The Tobago Council of the People’s National Movement is urging the Minister of Tobago Development, to desist from what it calls the immature and erratic behaviour in which he has been engaged, especially in recent months.

It says at his latest press conference, Minister Dr Delmon Baker asserted that the Tobago House of Assembly is acting illegally in funding the latest round of discussions on the review of theTobago House of Assembly act. The council says in that forum, Minister Baker announced that the Ministry of Tobago Development will soon be embarking on its own round of consultations on the Tobago self government issue.

It says his statement speak, not only to a frighteningly inflated ego, but to a fundamental misunderstanding of the roles and responsibilities of the respective institutions. The council says there is no institution that has greater legitimacy than the THA on this particular issue. It says that legitimacy came through ACT no 40 of 1996 and the votes of the Tobago electorate in 2013 THA election. The act empowers and mandates the assembly to take care of the needs of the people of Tobago and at this time, the quest for self government is, perhaps, their greatest priority.

The council says Mr Baker must be reminded that his mandate as a minister came, not from the people of Tobago but from the Prime Minister. His mandate, as set out in the relevant schedule, gives him no authority to interfere in the business of the THA.

It says the Prime Minister has indicated that she will not condone “incursion into areas devolved to the THA under the fifth schedule” and promised to investigate any such incursion and take appropriate action.

The council says in the meantime, the minister could be well advised to adopt a more mature and sensitive approach to the THA and by extension, the people of Tobago.