MINISTER of Sport and Community Development Shamfa Cudjoe-Lewis has slammed the Tobago People’s Party’s (TPP’s) Tobago West candidate Joel “Nuttsy” Sampson for not attending the Conversation with the Candidates forum at Bishop’s High School, Mt Marie, Scarborough, on April 23.
She said had he attended the event, a collaboration between Tobago Channel Five and Tobago CivilNET, she would have been able to respond directly to all of the “lies” she claimed he had been peddling on the campaign with respect the management of sport on the island.
Cudjoe-Lewis, the PNM’s Tobago West candidate, was addressing a political meeting in Buccoo on April 23.
The Conversation with the Candidates targeted candidates for the Tobago West seat in the April 28 general election. Tobago East candidates were featured at the forum on April 16.
She said she had no qualms about attending the forum and being questioned about her stewardship by the people.
“It is my business to show up for you to be questioned by you and I don’t see myself better or above any other candidate. We all sat as equals on that stage tonight (April 23) to be questioned by you and to account to you the people who we will serve,” she said.
Cudjoe-Lewis scoffed at Sampson’s excuse that he had a movie night to attend.
“Mr Joel ‘Nuttsy’ Sampson, I am calling you by name, refused to show up because you have a movie night. When I was a child, I spoke as a child. But when I became a man I put away all childish things. Running a country is big-people business, it's serious people business, and you have to put down your political party and take up the armour of Trinidad and Tobago.”
Accusing him of criticising her performance as a sport minister and MP on the campaign, Cudjoe-Lewis said the Conversation with the Candidates provided an opportunity for her to respond.
“I was there early. I sat and I was there waiting because that was the platform for me to face ‘Nuttsy’ because whole election period he mounting platform and reading one set of lies that the political leader give him on script, that he didn’t do any research.
“But, tonight, was the night for him to come forward and speak, no ducking, no hiding, no bobbing, no weaving, ‘Come forth, ‘Nuttsy,’ appear and meet me. Meet me, ‘Shamfire,’ right here.”
She first addressed his criticism of the refurbishment of the Dwight Yorke Stadium, Bacolet.
“Every night he talking about Dwight Yorke Stadium. I can attest that we have invested millions on refurbishing Dwight Yorke Stadium and as simple as a track and replacing the surface can cost you a good $15 million. So, he there questioning the refurbishment of Dwight Yorke Stadium.
“But what ah want to say to you, ‘Nuttsy,’ is you responsible for sport in Tobago and from community field to community field, the young people of that community and the schools of that community cannot use their field to practice. So is requests to use the one Dwight Yorke Stadium and is whenever we close for refurbishment, you saying we can’t close on the community, we can’t
