Edward Moodie will no longer be the community outreach consultant between residents affected by the San Fernando to Point Fortin highway and the National Infrastructure Development Company Ltd (Nidco).Moodie, who has been at the forefront of protests by residents claiming the Government had reneged on its compensation promises, has been reassigned to another project, the San Fernando to Princes Town highway.Moodie is also the leader of the Highway Action Committee.
The San Fernando to Princes Town highway will eventually link up with the main Solomon Hochoy Highway extension project to Point Fortin, but has not yet been started.In a letter to Moodie dated August 14, Nidco stated: "Please be advised that under your present monthly contract with Nidco, you are hereby assigned to carry out community outreach consultancy services for the proposed San Fernando to Princes Town Highway Project."In this regard, kindly report to Mr Joseph Sam Phillip from the Facilities Department at No 107 Papourie Road, Esperance Village, San Fernando, with effect from the 16th August until 31st August, 2013." The letter stated that Phillip would be responsible for assigning Moodie to his new duties.When contacted yesterday, Moodie, who has been the consultant for the Point Fortin highway for two and half years, was busy packing up at his Debe office.
He said: "The people will be very annoyed. The people will consider this a slap on the cheek."I think this will hamper relationships even further for Nidco, because where is the justification for this move, especially now that things are so tense, when all we are asking for is for the errors to be addressed. And those errors are well founded, well documented and there is solution for each and every one."Moodie said he was certain he was reassigned because he was exposing the flaws and mistakes Nidco had made."We might even take them to court. Vashiest Maharaj (lawyer representing the residents interests) is looking at the legality of the case."Adding that he had a meeting with Nidco today in Port-of-Spain, he said: "We will see what happens. I think their strategy is to overwhelm me with work so I will not have any time to help poor people."On Wednesday night, Independent Liberal party leader Jack Warner, his deputy political leader Anna Deonarine and attorney Maharaj met with Moodie and the residents in Debe.