It was never Rhonda Hackett’s battle.

Yet the lion-hearted Crown Point, Tobago, resident fought for the 100 households displaced by the construction of the $1.2 billion ANR Robinson airport expansion project to the bitter end.

On September 15, more than four years after the news of the land acquisition was first announced, tears flowed as the last group of residents, some under the watchful eyes of police, reluctantly left their homes.

One week before, the High Court had given the green light for the state to continue acquiring lands in Crown Point and surrounding areas for the airport expansion project. It came after the court dismissed the applications for an injunction made by seven occupiers of the land.

For Hackett, who founded the PEECE (Provide Equitable Compensation for Everyone) movement to advocate for the residents, the true story of how the project has affected their lives is still to be told.

“Most Tobagonians are clueless,” she told WMN.

“When you meet people one-on-one and you converse with them, it is always a wow moment and an eye-opener because the impression and picture that they have via the media. What goes out there is vastly different from the stories and testimonials that you would get from persons affected. So the real experiences are not known.”

Even now, Hackett believes the land acquisition exercise could have been handled differently.

“I think the entire process could have been by far better and the experience could have been one that was a win-win situation for both the government and residents given that the purpose of the project was for a public good.

“But the manner in which it was handled and how persons were dealt with and treated via the relocation process would have been unfortunate. It left much to be desired, especially given that this (land acquisition) is no new process.”

Noting that land acquisition for a public purpose has taken place in the country before, Hackett claimed in those instances far better was done.

She claimed when the lands were acquired to construct the Claude Noel Highway, the residents who lived along its path were successfully relocated.

“I always lean on the side of precedent and a precedent was set here in Tobago. So you did not hear anything where that was concerned because of how the matter was handled. Persons were resettled and then the lands were acquired.”

The Piarco airport expansion project, Hackett said, is another example of a seamless acquisition.

“That was also an airport project and observing how that matter was handled, the residents were relocated, resettled and a new community, Oropune Gardens, was built for them. Persons were advanced in terms of their living conditions and then the lands were acquired.

“So knowing all of these examples and more, it is quite clear that the government of Trinidad and Tobago is aware of how relocation can be done in an amicable manner but for today, and in Tobago, differently was chosen to be done.”

She maintains just due was not done in the ANR Robinson airport expansi