Hosein tells new councillors be humble

Telling the new councillors that he served as an elected councillor for eight years and at several other levels in the San Fernando City Corporation over the last 14 years, Hosein said as a councillor, “the secret in my serving was that I used to visit every household in a district which I represented, Les Efforts East/La Romaine, every three months.” The audience laughed when Hosein told them that he became so well-known in his district that when he visited one day, a child told his parents, “Look the PNM man come back again.” Hosein told the new councillors that while they would like to deliver to their constituents, sometimes they cannot deliver what they would like to deliver.

“I want to assure you, that being part of this present government, that we will make sure that you have this Local Government reform take place to ensure that we don’t have this obstacle in our way,” the minister said.

Saying his quietness was his strength and it is better to listen more and speak less, Hosein stated, “One of my goals was to be humble.

It pays to be humble at all times. You cannot get vex with anybody.” He also said it was time that politicians in this country do what the people, who elected them, want them to do and not do what they want to do. Hosein urged the councillors to have, “consultations at all levels.” Indicating that he literally has an open door policy at his ministry, Hosein said, “I want to encourage you to go to your offices, meet the people.” Port-of-Spain North/ St Ann’s West MP Stuart Young told the councillors, “This is the start of another chapter in the journey.” He advised them that compared to elected parliamentarians, they have the ability to have a greater effect of the lives of people on the ground. As he congratulated them on the “awesome responsibility” they are taking on, Young advised them that Local Government reform legislation, which was spoken about during the recently ended Local Government election campaign, will be coming to Parliament by the end of the first quarter of 2017.

The councillors sworn in yesterday were Clint Baptiste (East Dry River); Jameel Bisnath (St James East); Charlene De Peza (Southern Port-of- Spain); Akil Durham (Woodbrook); June Durham (Belmont South); Stephen Harper (Northern Port-of- Spain); Abena Hartley (Northern Port-of- Spain); Hillan Morean (St Ann’s River North); Darryl Rajpaul (Belmont East); Roland Ramkissoon ( St James West); Keno Romeo (St Ann’s River Central) and Allan Samuel (St Ann’s River South).