Minister of Tobago Development Delmond Baker aroused the ire of PNM Senator Shamfa Cudjoe in the Senate yesterday when he accused the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) of siphoning off millions of dollars of its allocation from Central Government into election road-paving exercises, contingency funds and even a bank account.
Baker, who made his second appearance in the Senate yesterday, was speaking during a motion on a Review of the Regional Health Authorities of Trinidad and Tobago brought by Independent Senator Dr Victor Wheeler.
He said the THA received close to $2 billion every year from Central Government to run its affairs but the delivery of health care remained a problem.
Baker said for six months there were only two ambulances in the sister isle.
He also said, to date, a damning report on the Tobago Regional Health Authority (TRHA) in relation to the death of Leciana Sheppard while giving birth at the Scarborough Hospital in October last year had not been released.
Baker questioned the THA’s usual cry that it did not get enough money from the Government.
He said some $600 million was allocated annually to the TRHA but questioned whether citizens were benefiting from this.
Baker said for the last five years, $100 million from the THA’s annual allocation had been kept and placed into a contingency fund.
Another $10 million was taken out and banked in a private account.
He said with the impending general election later this year, there was a flurry of road-paving projects in Tobago West, which he would be contesting.
Cudjoe began her presentation by saying when Baker walked through the door she was very pleased since he was a medical doctor who worked with the TRHA.
Her pleasure soon turned to vexation when Baker began to “cast all kinds of aspersions” on the PNM-controlled THA.
She avoided addressing the Sheppard investigation and other issues, however, saying they were before the court and it was, therefore, subjudice, to talk about them.
She said using funds for election projects had been going on in Tobago since the time of former MP and prime minister Arthur NR Robinson and before.
As for saving in contingency funds, the THA had to do this because it did not benefit from IDB loans to develop the island.
Cudjoe focused her attack on Baker himself, saying he would not win Tobago since the people there were very clear about what was happening.
“We don’t have to spend a cent to win,” Cudjoe said.
Baker, she said, on the other hand, did not seem to know whether he was with the Tobago Forwards or the Tobago Organisation of the People, led by Ashworth Jack.
Baker, she said, had been handing out grants to churches and youth groups.
At this point, Transport Minister Devant Maharaj shot up appealing for the Vice-President’s intervention.