By Clint Chan Tack Saturday, October 3 2009

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Saying her piece: Independent Senator Helen Drayton speaking during debate in the Senate on Thursday night. ...

THE ENTIRE board of directors of the Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (Udecott) should resign immediately if they have the country’s best interests at heart.

Independent senator Helen Drayton made this declaration in the Senate Thursday night, shortly before the Validation and Immunity from Proceedings Bill 2009 was passed.

The Bill validates all of the work done to date by the Uff Commission of Inquiry.

In her contribution, Drayton said she was not questioning Udecott’s legal rights under the Constitution to defend itself if it believed it was being attacked unfairly.

However the senator pointed out: “What is legally right is not morally and ethically right.” Noting that Udecott’s sole shareholder is the Government which is accountable to the people, Drayton said Government must be careful that its actions in this matter are not seen to be acting in contravention of the mandate given to it by the people.

Claiming that Udecott has now become “a toxic agency” in the eyes of many citizens, Drayton said the rights of Udecott under the law were the same rights which all citizens were entitled to. “All we hear are the rights of Udecott,” she stated. The senator said if Udecott was truly concerned about the country’s welfare, “every member of the board would have resigned.”

Explaining that this mandate is similar to a contract, Drayton said the people will hold Government accountable if it fails to uphold its part of the contract.

Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Dr Lenny Saith rejected Opposition claims of a conspiracy between Government and Udecott. “A mistake has been made. It has been identified, and will be corrected,” Saith said. The minister reminded senators that Udecott was only part of the Uff Inquiry’s larger mandate to examine the practices of the local construction industry.

Stating that the inquiry spent a week discussing issues such as the design build model over traditional construction methods, Saith said Government is hoping to get proposals out of the Inquiry which will ensure greater efficiency and value for money on its various construction projects.

The Senate later passed the bill with 23 votes in favour, while the six Opposition senators abstained.