Claims by the Government that the Point Fortin highway is between 60-70 per cent completed are not true, members of the Round Table of the Oilfield Workers Trade Union (OWTU), People’s National Movement (PNM) and other parties claimed yesterday.
The groups made the comment yesterday as they announced they had thrown their full support behind the Highway Reroute Movement (HRM).
The two parties held a press conference at the OWTU’s Paramount Building, Circular Road, San Fernando, and then took a tour of the highway to see first hand the works that were completed.
Speaking to reporters at the site of the Mon Desir to Debe segment of the highway, OWTU president general Ancel Roget accused the Prime Minister of fooling the population.
“Their justification for continuing this (highway) is built on a lie, that is that some 60-70 per cent is completed,” Roget said.
“So the population is fed that lie and so if it is 60-70 per cent completed they should go ahead and complete it. But it is not so.
“Once again the Prime Minister has fed the country misinformation purposely, I don’t know what to call it, you want to call it a lie.”
Roget said the Round Table has thrown its support behind the HRM’s alternative to the Mon Desir to Debe segment, the Optimum Connectivity Proposal.
“Why are they building a highway that is completely unnecessary and continuing to ignore the proposals of the HRM?” Roget asked.
He alleged there was corruption in the construction of the highway where material that is supposed to be used on the construction was being shared out otherwise.
“We have had numerous reports from OAS themselves claiming certain levels of corruption involved in the construction of this highway,” he said.
“There is some agreement involved supposed to guarantee them some 250 loads of aggregate a day and what OAS has been getting for some time is 80 loads a day. You will see if you drive across this country sites where you have a lot of aggregate piled up and that is where material for this highway is going.”
Promising a mammoth 2015 Labour Day on June 19, Roget said, where they will deal with all the issues.
Roget also promised an announcement on planned action by the union before the 2015 general elections are held.
“We are going to be making a particular announcement about some actions that we are prepared to take in defence of our country to demand that elections are called. They will judged on the construction of a highway that was absolutely not necessary, uprooting communities, corruption, Section 34.”
Also addressing members of the media, HRM member Terrence Boodhai produced a map showing the works that have been completed so far.
“In some cases, it is very minimal work, so when they say 60-75 per cent of the project has been completed, they definitely are not referring to Debe to Mon Desir segment.”