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Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has issued a stern warning to the University of the West Indies (UWI) administration to not interfere with plans to open a law school at the university’s South campus in Debe.
The campus began being built under the UNC-led People's Partnership coalition government in the 2010-2015 period and was completed in 2019, but never opened.
On May 20, Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal toured the campus, which falls within his constituency, and expressed disappointment over its state of disrepair.
He said while some parts of the campus were operational, other parts were "horrific" with 75 per cent of the campus derelict, rusty or overrun with vegetation.
Despite the state of the facility, UWI, in a statement on May 19, said classes would start at the campus in August.
"The campus will be the home of the newly launched Global School of Medicine (GSM) leveraging the world-ranked reputation of the UWI and especially the UWI’s Faculty of Medicine (FMS), to serve primarily international students pursuing the Doctor of Medicine (MD) programme."
However, in an emotive delivery while speaking at the post-cabinet media briefing on May 22, Persad-Bissessar said UWI would not be allowed to dictate the uses for the campus.
“That campus, will house what the government says it will house. The administration will have no say in that. They cannot dictate to us what they want to put there.”
Criticising the plans for the medical school she added, “I don't know where they come up with this thing… Don't we have the Couva hospital? That's what that was for.
“We did the San Fernando Teaching hospital. So what you coming now with some global medicine? Where you get that from?”
She also dismissed UWI’s assertions of an August opening date.
“It will not happen in August. I don't know where and who came up with that, that it is going to be opened in August. Because when the ministers visited the place, it is a total horror story.”
Persad-Bissessar said she would not allow UWI to “sabotage and take over” the government’s plans for the campus.

Govt 'clear' on plans for campus

She said while the initial plans were for a law campus, the government had some additional ideas on how to use the facility.
“We were clear then, and we are clearer now, and ten years later we can do so much more.
“Yes we said a law faculty (and) I talked about doing forensics and law enforcement training (but) now with AI (artificial intelligence) and technology in the world, those are other areas we can explore for training for our children.”
She threatened the university that there would be consequences if they failed to support the government’s vision for the campus.
“I am warning UWI administration do not test me. If we have to do it, I will take that campus back and put it under government control to make sure we complete it and get the job done.”
She lambasted UWI’s administrators and the previous government for not utilising the facility in the years since its completion.
“I think the biggest betrayal with this whole thing was by the administrators and those in charge at UWI…. You have done nothing for ten years so don’t come and cry now about what you can and cannot do.
“And you didn’t even tell us why you didn’t do it. So don’t come and put thing in the papers like you running it!”
She called on UWI administrators to “step aside” and let the government get on with the business of opening the campus.

PM: 'Racist' agendas stopped campus opening

Describing the campus as “a project that was very close to my heart,” Persad-Bissessar claimed it was never opened out of malice and even suggested the decision was fuelled by racism.
“So those with the racist agendas in their brain and mind they say, ‘That campus opening in Debe boy. No! Nothing for you.’”
Persad-Bissessar said the decision caused thousands of children to be denied the opportunity to get a tertiary education.
“Over ten years, thousands of children have lost that chance to go to university because they simply could not afford to come to St Augustine.
“How many thousands in that ten years would have been educated with a tertiary level education if there had not been spite malice and ill-will in keeping that place shut down?”
She cried shame on the UWI administrators and decried “the wickedness they helped the last government commit” on the children from poor and working class families.
“One of the goals of that campus was to ease the burden of parents who are full forced to pay high rentals towards rent and food for their children to come up to Santa Augustine to spend years.
“Not to mention the traffic congestion for everybody heading to the one campus in St Augustine. And of course spaces are limited so only so many could get that higher education. That is why we came up… with the Debe campus for the people of the South.”
Persad-Bissessar said the campus was also built with the vision of generating income from foreign students.
“If we create spaces there, students from outside will come and they will have to pay to come to the university, pay to rent a house, pay to buy food. So we'll be creating some forex (foreign exchange) coming into TT as well.”
She accused UWI officials of sidelining and abandoning the campus and added there was no serious to operationalise the campus.
Persad-Bissessar said despite everything that has happened, the government will have it opened before leaving office.
“Do not test us, we will get this open. I will not let the five years pass without that campus being opened. We will get it done!”
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