As a senior police officer in Tobago, Collis Hazel's political appointment to head the Fund Management Committee of the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) in July 2010, had sparked some heated debate in the island.

Some had been questioning how a police officer of his rank could accept the invitation to serve in such a capacity. "The chairmanship of any government appointed Board is a political post and as such special permission must be sought for a police officer to accept such positions," pointed out one police source.

But in an exclusive interview with Tobago News during Jouvert celebrations in Plymouth last week Saturday, Hazel scoffed at his detractors arguing that he was well aware of his role and the requirements of accepting such responsibilities.

"When the offer was made to me, I advised that the necessary permission had to be sought for me to serve from my Commissioner of Police and I ensured that this was obtained," he declared. Hazel was adamant that given his extensive training through a scholarship under the Hochoy Charles regime of the THA as well as his over 25 years of success in the business of proposal writing to access grant funding, he was most eminently qualified to assist other Tobagonians in this area.

"This is what the Fund Management Committee is all about," he disclosed. It is about helping individuals and organisations through the entire process of developing and writing proposals to access both grants and loans," he insisted.

Hazel pointed out that to date some 90 persons and groups had been assisted by his Committee. "I know that there is a lot of petty jealousy among my police peers out there," he revealed.

"This is about assisting the island and its people in business and enterprise development," insisted Hazel.