Former People’s Partnership Justice Minister Herbert Volney has drawn some mixed criticism after posting a video on social media at the beach yesterday, boasting that “fortunately,” he was “one of those who can afford to pay to come in the seawater” and that there was “not one damn thing” Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley could do about it.
Beaches in T&T are currently closed under public health regulations to curb the spread of the disease.
Rowley recently said Government was watching COVID-19 case numbers and was looking ahead at perhaps opening beaches for early morning hours from 5 am to noon.
In the video, former judge Volney was seen standing on a beach with waves in the background and some other people in the water.
Volney said, “Aye Keith Rowley look at me, Herbert Volney ... you see where I going? I going in de sea, watch de sea...look de sea, look de sea - see?”
When Volney first began in the video, a person was heard in the background advising him not to say what he was saying.
But he said to the camera, “I goin in de sea and there’s not one damn thing you can do about it, Keith Rowley. OK ...”
He added, “You suffering the people, keeping the people away from de sea, which has all the blessings of the Lord to deal with COVID, you wicked man ...”
“But you see you won’t keep me back. Fortunately, I’m one of those who can afford to pay to come in the seawater - and there’s not one damn thing you can do about it. So eat your heart out Keith Christopher Rowley, you grim reaper, you mean man!”
Replying to T&T Guardian questions yesterday on his beach day when beaches were closed, Volney reiterated that those who can afford it can enjoy the sea. He said the beach visit was yesterday but declined several times to say where it was, whether in T&T or otherwise.
“That’s my secret ... don’t ask me my business ... I said in the video those who can afford it, can go in the sea ... I don’t have to answer that question ...,’’ Volney said.
“If you can afford it, you can go in the sea. The situation is very upsetting to everybody in T&T that those who can afford it, can go in the sea but those who can’t (afford it) can’t do so ... and that makes the Prime Minister a mean man!’’
Volney was fired from the PP government in 2012 concerning the early proclamation of the infamous Section 34 of the Administration of Justice Act. He resigned from the United National Congress in July 2013. This was after the UNC suffered a humiliating defeat in its Chaguanas West stronghold taken then by Jack Warner. In the August 2020 general election, Volney supported the PNM, saying it was the “safe choice.’’
Yesterday, Volney’s video, which went viral on social media, drew some fire in certain quarters from people questioning his judgement, as a former judge, to go “beaching” when beaches were closed, to queries of who to pay to go to the beach and others lauding his beach play or saying, “We don’t need no stinking beach, we have floodwater all the time.’’