SPORTT split on PM’s son

SPORTT split on PM’s son
By Irene Medina Tuesday, June 19 2007

Brian Manning’s $9M proposal for funding to run a professional basketball league has been handed to the Sports Ministry for final approval before it goes to Cabinet, which is headed by his father Prime Minister Patrick Manning.

But while the Sports Ministry’s Deputy Permanent Secretary Ashwyn Creed and chairman of the Sports Company of Trinidad and Tobago (SPORTT) Gerard Ferreira confirmed that Brian Manning’s plan is one step closer to going before Cabinet, the situation has caused some dissension within SPORTT. Several SPORTT members want to know when did the SPORTT Board approve the Brian Manning plan.

Some officials told Newsday that the proposal was to have come before the Board last week, but the meeting was postponed to tomorrow.

But yesterday Creed confirmed that the proposal is already in the hands of the Sports Ministry for Cabinet to approve. “It has already been handed in to the Ministry”, but, he said, “there are certain areas that need to be revisited before any approach can be made to the Cabinet.”

Creed said once these areas are attended too the proposal will be sent to Cabinet. Newsday has learnt that a business plan which is supposed to accompany the proposal was not attached.

The issue of funding for the PM’s son’s basketball league was first raised about two weeks ago in the Senate, by UNC Senator Wade Mark. Ferreira at the time slammed Mark’s “irresponsible” statements, saying that no approval for funding had been given by the Board.

But yesterday Ferreira said there was no need for the Board to meet tomorrow, since the “SPORTT company had already approved the proposal in principle and sent it on to the Ministry.”

This is fuckin rampant nepotism. I honestly hope that if someone else wins the next election, dey charge and lock up all these teefin mudder cunt.

Niggas could only teef.