Fuad Abu Bakr challenges Rowley

Abu Bakr addressed a small NNV meeting at Bagatelle Basketball Court in the constituency last Thursday night, where several supporters wore green jerseys, saying “Fuad, Diego Martin West”.

Urging Rowley to heed the virtue of humility, Abu Bakr said, “If you can’t humble yourself, who are you going to lead?”.

Likening politics to a romantic relationship, he said, “If your political ‘man’, Dr Rowley is treating you bad — when last you see him? — what do you need to do? Leave him! You either shake him up to do better, or you find a new man.” The crowd roared with laughter.

“Rowley doesn’t understand the youth.

“He just understands golf on the golf- course. He is living in Glencoe with a swimming pool, and not the kind of pool you have (the latter referring to a huge water-filled pothole on the Bagatelle Road.),” said Abu Bakr.

“I understand the youth. If you don’t walk with them, live with them, see their plight, how are you going to represent them? This is a new vision, of a young man of 29 years, willing to stand up to anything that comes his way.”

Seeking to displace Rowley, who has won the seat in every election since, Abu Bakr quipped, “We don’t want no ‘Tobago love’”.

He said that last General Election (2010) he had been elated that across the 12 seats it had contested the NNV had won some 3,000 votes in total.

“I celebrated on election night. Three thousand conscientious people in 12 constituencies, and I didn’t carry anyone to the polling stations.”

Abu Bakr complained that citizens have accepted corruption, as long as someone is taking care of people.

“We have reached so bad we say that Jack Warner is a ‘Robin Hood’,” he quipped, referring to the Independent Liberal Party (ILP) leader.

Abu Bakr hit Warner over FIFA funds for Haiti unaccounted for.

“Let us wake up and stop accepting less than we deserve,” urged Abu Bakr. “Let us stop accepting gutter politics, who is sleeping with who, who is Christian. “Up to now I can’t hear an issue on the political platform.”

Hailing the service provided by the Bagatelle punch man, Abu Bakr said TT is full of nice people, yet somehow in the forum of politics the worst people come out in front.

Earlier, Tobago NNV spokesman, Hilton Henry, hit the PP and PNM.

He said he had gone to school with Rowley in Tobago, and knew him better than anyone, but Rowley’s wife.

“He wasn’t any people’s person. He is a man of no humility. I’m glad for him as a Tobagonian but I’m not putting God out of my thoughts and backing him.”

Henry said that Rowley had fought down fellow Tobagonian, the late Arthur NR Robinson, who had gone on to be Prime Minister and President.