NATIONAL Security Minister Stuart Young says it was never his intention to blame any homeowners for flooding.
In a release on Friday the National Security Ministry took umbrage to the Trinidad Express headline “Young blames flood victims for building in natural ponds.”
Young said the page four headline was “wholly misleading and intentionally mischievous.”
The release stated:
“Minister Young wishes to make it abundantly clear that his intention was never to ‘blame’ any homeowner, and describes the headline as an insensitive and an unfortunate attempt designed to cause harm, hurt and confusion.
“The headline, carried on page four (4) of the newspaper, erroneously suggests that Minister Young was blaming the flood victims for causing their own demise. In fact, Minister Young was simply saying that there needs to be a conversation about how some houses are built in areas not geographically conducive for the construction of homes.
“At yesterday’s post Cabinet media briefing, Minister Young said this is all part of the national conversation, as is the perennial tons of garbage including plastics and even appliances, that are left behind by flood waters every time there is flooding in the country.
“Minister Young wishes to reiterate that over the past few days, clean-up efforts in all affected areas have been moving apace, and the various government agencies did significant preemptive cleaning of water courses prior to the beginning of the rainy season.
“The Minister finds it very unfortunate that the Daily Express would see it fit to try to promote its newspaper by intentionally attacking those who suffered in the floods. This is not supported in anyway by Minister Young.”
