- NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - Aujourd'hui 13:20

LOVE political leader: ‘Don’t protest over Cepep’

THE Laventille Outreach for Vertical Enrichment (LOVE) political leader Lennox Smith has warned supporters and residents in Laventille the People’s National Movement (PNM) is attempting to destabilise the government by fuelling anger and protest. Smith’s comment follows backlash over mass contract terminations at the Community-Based Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme (Cepep), which has left over 10,000 people jobless. Speaking at the LOVE party’s office on George Street, Port of Spain, on July 2, Smith described the PNM’s calls for “boots on the ground” and protest action as dangerous and urged Laventille residents not to be manipulated into political agitation. Smith claimed the PNM had a history of creating false scandals and inflammatory statements to trigger unrest. During the April 28 general election campaign, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar announced a “coalition of interest” with LOVE, the Progressive Empowerment Party (PEP), the Oilfields Workers’ Trade Union (OWTU), and other unions. Smith defended the government’s decision to terminate the Cepep contracts, arguing contractors were politically appointed by the previous administration. He said the termination was standard practice when governments change. Asked about the community’s response to it, Smith acknowledged there was considerable anxiety but insisted this should not be used as an excuse for unrest. He said both the government and LOVE were working to help affected residents by assisting with unemployment forms, food card applications, and enrolling youth in programmes such as YTEPP, MiLAT, and others. Smith also discussed efforts to rehabilitate Laventille’s negative image and make the area safer and more business-friendly. He repeated his call for the community to reject provocation and instead support efforts to rebuild the area’s economy, remove its stigma, and create opportunities. Asked how many people were affected in the community, Smith estimated over 400, which included contractors and workers. When asked if he was aware of any investigation that led to the terminations, he said he assumed the government had conducted its due diligence. In response to Smith’s remarks, MP for Port of Spain South Keith Scotland said he was surprised by what he described as Smith “interloping” in matters that did not concern him. “Interloping seems to be the order of the day,” Scotland said. “If a person is aggrieved, one day employed, the next unemployed, at a time when SEA results are coming out, children are entering new schools, books and supplies are needed, and there are concerns about their daily sustenance, the conversation should be about a way forward.” Regarding food cards, he said he was “thunderstruck” by Smith’s comments. “Do they want people to beg, to grovel? That will not happen in Port of Spain South,” he added. Scotland said he met with the ten contractors from his constituency on July 2 at his Finland Street office in St James and described the meeting as productive. “We did not discuss protests, but rather practical actions. I wonder on whose behest Smith and his group are singing, making unwanted, ill-timed, and unsolicited statements about lawful decisions,” Scotland said. Single mother and contractor Felicia Samuel, whose team had about 30 workers, mostly single mothers, also spoke to Newsday. “It (the termination) was done abruptly,” she said. “They just called us and told us we were terminated, just like that.” She described the hardship many workers are now facing. “Those women are under extreme pressure because their income, as little as it was, has been cut off. Some have babies: most have children still in school. It’s very hard for them.” Samuel said her team also supported the local economy through purchases from parlours, fruit vendors, and other small businesses. “We would buy from shopkeepers, sometimes even trust breakfast and meals. Now, if we don’t have money to buy from them, what is going to happen to them?” Samuel’s crew, assigned to Beetham Gardens, maintained not only the community but also its preschool, police station, community centre, and other facilities. “Right now, since we’ve been laid off, the whole area is nasty. It’s only a matter of time before there is some sort of health outbreak,” she warned. Samuel said she met with Scotland three times since the layoff to discuss a way forward. Former contractor for the St James/Mucurapo area, Wendell Stevens, who also led a crew of about 30, primarily women, shared similar concerns. “It’s not so much what was done, but how it was done,” he said. “They got the message on Friday morning (June 27), and by Friday afternoon their contracts were over.” He described his team’s work as visible and essential. “In St James, Cocorite, and the surrounding areas, their work was clear for all to see. They were on the Western Main Road, Mucurapo Road, Patna Street and by Long Circular Mall – the team worked hard. So the idea they were ghost gangs is completely untrue.” The post LOVE political leader: ‘Don’t protest over Cepep’ appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.