“A sad state.” This was how Chief Secretary Farley Augustine described the condition of the gravesite of Tobago-born President and Prime Minister ANR Robinson.
On Friday, during his annual walk from the ANR Robinson International Airport to the Scarborough Methodist Church Cemetery, in commemoration of the 1990 attempted coup, activist Wendell Eversley highlighted the condition of the site, which was overgrown with grass.
Chief Secretary Augustine, responding to journalists, explained the maintenance of the site does not fall under the remit of the Tobago House of Assembly.
“Since we got into office, we sort of fixed the gravesite up and made it presentable. But it is clear that no one goes and actively maintains it. I’m not sure if there are family members that are around and available. That is not a public cemetery. That is actually a cemetery belonging to a church. So unlike public cemeteries where the State will have workers there, at a church cemetery, which is private, we don’t normally have workers there.”
Despite this, the Chief Secretary said steps are being taken to address the situation.
“Given the sorry state that it is in now, I have asked that the THA go beyond its usual duty just to take care of it until we figure out what’s happening there and whether or not the family can in fact maintain it. But we will prefer to not see it in that condition.”