Senior Political Reporter
Ex-UNC executive member Taharqa Obika says he was not offered anything to join the People’s National Movement, since he was the one who called the PNM. However, he admits that racial intolerance was among the reasons he departed from the Opposition.
“I moved as a free agent,” Obika added yesterday about his decision to leave the United National Congress.
After functioning as a member of UNC’s executive and the chief economist at the Office of the Opposition Leader, Obika suddenly quit the Opposition party and “debuted” with the PNM last Friday. Since then, he’s been the target of verbal UNC jabs.
Obika had been an official UNC member since 2017, when he was made a UNC Senator. But he said he made his decision to leave after serious reflection when he turned 40 at the end of May.
“…Seriousness of approach to governance is basically the beginning, middle and end—the cumulative effect,” he said.
Of his reason for leaving, Obika said, “It had reached a point where I didn’t feel I could contribute to helping the organisation ‘course correct’.
“I decided I couldn’t continue with an organisation which as a whole lacked a serious approach to governance. People would have seen me complying outwardly, but internally I complained over a period of time to leaders in UNC who I felt could have effected the change I was concerned about.”
He added, “When one considers the kaleidoscope of complaints from people who left in recent years, I don’t think I need to explain what I mean when I say there was a lack of serious approach to governance—and governance includes many factors.”
“There was a UNC political meeting where the messaging of some speakers appeared to be insensitive when using the term ‘black’. In this society, we have to be very sensitive to the ways we treat issues where people may be hard done by them.”
“All that goes back to lack of seriousness of the approach to governance,” he added
“The job I felt I had in the UNC was to help to provide perspective on things I’m knowledgeable on, given my background in NJAC, since someone could make a remark offensive to others without knowing it.”
In 2020, Obika said he also had to advise a UNC unit to refrain from using imagery that painted African people in a poor light.
Obika was also irked by situations concerning some such as a member accused of wrongdoing and an alleged affidavit concerning a young person.
“As a son of a mother, a husband to a wife and father to a daughter, I felt it beyond acceptable that the person could be there without clearing their name and being prominently featured at activities, including candidate selection,” he said.
He also cited remarks made about him by a speaker at UNC’s Monday Report, where a parallel was allegedly drawn between pinning the Balisier on his jacket and pinning the tail on a donkey.
Obika had posted a reply to this saying, “This is another thing that I advised them against. That it is reprehensible to refer to human beings as if you’re describing animals—I see they haven’t learned.”
Obika added, “I gave it everything I had—and then some. One thing they can’t accuse me of is not giving my all. You could ask any MP, I was there whenever there were pre-Budget consultations from Mayaro to Toco to Diego Martin, Monday Night Forums—I was always present. In some campaigns, I was driving from Point Fortin to Toco and back.
“Now, I’m giving my all to the PNM. The things I felt that needed to be improved in that party, I’ll do my best on, and put my shoulder to the wheel in service to the party and country.”
He said his belief that the PNM is serious about governance approaches is evident by his decision to join.
On how he may be viewed after speaking out against the PNM while he was in UNC, Obika said, “I’d like to believe apart from platform picong and official party messaging, my comments on the PNM were evidence-based criticisms.”
He said he intends being an agent of policies.
“My focus as an economist is on policy, job creation and localised economic development. However, I’m also doing work in the Local Government campaign in Marabella.”
Obika said he isn’t concerned with any post and is focused on his career, attaining a PhD and working with credit unions on wealth creation. However, if offered a position he would consider it, once it’s something he can deliver good governance on.
“I wish T&T a safe Local Government election season. My focus remains on my job and I’d assist the party in any way I’m requested—we move on,” he added.