MSJ challenges PNM, UNC on refinery promises

MOVEMENT for Social Justice (MSJ) leader David Abdulah questioned his PNM and UNC counterparts, Dr Keith Rowley and Kamla Persad-Bissessar, on how they will deal with the proposed acquisition of the former Petrotrin refinery in Pointe-a-Pierre by Patriotic Energies after Monday’s general election.

At a virtual meeting which the MSJ held in Diego Martin on Tuesday, Abdulah asked Rowley, "Are you being deceitful?"

He recalled that recently Rowley signalled Government's intention to sign the agreement for Patriotic, which is owned by the Oilfield Workers Trade Union (OWTU), before the election.

After noting the OWTU's readiness to conclude the agreement, Abdulah urged Rowley to "sign the agreement now." Abdulah, who is also the MSJ's Pointe-a-Pierre candidate, warned Rowley that if the agreement is not signed before Monday, he would be branded as "very deceitful" by the population.

He then slammed Persad-Bissessar for promising to reopen the refinery in November, without the necessary checks being made to ensure it is safe to resume operations.

"Stop misleading the people Kamla."

Abdulah said Persad-Bissessar and the UNC are trying to fool voters into believing the refinery is a car without a new battery. He said the UNC does not know the extensive scope of work required to test and double-test all of the refinery's facilities before start up.

Abdulah explained that start up will take months and hundreds of millions of US dollars. He claimed the latter will be unavailable to whoever forms the next government.

He warned that if elected and the UNC tries to restart the refinery in November, it will "cause that refinery to blow up and take part of Marabella with it."