Moving spirit behind the Procurement Act
ON a cool evening in early July, friends, family and long-time colleagues of engineer Winston Riley gathered at the Lloyd Best Institute of the Caribbean (LBIC) to toast and express their gratitude to a man hailed as a game-changer with a national impact.
'If there is a procurement law today, it was Winston that made it happen,' declared construction magnate Emile Elias, Riley's longtime friend and collaborator.
For 15 years, he said, Riley had not only advocated for the legislation which came into effect in 2023, but had worked to create the framework for it. The impulse had come from the findings and recommendations of 'The Commission of Enquiry into the Construction Sector of Trinidad and Tobago including the practices and methods of UDeCOTT (Urban Development Company of T&T). Riley was then president of the Joint Consultative Council, an umbrella body representing various construction industry interests, which had led the call for the enquiry amid a massive state investment in construction projects dogged by huge cost overruns and allegations of corruption, bribery and bid-rigging.
As JCC president, Riley had put together a coalition of interests in a public-private initiative that included the JCC, the T&T Manufacturers Association, the T&T Chamber of Industry and Commerce, civil society representatives and the American Chamber of Commerce, T&T (AMCHAM TT).
Riley was the glue holding them together, according to Elias. Despite the law having been 'watered down' Elias held to the position that the work put in under Riley's guidance will 'redound to the country's benefit for years and generations to come'.
One of Riley's signal contributions to the law, Elias said, was the definition of public money, which, until then, was unclear. For his work on procurement legislation and other contributions, Elias contended that Winston Riley should be declared a national treasure and challenged the JCC and the Tunapuna- based Lloyd Best Institute to make this happen.
The July 6 tribute dinner followed Riley's earlier retirement as chairman of the Institute's board, a position he held for 15 years. He remains Chairman Emeritus with Energy and Strategy consultant, Anthony Paul, as new chairman.
Following a welcome by LBIC managing director Carmel Best, several longstanding colleagues of Riley spoke on his contributions to national development. They included Dr Trevor Townsend who, like Riley, is a former president of the Association of Professional Engineers of T&T (APETT); Fazir Khan, current President of the JCC; Aiyegoro Ome, formerly of the National Joint Action Committee (NJAC) and now director of the SINUHE Centre Foundation; Dr James Armstrong, development planner and former president of the JCC and Sunity Maharaj, a director of the Lloyd Best Institute. Riley's son, Leonard, spoke on behalf of the family.
In his address, Dr Townsend cited highlights of Riley's contributions of the engineering profession which had earned him APETT's RVS Aleong Award for Sterling Service to APETT (2010) and APETT's highest award for a Career of Excellence (2015). In 2016, Riley was awarded the Chaconia Medal Gold for distinguished service to Trinidad and Tobago in the field of Engineering.
For Townsend, the National Transportation Policy Project in 1981 exemplified Riley's advice and guidance on engaging in effective project management in the national interest. As with so much else throughout his career, the development of this policy, according to Townsend, pitted Riley, a powerful local content advocate, and himself, then Chief Traffic Engineer, against politicians, public servants and the vested interests of foreign consultants, whose positions were not necessarily in line with the interests of the people of T&T.
They also lobbied hard for a Roads Authority on which the Government took no position and which remains unimplemented.
One of the most high profile projects they took on publicly was the Manning administration's plan to establish a Rapid Rail System which they argued was neither cost effective given the huge infrastructural and maintenance costs, nor feasible given the country's population density. Instead, they proposed a bus rapid transit system as being less costly and more appropriate for T&T.
Had the rapid rail project been implemented without the bene- fit of having engaged the coali tion of interests, Townsend said the cost would've put enormous pressure on the public purse.
Dr Townsend also cited several public interest reform initia- tives in the field of engineering in which Riley was pivotal. Among these was the resolution of the impasse between hunger striker, Dr Wayne Kublalsingh, and the Government over the San Fernando to Point Fortin Highway.
In this, Dr Townsend said Riley provided the leadership the country needed when he brokered an agreement under which Dr Kublalsingh eventually agreed to end his hunger strike in exchange for an independent enquiry chaired by Dr James Armstrong into the highway construction. According to Dr Townsend, this intervention by Riley led to changes in the construction of the highway and now serves as a local case study for final year undergraduate students of the Civil and Environmental Engineering programme at The University of the West Indies. He also attributed to Riley's successful lobbying efforts the introduction of a Master's programme in project management at UWI.
To Dr Townsend, this legacy is 'worth its weight in gold.' He lauded Riley's prowess as a manager, engineer, leader, visionary and individual who continues to inspire younger generations on what it means to stand for Trinidad and Tobago.
Reflecting on Winston's leadership, JCC President Fazir Khan spoke about Riley's profound impact on him as an individual with a clear vision, unwavering dedication, and deep understanding of societal complexities. Riley's resourcefulness, said Khan, has enabled him to deal effectively with challenges, whether legal, political, diplomatic or personal.
Citing Riley's sense of humour, Khan said his interactions with Riley invariably lift his spirits and are punctuated by his infectious hearty laughter. He hailed Riley's talent for seamlessly weaving levity into serious discussions to elevate professional communications, creating a refreshingly productive environment.
Sunity Maharaj focused on Riley's contribution to the development of civil society as an active partner in the development process saying he had demonstrated the all-too rare capacity to go be- yond the confines of his profes sion in order to serve the national interest.
Aiyegoro Ome, a former NJAC executive, recalled the significant material support that Riley had given to T&T's Black Power movement, starting in 1970, the year of revolution and continuing well beyond that. Ome spoke of the wealth of information he had received from Riley's father, Martin Riley, which has stayed with him. It was from the elder Riley, he said, that he had learned, for example, that the St Mathias Church on Eastern Main Road, Laventille was built by enslaved people.
The evening was wrapped up by Riley's eldest son, Leonard, who praised his father's selfless ness in always being the one to go the extra mile to ensure good outcomes for all. He presented a short video with the many faces of Riley as a committed family man and public figure who has managed to successfully weave the many facets of his being into a single whole.
The video ended with Winston Riley saying, 'In all my endeavours the underlying thread is the cultivation of solidarity.'
Anthony Paul, left, newly-installed chairman of the Lloyd Best Institute of the Caribbean, greets the Institute's chairman emeritus Winston Riley.
