Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley has cautioned against individuals whose aim is to misrepresent the facts about the governance of this country for personal gain.
The Prime Minister was firm in his responses to the media following the unveiling and ribbon-cutting ceremony at the City Heights housing units in San Fernando.
He addressed public comments that Trinidad and Tobago has become the laughingstock of CARICOM, stemming from the announcement that this country, through Paria Fuel Trading Company Limited, will purchase low-sulphur fuel oil over six months from PetroJam, a Jamaican company. The fuel will be used for bunkering operations.
“There’s no end to mischief in this country. How do you become the laughingstock? If, while you are selling fuel to the Caribbean region, buying and selling fuel as Paria does, if you see an opportunity to buy from Jamaica, Jamaica being a CARICOM country, which gives you an advantage in obtaining it from there, as against obtaining it from an external CARICOM source, what’s wrong with that? Are you implying that Paria shouldn’t buy and sell fuel?”
The Prime Minister also saw no issue with his statements made while at a cocktail function hosted in his honour by the Diego Martin West constituency, naming media personality Hans Des Vignes as a nominee for Diego Martin West.
He said that as a member of a PNM party group, he has a democratic right to voice his opinion on party matters. Dr. Rowley said firmly that he also will not recuse himself from the Screening Committee.
“I am a member of a party group. That party group has the constitutional right. It’s members like me who nominate one person. I don’t know that I have prevented anybody from being nominated. So what are you talking about? What is your problem? What is your issue? What is your concern? Except to make mischief in the PNM. I’ll tell you one thing. PNM is not a party group. PNM members and supporters are smarter than that because this is just an interference to create mischief.”