Fuad Abu Bakr, leader of the New National Vision (NNV) political party, is calling for urgent action to address challenges faced by residents of east and south Port of Spain while questioning whether the PNM genuinely cares about the well-being of these communities.
“It seems like they do not want to put solutions in place, it’s almost as though they do not want to uplift African people,” he said.
Abu Bakr was speaking with Newsday on April 9 around St Paul Street, surrounded by residents. This came about an hour after a protest was held outside the office of Keith Scotland, MP for the area, on Piccadilly Street.
He explained residents had identified ways they could improve their own conditions but said they were not receiving the support needed to make those improvements a reality.
He said the earlier protest included residents from Nelson Street, Duncan Street, Sea Lots, Mango Rose (Piccadilly Street), and St Paul Street.
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“These communities have been neglected for a very long time, and nothing has been done. The people are fed up, so we sought to organise a protest to give them a platform to express that.”
Abu Bakr questioned what it really meant when areas were labelled as "PNM strongholds."
“Does PNM mean neglect, crime, no jobs, poor infrastructure? Because that’s what you see out here. Somebody has to stand up for these people.”
As he spoke, residents nodded in agreement. He emphasised residents were tired of political neglect and said public perception that everything was fine in "PNM areas" was far from reality.
“There are serious issues and concerns, and residents do not want to be politically neglected just because their constituencies are considered strongholds.”
Abu Bakr highlighted that infrastructure was a major issue, pointing to poor living conditions in Housing Development Corporation (HDC) buildings.
“They (HDC) are responsible for the condition of these apartments, but they’ve been neglected. People are dealing with leaking sewers, elevators that don’t work, broken plumbing. Since they were built, these buildings haven’t even been painted. This is a history of constant neglect.”
He said in the past year, residents had visited MP Keith Scotland’s office several times for help but got none. He also claimed repeated appeals to the HDC had gone unanswered.
When asked about the timing of the protest – just 18 days before the general election – he responded: “The only time people’s cries are heard is during election season. Apart from election time, Scotland does no work. Even now, during elections, he just passes through like a wind.”
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Abu Bakr also accused Scotland of victimising residents in the community who did not support him politically.
Regarding the lack of youth development, he said the sporting facility in St Paul Street had been non-functional for many years and residents wanted it to be reopened to give young people positive outlets.
“There’s a huge sporting complex, just closed and dilapidated,” he said.
He added that residents were calling for funding for youth programmes.
“A young man told me there are empty lots of land and wanted to know how they can access it to start agricultural projects like aquaponics or grow boxes.
"They’re asking for my help, but I don’t have the resources. TT has the resources, though. It’s better to spend money preventing crime by giving young men work and training than to spend money jailing them, chasing them or paying hospital bills for injuries.”
He said while Scotland had introduced small programmes in the last few weeks, residents saw it as an election tactic.
“This has been a difficult period economically for everyone in TT. No community should be victimised just because they don’t support a particular party. I want to say to the people of TT, it’s time to move away from the old ways and demand better representation for these areas.”
Asked who he believed would best serve the community, Abu Bakr responded: “I have offered myself. I believe in myself as a young man. I have a passion for the people, and I want to see their conditions improve. I can vouch for myself. I don’t know if I can vouch for anybody else.”
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Speaking to Newsday by phone, Scotland dismissed Abu Bakr's claims, calling it a cheap election ploy.
“There was no demonstration. There were people who did not live in the area. If you consider that a demonstration? Okay, I do not. I am not about cheap politics.”
Responding to Abu Bakr’s accusations of victimisation, he said: “I rebuke and refute that. I don't victimise anyone. In fact, if I hear those comments, they may actually be actionable. It's absolutely untrue.”
Scotland stressed that, as the MP for the area, it was his job to assist all members of the community regardless of their political affiliations. He said to suggest anything less was an unvarnished lie, and he was deeply saddened and troubled by Abu Bakr's comments.
"I am criticised by my own supporters at times. I am saddened for him that he would stoop so low."
Speaking to residents, Scotland said he would see them at Basilon Street on March 10 at 3 pm for the opening of the Basilon Street Youth Facility.
“I am on the ground working. What has Abu Bakr done?”
He concluded, “What hurt me even more is that at the back of his van, he had a pot of soup he was feeding people. Denigrating my constituency with a pot of soup.”
