Jack gets 'the best birthday present ever'
Roopnarine joins Works Ministry
By Curtis Rampersad Business Editor
Story Created: Jan 27, 2011 at 12:47 AM ECT
(Story Updated: Jan 27, 2011 at 12:47 AM ECT )
Works and Transport Minister Jack Warner says Member of Parliament Stacy Roopnarine joining his ministry was his best birthday present.
Warner celebrated his 68th birthday yesterday and introduced Roopnarine—the youngest MP in Government—to reporters at his Port of Spain office, following a signing ceremony for the purchase of nine new turbo prop aircraft for State carrier Caribbean Airlines.
As the signing between Warner, CAL chairman George Nicholas and executives of aircraft manufacturer ATR wrapped up, Roopnarine and former minister in the Works Ministry, Rudy Indarsingh, greeted Warner outside the ministry's multipurpose hall.
Roopnarine, 26, wished Warner a happy birthday, saying, "We come bearing gifts."
Warner laughed and accepted a small silver bag with a gift inside. He did not open the bag or say what its contents were.
Warner then led Roopnarine and Indarsingh back inside the hall where he introduced her as a new minister in the Works Ministry. Indarsingh was reappointed last week in the Ministry of Labour.
Once inside, Warner recalled Ramnarine's academic qualifications and experience.
"She got her A-Levels at 17 (years old) and at 20 she was a qualified engineer and at 25 she was a member of Parliament," Warner said.
"Today, she is a minister."
Roopnarine's move to the Works Ministry was the "best birthday gift I could have received," Warner said.
Asked about the appointment and subsequent resignation of Reshmi Usha Ramnarine from the Strategic Services Agency (SSA), Warner said he was "not concerned about that". He said the issue was not connected to his ministry and he had no previous information about Ramnarine's appointment.
Recalling Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar's statements on Tuesday about Ramnarine and the SSA, Warner said he agreed it was "time to move on".
