Hide and seek! Rowley moves ‘Sleazy Smith’ to Housing Ministry in sordid Cabinet reshuffle

First, the good news. New Commonwealth Games gold medalist Michelle-Lee Ahye will not be told—in a fierce, sleazy whisper—how good her pants looks on her, when she meets the Sport Minister in the Piarco International Airport’s VIP Lounge, later this week.

The bad news? Well, single mothers on the market for a HDC house better buckle up.

Like a dodgy Archbishop, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley opted for “pervert relocation” rather than “pervert eradication” this morning, as he abruptly announced a reshuffle of portfolios which saw Darryl Smith moved from the Sport and Youth Affairs Ministry to the role of Minister in the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development.

Photo: Prime Minister Keith Rowley (centre) greets SPORTT chairman Dinanath Ramnarine (left) while Sport Minister Darryl Smith (right) looks on during the opening of the Brian Lara Cricket Stadium in Tarouba on 12 May 2017.
(Courtesy Sean Morrison/Wired868)

Rowley’s decision comes just hours after a Sunday Express report proved, beyond a shadow of doubt, that the State’s TT$150,000 pay-off to former Sport Ministry employee, Carrie-Ann Moreau, was done after she complained of sexual harassment by Smith.

PNM Women’s League chair, Camille Robinson-Regis—who needed smelling salts when she first heard ‘Massive’ Gosine’s “Rowlee Mudda Count”—described the stream of sordid allegations against Smith as a “non story” and Rowley appeared to take a similar line today, as he retained confidence in the Diego Martin Central MP.

Former UNC minister Glenn Ramadharsingh, once sacked for groping and threatening to sack an air stewardess, must be dropping off his PNM party application as we speak.

Curiously, Rowley also inserted himself above Smith as Housing Minister—in a shift that is likely to appease nobody.

Why not go whole hog and name Rolph Balgobin as HDC chairman and done?!

Shamfa Cudjoe now replaces Smith as Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs while Randall Mitchell goes from Housing to Minister of Tourism. And Marlene McDonald moves upwards—presumably for having “Godfather Burkie” skip her last swearing-in ceremony—to Minister of Public Administration and Communications with Maxie Cuffie, who is still recovering from a stroke suffered last year, reassigned to the role of Minister in the Ministry of Public Administrations and Communications.

Photo: The Hand of God?
Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Darryl Smith (right) takes a hands-on approach with a then staff member.

President Paula-Mae Weekes has been advised to send instruments to this mostly sorry lot. Perhaps she should put a restraining order in Smith’s envelope. Let’s just say that, if the extra-large MP ever gets to another swearing-in ceremony, he might as well ignore the Holy Bible and recite his vows to the nation on a Playboy magazine.

Remarkably, Smith—who, just last year, bragged to friends that he could ‘bring down the whole country’ if Rowley fired him—pleaded for a Ministry of Housing portfolio in the first Cabinet reshuffle and was disappointed not to get it then. He is unlikely to be displeased with his journey across town, even through he will not be at the helm of his new Ministry.

For taxpayers, Rowley’s move represented either a middle finger and giggle, or sneering defiance.

“I run shit here. You just live here! […] King Kong ain’t got shit on me!”

Of course Denzil Washington’s character, Alonzo Harris, did not last long after those epic lines. But there is precedent for such bizarre re-appointments.

Former Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar moved Jack Warner from Works and Transport to National Security, at the very time it first emerged—informally—that the FBI was paying close attention to the dodgy administrator.

Photo: Former Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar (right) and then Minister of Works and Transport Jack Warner at the Trinidad and Tobago 2010 Women’s Under-17 World Cup.
(Courtesy FIFA.com)

But then Warner was a multi-millionaire party financier and the UNC chairman. It is hard to see what ‘Heavy D’ Smith brings to the table besides a hearty appetite for selfies and secretaries.

Female staff members at the Sport Ministry can at least breathe a bit easier and shed their bulky sweaters now that a colossal weight has been lifted off their derrières.

But for the women at the Ministry of Housing… Can Mr Live Wire suggest a hijab and pepper spray?

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About Mr. Live Wire

Mr. Live Wire is an avid news reader who translates media reports for persons who can handle the truth. And satire. Unlike Jack Nicholson, he rarely yells.

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148 comments

  1. He more hot than he sweet waste of time

  2. HOW CAN THIS MAN EVEN SHOW HIS FACE IN PUBLIC?!

  3. Bad move! He should’ve been fired!!

  4. Well now the government won’t have to pay for his sexapades, he not attacking ministry workers, just all them women who looking for a place to live.

  5. We do not need anyone like that in any leadership position anywhere.

  6. Fat boy gonna hold all those single ladies ransom if they want to get a house. I hope they could handle 300 lbs of lard on top of them

  7. Red bull get wings

  8. So My. Smith gets to sexually harrass employees from a different ministry. SMH

  9. So many things I could say… sigh.

    I will just point out that Jumbie’s First law still holds true: “Just when you think dotishness can’t get worse, someone will come along to prove it can”.

    Jess because ah man reach a high position, dat eh mean he intelligent.

  10. New motto of the Ministry of Housing : “Everybody needs good wood “

  11. I am a big bottom red oman!!! Just point me in the right direction!!!

  12. Politics has a morality of it’ss own

  13. Same Smith, different day. Don’t reassign them, replace them. This cabinet is weak as it’s leader. 2020, is right around the corner, I can’t wait.

  14. The P/M put his foot in his mouth again, so is it that Mr Smith don’t have to pay back the tax payers money that was paid for his nastiness, this gov’t is a real waste of time, the man don’t have a clue how to run the country, what we need to know, is if Smith holding a secret for the P/M, he shouldn’t of given any position again, what really going on, omg

  15. I have nothing against Pn Rowley but This was a very disappointing act by the PM again brings into question his respect for women.

  16. PM Rowley will pay the political price for not firing him

  17. Well is fresh meat at a new ministry. Expect more incompetence, more harassment. Those ladies must be cringing .

  18. Hummmmm???????? What next ……that’s not a sensible move to make because now he is open to new adventures and opportunities. Let’s wait and see.

  19. what difference does it make.its d same person with d same personality.more accusers will come to d 4 when single mothers go 4 a house .

  20. Hmmmm there are many women many who choose the company of other women instead of men & some were driven to operate in this fashion or he came on to strong! &aggressive stalking the victim with a venom, all characteristics of some men that some women admire not that one he will survive & if he’s an elected member & what he did was offensive to the leader, his seat should be announced vacant & that should kick start the electoral process hmmmm, then something is viewed to done

  21. Ok mr smith was moved what about the 150,000 dollars he should be repaying that to taxpayers we didn’t sexually harass anyone why we have to dish out the money

  22. absolute garbage with the prime minister trying to hide a minister for wrong doing and using tax payers dollars for their own use I am going a bit further the permanent secretary who sign off on the deal should also be fired and charged criminally this is want we want for our country mr prime minister I am very disappointed in you and it time for you to go pnm unc same corruption.

  23. He should not have been given a
    Post and let him repay the funds of 150,000.00

  24. The finance minister as minister of works & transport did worse building walls without drainage hmmmm cheap ?no some had to be reconstructed taxpayers money others collapsing the previous government built a few as well hmmmm

  25. He is in safe hands the PM the PM is going to groom him well, he goh be d best, He young ,and handsome Women goh love him ,he is human but he is a good man and the PM know that Good move Mr PM Rowley Great .lots of haters around

  26. Waste of time rowley dog without teeth just like d ttps weneva dey do shit jus transfer dem!!!

  27. Well is promises for house n land now…

  28. Steuuups! He relocated the fox from the barn into the hen house. This is unacceptable.

    • You could say that again. I do not understand that move.

    • What bothers me even more is what appears to be an almost dismissive treatment of the issue. So he ‘misbehave’ it would seem around some women and he get what amounts to a rap on the knuckles. But what of the dehumanization and trauma of the women? Does that not matter? Eh? And the double standard where women r concerned! One female minister get fired for employing her significant other (regardless of whether or not he qualified for the job and was performing). A male minister treats the ministry for which he takes a sacred oath to lead as his personal harem and he gets demoted??!!!! Who is to compensate the harassed women who were there for wuk to feed their families in this guava season? Who cares about their home life and relationships that may now be in jeopardy? Nah man! To all the redandready female possee political activism has to be more than house to house campaigning and fulling maxi to go meeting. Because if you don’t hold your male so called ‘leaders’ to higher standards of accountability on moral issues your daughters and granddaughters will not be safe. Think about it.

    • The ministry he put him in…has more younger women coming in there…
      That is a promotion?

    • Joy Creese what ah bess comment!!! ??

  29. ah doh know which one knock meh socks off more, rolph as hdc chair, de prez needing a restraining order or glen applying fuh pnm membership…either way de pm just prove dat he runs shit here and de voting public ain’t worth a shit

  30. The man is a total waste of time,he is in control of nothing and simply does his master ,s bidding, everybody on his side seems to have files on him,except Adrian,who has nothing to get,maybe the boss should become a marker for CXC English.

  31. everytime we change governments….its the saaaaame shit…….everytime …everytime

    • And do you want to know why that is the case, Marvin? Because these people from both parties didn’t crawl out from under a rock. They represent us. Hell, they ARE us. How many of us, in tasting power for the first time, would use our influence for ill, i.e. corruption, sexual favors and so on? And when we get caught? No big thing, just get re-assigned to another post. In a REAL country, Smith’s ass would be bounced out of office so fast he would not have had the time to catch his breath. But this is who we are. Changing political parties? That’s easy. Changing our culture…that’s anything but.

  32. Reshuffle for a pack of incompetent jokers

  33. He put him in a position to get jam from d female members of the public for house.

  34. Im sorry my MP Randall has to move. Im also sorry for the Min of Housing and Min of Sport. First on the agenda for Min of Sport: as much selfies as possible with Michelle Lee Ahee. Smh

  35. Ummm, Mr. Live Wire pepper spray is still illegal. I believe it was the AG that said he didn’t want pepper spray in the hands of bandits. Of course I prefer to be “shot” with pepper spray than a gun. I doubt the pepper spray fatality stats across the globe is even close to the gun fatality stats, but, the AG knows best.

  36. He made his bed but got a soft landing, do better MP Smith !!!!!

  37. Burkie "Steups" Roaming

    Inside on this brilliant and humorous article before the red sycophants appear to praise their leader

  38. Lasana Liburd great read, there will not be a sweaing in ceremony as it is just re appointments.
    So you wont see Maxie rolling up to collect anything…
    Paula Mae will just prepare the instruments and send them out.

  39. But i now read carefully … So Mr hot hands got demoted … But our Prime is now the Minister of housing … Over Mr. Smith

  40. Hmm could not believe reshuffle! Wow and SHAMFA AS MINISTER OF SPORT? Sigh …when will we get this right. From frying pan to fire!

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