Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal wants a full investigation into the maintenance and use of the University of the West Indies (UWI) South Campus in Debe, which he says cost taxpayers over $600 million and remains largely unoccupied and in a state of disrepair.
Speaking to reporters after touring the campus yesterday, alongside UWI St Augustine Principal Professor Rose-Marie Antoine, Tertiary Education Minister Professor Prakash Persad, Oropouche West MP Dr Lackram Bodoe, and other university officials, Moonilal admitted to feeling angry by the condition of the facility.
“It was a horrific experience, in a certain way, to see the state of disrepair after ten years—the horrific condition of some areas of this campus.
“Over 100 acres are overrun in some areas by bush. The railings and all the fabricated work we saw are in a state of rust and decay. The Olympic-sized swimming pool is empty. The sporting facilities are rundown,” he said.
He noted that the People’s National Movement government had terminated the maintenance contract for the Debe campus, which was initially constructed under the People’s Partnership administration and was intended to house a faculty of law.
“The cricket pavilion is unbelievable. It has been abandoned. There are now a lot of corbeaux using the facility as a resting place. It is just horrible to see.”
Criticising the PNM for allowing the facility to fall into disuse, Moonilal revealed that the campus remained unused for years, except for some Roytec classes and during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, when it served as an isolation centre for patients.
He acknowledged that restoring the campus would require extensive work. He complained that during the tour they were not allowed to visit the library or the main campus building.
A source, who requested anonymity, said the campus has been plagued by a faulty sewer plant, multiple leaks which caused slippages; floors of mould in the main buildings and broken furniture in the halls of residence.
On Monday, Professor Antoine announced that the Debe campus will be open in August and will house The UWI’s newly launched Global School of Medicine (GSM), which will cater mainly to international students pursuing a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree.
However, Moonilal insisted that the original vision for the facility—as a campus for law, forensics, and law enforcement training—must be preserved.
While stating that he was casting no aspersions on university officials, Moonilal said there must be dialogue between the university and the Government on the matter.
He said he intends to raise the issue in Parliament and called for accountability in the use of public assets.
Construction of the Debe campus began in 2012 with a $499 million budget and a completion target of 2014. The original plan was to house the Faculty of Law. In 2019, UWI announced the site would instead be used by the Faculty of Medical Sciences. Then, in 2023, former Education Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly said the campus would become a medical school, partially funded by a proposed $330 million bond.
Contacted for comment, Principal Antoine said she was puzzled over the issues raised.
“I have visited often. We have done significant repairs in the last year and a half. We have been working systematically on it. Most of the main buildings are ready for occupation. Roytec is already moving in. It’s a huge campus, and we couldn’t do it all at once due to a lack of funds.”
She added: “ Now that we have a government that is interested in the campus (who gifted it to us), we are optimistic that we can do much more.”
She also said, “The rusting is not structural. It’s the decorative facade. We will repair with our innovative Sealit marine sealant, suitable for this climate. It’s a beautiful campus.”
As to why the media was barred, Professor Antoine said: “ No media contacted me/us for the tour.”
She later agreed to provide a tour.
