People before legacies

THE EDITOR: On Thursday last when I opened your newspaper, glaring at me was the headline “$850M World Class Sports Complex for TT.” I was sure it was an error, I was certain you had made a mistake. Alas, it seeped into my head that it was true, $850 million for “a world class sports complex for TT.” I began then to ask myself some questions. “Do we not already have four new stadia which I understand are desperately underutilised? Is there not a plan for an Olympic size swimming pool in Cocorite? Is the Queen’s Park Oval in a year or so not going to be the Mecca of cricket in the West Indies?” Why then this $850 million World Class Complex?

I began to think again: “Could $850 million not be put to more urgent use?” Immediately my mind turned to the poor and neglected who are being kept alive by our cadre of truly wonderful NGOs. These NGOs have taken over from the Government the responsibility of the Government to assist all its citizens, the young, the old, the crippled, the destitute, the disabled, the vagrants. There are about 25 children’s homes which are in need of assistance from the wealth that God has given to our country. But it seems that the persons who have been put in charge of God’s wealth to Trinidad and Tobago have put “things” (eg a world class complex) before “people” (eg abandoned children).

What I just cannot understand is this: How can all these gentlemen and ladies of the Cabinet sit in Cabinet and not protest against this obscene usage of the money given to Trinidad and Tobago by Almighty God to be spent for the benefit of our citizens? I fear, I fear His wrath will be disastrous. However, I would like to congratulate the business community and all those individuals who have assisted in an heroic way the NGOs, the stalwarts of the underprivileged of TT. Now let me respond to the arguments raised by Dr Saith and Mr Boynes. Dr Saith claims “Govt had no choice but to construct it since this was a key part of the “Brown package” this country had received for the 2007 World Cup Cricket tournament.”

Hear now Mr Boynes: “If the stadium is not completed by next year in time for the pre-World Cup warm-up matches carded to take place in this country, the entire region, not just the TT Government could be sued for breach of contract by the ICC.” I met with a prominent member of the World Cup LOC and he just totally denied any of these explanations. The fact is, he continued, the Queen’s Park Oval has already been officially designated for the World Cup matches of the Brown package. The LOC simply was looking at ways and means of locating four appropriate venues for the warm-up matches.

I reminded him that in the late 70s when England toured the West Indies, England had used the Fatima College ground for its warm-up matches. I still have a letter from their coach, the late Mr Ken Barrington, praising Fatima for the splendour of their cricket ground and facilities. Likewise with the 2007 World Cup warm-up matches, we have the following grounds the teams can use: Cricket Development Centre, Guaracara Park, UWI Cricket Centre, Fatima College, Presentation College — Chaguanas, Queen’s Royal College, St Mary’s College etc, etc.

No need for a $850 million complex to stage warm-up matches. All it may need is some funding to upgrade the facilities of the above-mentioned venues. What a boom that would be for the young students! With respect to Mr Lara and Mr Bovell, I am going to suggest to them that they ask the Government to plough the money back into a Children’s Homes Development Fund, “to be administered by the Pearl and Bunty Foundation (Lara’s deceased parents.) One last caution to the Government: Do you remember what happened when you put “horses before houses,” many years ago?

CLIVE PANTIN
Woodbrook