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is located on top of a hill just about 100 metres from the facilities
where Prime Minister Patrick Manning hosted a Cabinet retreat over
two consecutive weekends last month, will be used as a private guest
house for the PM and his wife, Hazel.
Refurbishment began last September on this primary residence, and
contractors, Interior Marketing of Chaguanas and sub-contractors
Quantum Construction, are still hard at work putting the finishing
touches.
It was originally a bland three-bedroom structure like the rest
of the properties on the wider compound.
But a master bedroom with a balcony overlooking the scenic Palo
Seco Beach in the Columbus Channel and another bedroom were added
to the top of the building.
It was further enhanced by a wide patio upstairs, ostensibly for
entertaining guests.
Each of the five-bedrooms has a private toilet, shower and bathtub
laid out with the most expensive European-style tiles; the bedrooms
are also outfitted with closets fully covered with glass doors.
The floor, which was being laid up to two days ago, is imported
from Switzerland, and the kitchen counter top alone reportedly costs
anywhere close to TT $25,000.
New, underground electrical cables were being installed to ensure
an uninterrupted power supply for the fully air-conditioned building.
But the servants’ quarters adjoining the property did not
get similar treatment.
All of this, however, has come like a slap in the face for the villagers
of Palo Seco and angry Petrotrin workers, who have protested against
“wanton wastage” by the State-owned oil company.
Angry villagers who staged a protest ahead of the second Cabinet
retreat were apparently appeased when Muslimeen frontman Lorris
Ballack, who operates a mosque in Palo Seco, was given the contract
to clear the wilderness near the residence, in time for the Cabinet
retreat.
But, in fact, the only thing they have gained from the multi-million-dollar
project on their doorsteps is the rubble left behind by the contractors,
who were working on orders from Petrotrin to leave the stuff behind
for the villagers to use.
Although Petrotrin sources insisted the upgrade is part of a long-term
project, disgruntled villagers swear that the facilities were hastily
refurbished in time for the Cabinet retreat.
“You cannot imagine that for just one weekend, Beach Camp
was developed so quickly,” one visibly upset villager told
Mirror last week.
“The whole beach area was in a type of wilderness until a
month before they decided to host this Cabinet retreat.
“And although work on the main house, which we still call
Malcolm Jones’ house, started in September, they only cleared
all the bush surrounding the house when they heard that the Cabinet
was coming there.”
He continued: “There was overwhelming security when Manning
showed up.
“Soldiers were perched in the trees overlooking the residences
where the government ministers hung out.”
“We even wondered whether the PM was protecting himself from
the Venezuelan gun boats that usually come close by in the Columbus
Channel,” he added for good measure.
The villager continued: “We admit that the place was run-down
and that there were simple things that could have been done years
ago when the Panday-led United National Congress (UNC) Administration
was in power.
“But they never did anything to Beach Camp … or the
village!
“Still, things that were never done in five years or so were
accomplished in one month.”
He reiterated: “Some people say Jones is coming to live there
while others insist that it is Patrick’s guest house for his
own personal retreat.
“They say that although Jones is an iron-fist man, he would
rather live in a lesser house to make way for his best friend and
bossman, Manning.
“In fact, he has visited the site at least twice while construction
was in progress and the workers have been steupsing and talking
about how he does not have any manners. Imagine, he did not even
greet anyone, as if they are all lesser mortals.
“To top of all of that, we have been told that Manning is
not just looking at the house as a place to retreat.
“The talk also making the rounds here is that with our MP
Hedwidge Bureaux definitely on the way out, the PM is preparing
for his wife, Hazel, to contest the La Brea seat and that she would
use this house as a base.
“In any event, if that is the case, we need to tell the PM
that he could come and talk to us straight up, instead of hiding
behind a posh mansion as if he is some overlord or something like
that.”
He added: “Already, Manning’s name is bad in this village
because people are saying all kinds of things about how much expensive
furniture was replaced just to make it exactly comfortable for him.”
Meantime, Petrotrin sources, who wished to remain anonymous, maintained
that the Beach Camp facilities are being upgraded in light of the
influx of top international executives who will be arriving in the
country from ALCOA, for example.
They insisted that the upgrade is in line with international standards.
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