POWER STRUGGLE – Duke makes first move, fires Chief Sec as PDP deputy

Black Immigrant Daily News

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Watson Duke, left, and Farley Augustine. –

The power struggle between Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP) political leader Watson Duke and THA Chief Secretary Farley Augustine deepened on Friday, when Duke revoked Augustine’s appointment as a deputy leader of the party.

In a PDP media release posted on his Facebook page, Duke also revoked the appointments of the two other deputies – Dr Faith BYisrael and Alicia Roberts-Patterson. BYisrael is the Secretary for Health, Wellness and Social Protection and assemblyman for Belle Garden/Glamorgan.

Augustine, BYisrael and Roberts-Patterson are now ordinary members of the party.

Asked to comment on the revocation of her appointment, BYisrael said she had no comment at this time.

Augustine and Roberts-Patterson did not respond to WhatsApp messages.

Duke’s decision to remove them was revealed at a PDP executive meeting on Thursday night.

It came hours after Augustine announced he was reviewing Duke’s performance as Deputy Chief Secretary after the latter accused the THA of abandoning some 27 members of the Roxborough Folk Performers.

The group was due to perform at several events during Labor Day celebrations in New York.

In a video on his Facebook page on Wednesday night, Duke said although the THA assisted the performers with airline tickets, it did not give them any funds for additional expenses.

He claimed the members of the group were stressed out, hungry and in need of food, and demanded that the THA help them.

But at the post-Executive Council media briefing on Thursday, Augustine said the THA had given the group $400, 417.50 to help with airline tickets and some expenses.

Augustine said he could not understand why Duke felt the need to post a video chastising the THA after he had explained the situation to Duke.

At the briefing, Augustine also said Duke had not fulfilled several of his duties as Deputy Chief Secretary.

He said Duke is responsible for inter-governmental relations, including the relationship between ministries and divisions of the THA and specifically Sixth Schedule items, which deals with certain services to be provided in Tobago.

“That is a matter that the DCS should be working to fix.”

Augustine said Duke is also responsible for the THA’s policy monitoring and evaluation unit.

“The DCS should be going across the divisions, checking up on the policy decisions made by the executive and ensuring that they are being implemented.

“It have things that we approve as an executive since January, February, and all now he can’t get done yet. People have notes sitting down on their desks, just not doing the people work.”

He said proper monitoring of the unit would ensure that when decisions are passed at the executive level, “somebody is going at the back end and following through.”

Augustine said Duke also has responsibilities for diaspora relations, foreign direct investment and an energy bureau.

Duke has scoffed at Augustine’s review of hisresponsibilities. In a video on his Facebook page on Thursday, he described it as “laughable and ridiculous.”

He said the role of Deputy Chief Secretary means nothing to him unless he can serve the people.

He advised Augustine not to make any foolish decisions.

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