Robinson leaves President’s House today

FORMER President Arthur NR Robinson will leave President’s House today. However, he will not be going to his private residence at Ellerslie Park, St Clair. The Robinsons will be moving to an undisclosed location until renovation work is completed on their St Clair house.

The new President George Maxwell Richards will not move into President’s House right away. He will remain at his private residence at Maracas/St Joseph, until next week to allow the staff to carry out cleaning up operations at President’s House. When Newsday visited Robinson’s private residence at St Clair yesterday, workers were busy putting the final touches on the building. Employees of ABC Construction Limited were contracted months ago to carry out extensive renovations to the house which Robinson vacated in 1997 when he was sworn in as the country’s third President. The workers were busy painting the various rooms in the house when Newsday visited. Even the wall around the premises has been elevated. However, there is a lot of work to be done to the yard and swimming pool. According to reports, work at the Robinsons’ home is expected to take another two to three weeks.

Newsday was informed that Richards was prepared to accommodate the Robinsons for as long as it took but Robinson was anxious to leave President’s House - well aware that it was a State facility and he was no longer President. Richards and his family will remain in the main house for at least three months while renovation work is done on the cottage at the back. When the cottage is completed, the Richards will move into that building to allow extensive renovation to be carried out on the main house. This, according to reports, will take at least two years at a considerable cost.

The main house is in a dilapidated condition, Newsday was informed. The majority of the facility, including the flooring has to be replaced and this will take a long time to be completed. Meanwhile, President Richards spent his first official day in office yesterday attending to administrative matters and meeting with staff. The only new member of staff is Lt Commander Hiram Mohammed, the President’s Aide-de-Camp. The rest of the staff is still at President’s House. Robinson’s Aide-De-Camp, Major Anthony Phillip-Spencer is expected to go on two weeks’ leave before he is re-assigned to military duties in the Defence Force. There are several members of staff who were brought in during Robinson’s term. However, no one could say if these persons will be retained by the new President or will have to quit. Newsday was told several changes will be made to the President’s staff.