Licensing officers sent to Tobago have been told to leave and don’t come back any time soon.
This from PDP leader Watson Duke.
His advice to the Trinidad-based licensing officers, came after Tobagonians complained of being terrorised during the past week as the officers conducted road exercises as part of an anti-crime initiative to address the island’s worsening crime situation.
Hosting a news conference on Friday, August 2 at his party’s head office, Port Mall, Scarborough, Duke disagreed that the licensing officers were terrorising Tobagonians.
He said they were only doing their jobs.
But he added: “Now that you have done that, it is time to pack up and leave Tobago. You have spent a week – not terrorising us, because you were doing your work. And so those persons who say you were terrorising us, they are wrong. The licensing officers, they were not terrorising us.
“You must use the correct words.
“What they were doing was provoking us. And you must not provoke people, because provocation could lead to other acts.”
“I am saying to my friends today in the licensing division who came to Tobago – not those who are here – it is time to go back.
Duke said the officers should not mistake Tobagonians’ calmness for stupidity.
“Tobagonians are quiet people, but they have tolerance limits. Do not take Tobagonians’ calm as permission to be aggressive towards them.”