By Richardson Dhalai Saturday, April 26 2008

Energy Minister Conrad Enill is not one of the five ministers who reported to Prime Minister Patrick Manning that former Trade and Industry Minister Dr Keith Rowley had behaved like a “wajang” and “hooligan” during a meeting of a Cabinet sub-committee on a 60-room hotel two weeks ago.

Enill yesterday said he did not attend the meeting because he was in London.

He told reporters the issue was not about who the Prime Minister consulted on the report of Rowley’s behaviour before he fired Rowley but rather it was about Manning exercising his authority to make sure the Government operated effectively.

“The issue to me is that the Prime Minister who in his deliberate judgement manages the work of the Government...and insofar as he is prepared to consult with whomever he wishes on any matter, at the end of the day, it is his decision and his decision alone,” said Enill.

He spoke with reporters in Guayaguayare after the commissioning of the Beachfield Upstream Development project by the National Gas Company which will lay down a 36-inch gas pipeline.

Manning on Thursday at a news conference at Whitehall said he had fired Rowley from the Cabinet after five ministers reported to him on Rowley’s behaviour during the meeting.

Some of the ministers said Rowley’s behaved like a “wajang”, “hooligan” and his conduct was unacceptable.

Rowley has denied their claims of misconduct and said his concern was about the apparent lack of Cabinet oversight on a plan by the Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago to build the hotel as part of the Academy of Performing Arts at the Princes Building Grounds, Port- of-Spain.

“I hear this lovely debate going on about whom he consulted and whom he didn’t consult, the issue is when you are elected and the Prime Minister calls you, he calls you on the basis of the understanding that you provide him with the resources to do a particular function as he sees fit, and he changes that or moves it as he determines from time to time.

“The issue of each member of Cabinet performing on the basis of his specific portfolio is portfolio-related,” said Enill.

Enill, who was the PNM’s campaign manager in the November general election, said Rowley still has a key role to play in the party as it gets ready for the local government election, the date of which is still to be announced by the Prime Minister.

He said Rowley is still expected to be a front-line speaker during the local government campaign.

“Dr Rowley continues to say that he is a member of the People’s National Movement and as long as he is a member of the People’s National Movement and we need him, we are going to call him into service.”