MINISTER of Sport and Community Development Shamfa Cudjoe-Lewis has slammed the Tobago People’s Party’s (TPP’s) Tobago West candidate Joel “Nuttsy” Sampson for not attending the Conversation with the Candidates forum at Bishop’s High School, Mt Marie, Scarborough, on April 23.
She said had he attended the event, a collaboration between Tobago Channel Five and Tobago CivilNET, she would have been able to respond directly to all of the “lies” she claimed he had been peddling on the campaign with respect the management of sport on the island.
Cudjoe-Lewis, the PNM’s Tobago West candidate, was addressing a political meeting in Buccoo on April 23.
The Conversation with the Candidates targeted candidates for the Tobago West seat in the April 28 general election. Tobago East candidates were featured at the forum on April 16.
She said she had no qualms about attending the forum and being questioned about her stewardship by the people.
“It is my business to show up for you to be questioned by you and I don’t see myself better or above any other candidate. We all sat as equals on that stage tonight (April 23) to be questioned by you and to account to you the people who we will serve,” she said.
Cudjoe-Lewis scoffed at Sampson’s excuse that he had a movie night to attend.
“Mr Joel ‘Nuttsy’ Sampson, I am calling you by name, refused to show up because you have a movie night. When I was a child, I spoke as a child. But when I became a man I put away all childish things. Running a country is big-people business, it's serious people business, and you have to put down your political party and take up the armour of Trinidad and Tobago.”
Accusing him of criticising her performance as a sport minister and MP on the campaign, Cudjoe-Lewis said the Conversation with the Candidates provided an opportunity for her to respond.
“I was there early. I sat and I was there waiting because that was the platform for me to face ‘Nuttsy’ because whole election period he mounting platform and reading one set of lies that the political leader give him on script, that he didn’t do any research.
“But, tonight, was the night for him to come forward and speak, no ducking, no hiding, no bobbing, no weaving, ‘Come forth, ‘Nuttsy,’ appear and meet me. Meet me, ‘Shamfire,’ right here.”
She first addressed his criticism of the refurbishment of the Dwight Yorke Stadium, Bacolet.
“Every night he talking about Dwight Yorke Stadium. I can attest that we have invested millions on refurbishing Dwight Yorke Stadium and as simple as a track and replacing the surface can cost you a good $15 million. So, he there questioning the refurbishment of Dwight Yorke Stadium.
“But what ah want to say to you, ‘Nuttsy,’ is you responsible for sport in Tobago and from community field to community field, the young people of that community and the schools of that community cannot use their field to practice. So is requests to use the one Dwight Yorke Stadium and is whenever we close for refurbishment, you saying we can’t close on the community, we can’t close on the school children. But you can’t close it and fix it same time. At some point we have to close it to do a thorough refurbishment.”
Cudjoe-Lewis said her ministry has had to provide assistance to several groups for projects that fall within the purview of the THA.
She asked, “What is happening with the field in Canaan? Cracks on the ground, no lights. Is me they writing for money to pay the lights to practice out at the training ground.
“And I want to ask him, ‘What is happening out at the other community football fields and the recreational spaces? What happen to the refurbishment there? You sir, are responsible for that development.”
Cudjoe-Lewis said the THA’s promise of a football field for Golden Lane was not delivered.
She said Sampson also complained about the absence of a national sport policy.
“I waited for you, tonight, to tell me about the Tobago sport policy because you were making noise last night, saying there is no national sport policy. A lie. Because if you look on the ministry’s website, open for everybody, you can see the national sport policy that expires in 2027.
“It is the People’s National Movement that delivered the national sport policy to the people of Trinidad and Tobago. But you didn’t show yourself for me to ask you or direct you. Them is the things that your campaign manager should be slipping you on paper.”
She also responded to his criticisms of a proper structure for elite athletes.
“I want to ask, ‘How many elite athletes did you produce in your sport development programme? Show me, how many of them were you able to send to the Olympics. You laugh and you say that there were no medals but how many Tobagonian elite athletes did you produce to even send to the Olympics?”
Cudjoe-Lewis questioned why the Tobago Athletic Committee was still defunct.
“Why you refuse to fund Tobago athletic clubs because there is no Tobago Athletic Committee and you sending them round and round. Is right by me (ministry) they have to end up for funding. So appear, ‘Nuttsy,’ appear and meet me, ‘Shamfire.’”
She also called for an update on the Lalonde Gordon Fund.
“Who have you supported and where can an athlete find an application form, where is the transparency? How do we direct our athletes to get funding? That is a big secret. The money going out, but we don’t know how and we want to know to whom may I ask.”
Cudjoe-Lewis said application forms for the Ministry of Sport can be found on the ministry’s website.
“We have people in place to hold your hand and walk you through. And we walk with you until we deliver the funding to the point that we can say, ‘There is not one Tobago athlete who applied to the Ministry of Sport and Community Development that was denied.
“All of them approved, approved, approved and supported by me, Shamfa Ashaki Cudjoe-Lewis, Minister of Sport and Community Development.”
She also slammed Sampson for saying she had no right to be delivering cheques and providing support to Tobagonians.
“Out of place. Sometimes ah does feel sorry for him because this is not his work. But he drinking bush tea for somebody else fever. Somebody slipping him notes and giving foolishness to read. I want to say, ‘Nuttsy,’ yuh big and I trust that yuh have sense.”
