he said.

“Every one of those who protest against Jack Warner and national security is the friend of a drug lord or drug runner and who want to take me to court take me, to court. They want to make an attack against Jack Warner and national security, they want us to fail. It gives them and their friends a chance to succeed.

“For Jack Warner, failure is not an option. I am satisfied my Prime Minister appointed me as National Security Minister of this country. Rowley can talk until tomorrow. My Prime Minister appointed me here under this post for the safety of this country,” he said. Warner said the prime minister had a more active role in the governing of the country than a president.

“That is foolish and baseless, with a manic mind, so to speak, and he running out of issues to talk about. The power in this country is in the hands of the prime minister. It is so foolish and it don’t even make sense and the Prime Minister and her Cabinet never said so. That’s why Mr Rowley will never be prime minister in our collective lifetime,” he said. “I will catch those friends of the Opposition who are in high places. We shall catch those criminals who they are supporting.”

He said swift judgement would befall those taking part in criminal activity. “I have my eyes on them and my ears too. Persad-Bissessar and her government have never appointed a drug lord. The URP (Unemployment Relief Programme) was criminalised by the PNM. Who vex, vex. We have a plan to put things in place. It swift, physical and critical,” he said.