CEPEP workers find gun

Minister of Local Government Kazim Hosein spoke with radio station i95.5FM about the campaign which was launched at the Foreshore, Audrey Jeffers Highway and with the theme “team up to clean up”. “We are going into Diego Martin.

We are going to clean all rivers, all drains, all empty lots. And speaking about empty lots while CEPEP was cleaning an empty lot (yesterday) morning they found a firearm among other things,” he said. He reported that the firearm and some bags were to be delivered to the police. He further reported that they would be shredding all tyres and picking up all derelict vehicles “that have been there for years and years and years” and they would also be demolishing dilapidated buildings “which have been a menace”. Hosein later told Sunday Newsday, in a telephone interview, that the response to the campaign has been “phenomenal” and they had been moving derelict vehicles, cleaning open lots, picking up a lot of stoves, fridges and fallen trees and cleared a few dilapidated buildings.

He said the tyre shredder was expected to come out today He reported that close to $1 billion in equipment was out yesterday including excavators, dump trucks and backhoes and they were all in full use. He said that everything is volunteered by the business community and contracting community.

There were also a number of volunteers and NGOs assisting yesterday. He reported, however, they have experienced some obstacles and some people who did not want their place cleaned.

“We come to clean up and we are going to clean up,” he declared.

Hosein explained the plan is to clean the entire Diego Martin Regional Corporation from yesterday to Friday and then Saturday they will move into the Port-of-Spain City Corporation. The campaign will then go to the San Juan/Laventille Regional Corporation and then continuing throughout each of the other 11 remaining corporations.

Also attending the launch yesterday were National Security Minister Edmund Dillon, Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan, Sport Minister Darryl Smith and Agriculture Minister Clarence Rambharat.