UNC: ‘PNM wants $1M for pre-schools’

FORMER Education Minister Dr Adesh Nanan on Friday claimed the People’s National Movement (PNM) was demanding a $1 million price tag for pre-school construction in Trinidad and Tobago in order to promote a new form of corruption. Speaking during debate on the Finance (Supplementary Appropriation Bill) 2003, the Tabaquite MP claimed that the PNM built no pre-schools during its 1991-1995 stint in government but was now seeking to do so under questionable circumstances. “The education system is in crisis,” Nanan charged. He further alleged that up to August, $600,000 was paid to a company owned by IDB consultant Kenrick Burgess for school repairs but the Education Ministry had nothing to show for it. Nanan insisted that debacles such as the Biche High School were insignificant compared to what was happening in the education system today and things would have been better if he was the minister.

While maintaining that he was not attacking Education Minister Hazel Manning, Nanan said “the person at the top must take responsibility.” The UNC MP claimed there was racial bias in the HYPE programme and called for Danny Montano’s removal as Tertiary Education Minister. Prime Minister Patrick Manning declared that Nanan’s allegations “bear little relation to the truth”. He reminded Nanan of the $300 million school construction scandal which occurred under the UNC. Manning said the UNC knew its Dollar for Dollar programme was “fundamentally flawed” since “the poor man has no chance with Dollar for Dollar” and Government was now reviewing it. He condemned Nanan for introducing race into eduction matters and disclosed that the operations of the Centre for Ethnic Studies will be separate and distinct from those of the University of the West Indies. Manning added that very soon the UNC will no longer be able to use race as a means to achieve their political objectives.