Abdulah joins calls for Archie to resign

Addressing a media conference at the MSJ’s St Joseph Road, San Fernando headquarters yesterday, Abdulah said the no-confidence motion was another indication of the “collapse” which was taking place in institutions.

“We want to say that in our view, the time has come for Chief Justice Archie and the members of the Judicial and Legal Services Commission to resign in order to ensure that the credibility and legitimacy of the Judiciary and for our legal process to regain some of its very significantly tarnished reputation,” Abdulah said.

The media conference also focused on the state of health care delivery with MSJ general secretary Ozzi Warwick once again calling on the minister of health to “come clean” on the Point Fortin hospital and the delay in its construction.

“On Saturday April 1, the MSJ held a press conference just outside the construction site of what was supposed to be the new Point Fortin hospital where we highlighted the fact that, notwithstanding sod turning, nothing has actually happened,” Warwick said.

“Well subsequent to that, you had the UdeCoTT and the minister of health coming out in a strong statement to give the indication that some work is taking place. Now today, on June 4, absolutely nothing is happening.” Abdulah also highlighted a case involving an MSJ activist whose daughter had been denied funding from the Children’s Life Fund after she had initially been approved to receive funding for lifesaving surgery.

“There was approval in 2015 March for Jordan Adams, the daughter of Ronnie Adams, to get surgery in the United States. We are now more than two years after that and to date the Children’s Life Fund has not honoured its original commitment to disburse the money,” Abdulah said.

“His daughter is alive today but needs ongoing medical treatment and she’s only alive because in desperation, Ronnie and his wife approached Petrotrin to get a loan.

“We are saying that the Children’s Life Fund ought to honour its commitment that was made originally.” The loan was in the amount of US$147,000.