Rowley woos Tobago youths

Supporters turned out in red shirts armed with the PNM paraphernalia to show their support for the party, as well as to participate in the festivities which included performances by Mitchila Williams, Salty, Uncle Ellis and Shauntelle Melville.

Though off to a late start, youth speakers spoke briefly between performers and highlighted their reasons for supporting the PNM.

In his address, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley urged the young people gathered to not take anything for granted.

“All over the world, there are examples of people who did not do what could have been done to influence the next generation positively.

“You here in Tobago, you know the kinds of policies that we are talking about, policies that create an opportunity in economic development, in tourism and to ensure that you have the opportunity and make it work for you. There are programmes in Tobago to ensure young people to train themselves to get training whether it is to provide services in health, in education, in business or in their own enterprise, you are given those opportunities which you take for granted,” he said.

He went further asking them to see the opportunities as public policies, identified, outlined and supported by a political directorate who looks towards the future, knowing that if these things are made available the young people coming out of school they would see opportunities and they would work towards making those opportunities change their lives.

The Prime Minister noted there is a difference between the PNM and the other political entities in the race.

“It is that our opponents largely thing of the moment and the individuals who they are contesting against, whereas the PNM thinks about the future, your future, the future of young people. A political party that really wants to serve the nation, whether it is at the national level or the local level, whatever you are pursuing in terms of policies that will transform into programmes, it has to have a purpose and that purpose is how well it contributes to the development of the next generation. Because parents have to be concerned about their children and their grandchildren and political parties make decisions or ought to make decisions to create an environment, a climate in which those who are coming up will see a place for themselves in the tomorrow and see opportunities for themselves and it is how you seize those opportunities, how you grasp them, how you identify a place for yourself that you too will begin to become successful in this society,” he said.

Political leader of the Tobago Council of the PNM Kelvin Charles noted that having been in office in Tobago or the past 16 years, the PNM has literally transformed the island, doing a lot for young people especially.

As a result, he pledged the continued support of the next THA administration.

“The next THA administration is going to continue the progress and the development so we en finish yet. We would have invested a lot in you young people at various levels... so as I look across this sea of red this evening I see the future of Tobago, I see your future because at the end of the day, what we are doing now is really for you,” he said.

Charles said as Tobago continues to be takes to the next level, the party is looking forward for the young people to play their part in the continued transformation.