If only the PNM took care of their own, the murder rate in this country wouldn’t be so high, the crime rate would have gone down
Austin Jack Warner
EVERY honest black man will say that he was happier under the People’s Partnership (PP) government of Kamla Persad-Bissessar than the current People’s National Movement (PNM) one under Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley.
This was the claim made by former minister under the PP government Austin Jack Warner at a United National Congress (UNC) meeting held at the Aranguez Community Centre on Monday.
Warner said, “What bothers me greatly is the deception of this PNM government to promote itself as a black man’s party. What bothers me is the fact that in this country, the most oppressed communities are those located within the PNM constituencies.
“If only the PNM took care of their own, the murder rate in this country wouldn’t be so high, the crime rate would have gone down.”
He said, “What disturbs me is that the PNM, the so-called black man’s party seems only intent on putting money in the pockets of the one percenters. It is time for somebody to call out the PNM on this matter. It’s time for us to rally and save this country from ruin.”
The former minister of national security also called for general elections, due in 2025, to be called immediately.
He said, “We can’t afford to sit back and wait until 2025 to make our move for political change. The time to call for a general election is now.”
Warner, the former FIFA vice president wanted on corruption charges in the US, said for the past eight years when the PNM was in power there have been a breakdown in security and the justice in the country.
He added, “For the past eight years, violence and mischief have scourged our lands. For the past eight years, unprecedented death and destruction has stalled this nation.”
Warner cited recent murders including Kester Reid, an owner of Service Terminal Centre in Curepe, Tafari Gabriel Charles a 23-year-old Republic Bank employee in a home invasion and the shooting of a 75-year-old pensioner while walking along Bush Street in Petit Bourg.”
He said, “Citizens are no longer safe anywhere, they’re no longer safe, especially in the East West corridor. They’re not safe in their homes, in their places of work, or even walking along the streets.
“Gunmen have gone astray under this Keith Rowley government, since Rowley was elected as prime minister of this country on September the 9, 2015. More than 4,000 persons have been murdered in this country. Since this election, the average number of murders, per year is 500 plus.”
He said murder was not the only crime in the country saying that there were 1,015 reported cases of burglary and breakings, 303 reported cases of rape, incest and sexual offences and 498 wounded and shooting incidents last year.
Warner said, “In fact, last year was one of the worst years we have had for crime in this country. There have been 30,640 reported instances of crime, but only 1,319 convictions were recorded, less than 5%.”
He said, “People of this country are not safe under Keith Christopher Rowley. It’s never safe under any PNM government in any case. My dear people, my dear friends, now is the time to join us on this journey to save Trinidad and Tobago.” (With reporting by COSTAATT Intern Faith Edwards)
