Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley on Sunday bashed the former administration for leaving the plans for the Diego Martin Sporting Complex on the back burner during their time in office.
The $115 million facility was opened at Savannah Terrace in Bagatelle, and Rowley used his platform to warn the attendees to use their vote for the party that worked for them.
“I was in Parliament when the decision was taken to build this facility. I simply want to say to you that the completion of this facility today is the graphic representation of the maxim that politics is about interest, meaning if you do not vote in defence of your interest, you may very well end up being irrelevant in the political space,” he said.
“Today, I must tell you that the foundation for this space was completed by 2010 and the next time that a workman appeared on this scene was in 2016,” he said.
“Because the Government of the day determined for five years that this facility was not necessary and was not a priority,” he said.
Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Shamfa Cudjoe, MP for Diego Martin North East Colm Imbert, MP for Diego Martin Central Darryl Smith, Housing Minister Edmund Dillon and chairman Noel Garcia from the Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago all attended the opening of the facility.
“If you do not vote in defence of your interest you would be irrelevant on the political stage,” he said.
Rowley said that the project began in 2007 and the foundation was completed by 2010. He said that the entire project had be redone.
“We could easily have said we didn’t have the money to finish the facility but nothing happens before its time,” he said.
He said the delay was a good thing for Diego Martin because the previous plans were scrapped, redesigned and upgraded.
“Out of evil cometh good because the original plan was to build something far inferior,” he said.
He said that the Government had already awarded the second phase of the contract which included a football field, a swimming pool and indoor facility.
“All these are on the drawing board and table for Diego Martin,” he said.