By Chantalé Flecther
OROPOUCHE East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal is calling on Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan to account for the collapse of the Mosquito Creek.
“You cannot preside over a contract of $280 million and when you look at the Mosquito Creek by the hour, it’s cracking up like Crix biscuit down there,” he warned at the United National Congress (UNC) virtual meeting on Monday night.
Dr Moonilal described the collapse of the Mosquito Creek (Package 5A) as a saga of corruption and negligence which deserved a full Commission of Enquiry.
He held a copy of the initial contract document of Package 5A and stated that contractors were bullied to take materials from Studley Park in Tobago for large scale construction.
Dr Moonilal made reference to the Government who boasted they could have reduced the cost of everything completed by the People’s Partnership while in power.
He said, “While they were doing that, they reduced the scope of works, cutting down projects, taking shortcuts and more importantly, they were going to use substandard materials and that was the risk they took while on this campaign.”
“Were there contractors on the San Fernando to Point Fortin Highway also contractors in the construction of the five-storey multi-complex Bailser House in Port of Spain?” Dr Moonilal enquired.
He also called upon Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley to immediately fire Sinanan if he failed to resign.
Dr Moonilal said, “The Mosquito Creek has collapsed and they came with foolishness to say that segment was one of the highest risk areas, but there was a road there for 42 years which never collapsed.”
Karma, was what he described the current situation as.
Dr Moonilal stated that the Government had spent seven years to find scientific evidence to indicate the People’s Partnership had built bad roads, but instead their roads collapsed in three years.
He said, “It was the corruption that allowed that to take place and the use of substandard materials. They did not implement proper engineering designs but paid on that project incidentally $200 million.
“Someone has to be held accountable. “You cannot spend $200 million, and $50 million will go to fix something small with the chances that the entire infamous Package 5A has indeed collapsed under this Government.”
Dr Moonilal also called on Sinanan to account for the collapse and explain any connection to Bailser House.
He also questioned why contractors used Styrofoam for the construction of the roads.
