The former PNM Government recognised the critical role Tobago, as a major stakeholder, has to play in the energy sector and appointed the Chief Secretary to the National Energy Commission, a position he has held for over four years.

It was thoroughly appropriate that the Tobago House of Assembly should assume its rightful place in the commission since Tobago's maritime resources exceed Trinidad's by several thousand square miles and therefore the potential of Tobago's maritime space to the future economy of Trinidad and Tobago is astounding.

In fact, it is estimated that taking the maritime boundaries of Tobago, using international standards, Tobago is more than 17,000 square miles in extent – significantly greater than Trinidad that is hemmed in by Venezuela in the south and by Tobago in the north and east

This column is convinced that the People's Partnership and Mr. Ashworth Jack will never accept the provision proposed by the people of Tobago in the THA's Constitutional Reform recommendations to recognize Tobago's constitutional right to a limit of 200 nautical miles from its shores.

We understand the desire of the UNC led Partnership government to keep Tobago and its people in a state of mendicancy by refusing to accept that Tobago's maritime resources surpasses Trinidad's, but it is unforgivable that Mr. Jack who claims to be loyal and devoted to Tobago, being well aware of Tobago's right to its maritime space, chooses instead to sell out the birthright of the people of Tobago to his friends in Trinidad.

There are those who claim to know his reasons for so doing, but this column cannot claim to know what they are.

Already, the UNC led Partnership has begun to posture itself for the struggle that will come from the Tobago House of Assembly on behalf of the people of Tobago over the issue of Tobago's maritime boundaries and the resources to be found therein.

This column believes that it was not by accident that at the recently concluded Energy Conference held in Port of Spain, the Chief Secretary was the butt of discourtesy and disrespect at the hands of the Minister of Energy. This column understands that every speaker at the conference acknowledged the presence of the Chief Secretary at the event – everybody except THE MINISTER OF ENERGY.

We also understand that the Minister went to great pains to ignore the Chief Secretary at the breaks between conference sessions.

At the conference, the Minister spoke about the allocation of maritime blocks to energy developers in waters east and north of Tobago in TOBAGO'S MARITIME SPACE.

Imagine, giving away Tobago's space and refusing to speak with the Chief Secretary of Tobago House of Assembly – the elected leader of the people of Tobago!

These people are too bold-faced and arrogant. We sincerely hope that the people of Tobago will understand the treatment they can expect to receive from these people from Trinidad. And we hope they will understand that they can get no solace from Ashworth Jack and the leaders of the TOP when the chips are down.

While the UNC-led coalition continues to disrespect and insult Tobago and Tobagonians, the TOP and its leaders "suck up" to Kamla and her cabal.

Ashworth, Stanley and Terrence only have to look at how Jack Warner is being treated after he created Kamla to realize that their Trinidad masters are without scruples. But alas! Vernella, Ashworth, Delmon, Stanley and Terrence are all happy in anticipation of being fed scraps from the table of the UNC.

Imagine! Stanley Beard having been fired by Kamla and her crew from his position as Chairman of the TDC, telling the island and the country on television two weeks ago that he is still the Chairman of that company when his coalition partners had replaced him weeks earlier.

It is sad that the Chairman of a party that is an integral part of the Partnership could be treated this way by any government. But it is more frightening that in a situation as this, Ashworth remains completely dumb while Stanley seems to have lost his pride and self-worth as he seeks to condone the atrocity perpetuated by his own UNC-Coalition on him.

Some people believe that the Leaders of the TOP are too ashamed to tell Tobagonians they are sorry to have traitorously led us into the arms of these uncaring, self-seeking, ungrateful UNC politicians, but this column is confident that the move was calculated on the presumption that the population of Tobago was gullible enough to be taken in by the money and the glitz that the People's Partnership will throw at them and that the disrespect and insults, the lies and deceit and the arrogance meted out to the people of this country will not matter.

This column believes in the wisdom and integrity of the majority of Tobagonians and calls upon the people when the time comes to send a message to the country and the world that Tobago and Tobagonians have never been and never will be for sale.

THE Tobago Council

OF THE PNM