Senior Multimedia Reporter
radhica.sookraj@guardian.co.tt
Moruga MP Michelle Benjamin has defended her decision to secure job opportunities for her constituents in a pipe-laying project scheduled to be conducted by the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) within her constituency.
This follows a disclaimer from WASA stating that there are no provisions under which recruitment for WASA projects takes place under the purview of an MP’s office.
However, speaking to Guardian Media, Benjamin said it was customary for her to assist her constituents with employment and other forms of social support.
She claimed that the pipe-laying project is scheduled to take place at Samuel Cooper Trace, where there is over 90 per cent unemployment.
Benjamin also claimed that WASA conducted site visits to the Samuel Cooper area to replace pipelines, with the PNM candidate for the contested Lengua Indian Walk district being specially invited to attend.
“There were even WhatsApp messages being sent out advising residents to come to the site but not wear red or the PNM logo. Meanwhile, WASA chose not to provide my office with any details of these site visits. While I am pleased that after much lobbying, the pipelines in Samuel Cooper are finally being replaced. I am distressed that WASA has seemingly joined in a political campaign using water as an inducement for votes,” Benjamin said.
Benjamin also issued a warning to WASA.
“I strongly advise WASA to focus on its stated purpose, which is to provide a reliable supply of water to all areas of Moruga/Tableland as well as throughout the nation and spend less time being a political pawn,” she added.
She revealed that Samuel Cooper Trace has 500 residents and is part of the Indian Walk/Lengua electoral district, which is set to return to the polls after the UNC lost its election petition earlier this year.
Benjamin said there was nothing wrong with what she did and had email trails where she would liaise with WASA to employ residents.
“They are using this project to try to get PNM votes,” she alleged.
But contacted for comment, the acting chief executive officer of WASA, Kelvin Romain, said WASA was not using the project for political gain. He said WASA issued the disclaimer because the MP had given the impression that employment was guaranteed.
“That is not the case. It is the discretion of the contractor to utilise local labour. It is not the MP’s jurisdiction to guarantee employment on any project. The MP could recommend, but they cannot guarantee employment,” Romain said.
He also revealed that he was unaware that a PNM activist had gone to a site visit but promised to investigate.
Romain said the contract will be awarded soon. He insisted there was no politics behind the project.
“WASA has identified areas throughout T&T hard hit, water-stressed areas. We are here to ensure that we have full coverage of the water supply. We are not looking at one political area associated with political gain,” he added.
Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar commended Benjamin, “An MP is well within their right to seek employment opportunities for their constituents.”
She urged WASA officials to do their duties without bias.
“The management of WASA has now publicly entered directly into the political arena,” she claimed.