By Faith Edwards and Sue-Ann Wayow
MEMBER of Parliament for Oropouche East Dr Roodal Moonilal is adamant that the University of the West Indies (UWI) Penal-Debe campus be used for its original purpose – as a law campus.
He told AZP News on Tuesday, “We must return to the original mandate of the university council.”
Dr Moonilal also said he made public that sentiment and to key stakeholders.
Dr Moonilal toured on Tuesday, the sprawling campus located near the Debe round-a-bout that is now over 75 per cent by bush, vines and tall grass he said.
Minister of Tertiary Education and Skills Training Prakash Persad, Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry Hansen Narinesingh, Minister of Health Dr Lackram Bodoe, UWI Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal Professor Rose-Marie Belle Antoine were amongst the officials on the tour.
The group visited several key facilities including the academic blocks, student dormitories, student union and sporting facilities.
Speaking to reporters after the visit, Dr Moonilal said the facility, which spans over 100 acres, was once envisioned as a “palatial” and state-of-the-art learning space but now lies in ruins due to neglect under the previous administration.
He said, “It was a horrific experience in a certain way, to see after 10 years of state of disrepair, the horrific state of some areas of this campus.”
Structural fixtures have rusted, the swimming pool remained empty, and the sporting and recreational facilities have deteriorated, the MP said.
Dr Moonilal said, “It has not been occupied for 10 years. I felt extremely angry that in ten years, the PNM government never opened this campus. It was horrible sight to see student halls unoccupied and potentially beautiful classrooms, lecture halls.”
He said the moot court which was built to replicate international legal institutions such as the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ), was elegantly built and had potential.
“It looks like the ICC or the International Court of Justice in The Hague, it is so beautiful, and to think that in all these years it was never used…unbelievable,” Dr Moonilal said.
The cricket pavilion has also been abandoned and overrun by vegetation, with corbeaux now using the site as a resting area he added.
He noted that some sections of the facility have seen limited use by ROYTEC in recent times, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Those areas, he said, remained functional and display the high quality of construction.
Dr Moonilal said, “You can see where has been used and where they have fixed, it is a top of the line, state of the art facility.”
He said major funding will be required to rehabilitate and refurbish the campus, with some areas needing intricate restoration work.
While it was anticipated that the campus would house the UWI Global School of Medicine (GSM), Prof Persad had told AZP News prior to the tour, “We are looking at everything. The idea is to have it as a full campus.”
