Members of Divine Echoes may get the opportunity to purchase the five- year-old equipment of the now disbanded music group.

This was stated yesterday by Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister, Reynold Cooper.

In a telephone interview, Reynold said while the offer was already made to the band, it was referred to Cabinet for approval last month.

Cooper said that process was in keeping with normal national policy regarding the sale of Government assets.

"The matter was passed on to the FNGP (Finance and General Purposes Committee) but while we were waiting for their decision their (Divine Echoes) contract expired," Cooper said.

Cooper said the band was funded initially by former People's National Movement (PNM) prime minister Patrick Manning back in 2007 and it was given a three-year contract. When that ended in 2010, it was extended by a further two years under the People's Partnership Government.

"In the interim, while we are waiting for the FNGP decision, the equipment has to be secured. It is stored at a Government storage facility right now," he said.

Reynold said the contract would not be renewed a second time and as such there were several options: the equipment could remain at the storage facility or it could be sold at depreciated prices to the band members.

"Also the Government could decide just to give them (band members) the equipment but we have to wait on that decision," Cooper said.

Also addressing the issue yesterday was Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley who called on the Government to reverse its decision to seize the musical equipment of the Divine Echoes band. Rowley claimed that the Government's "wickedness" against the band stemmed from the fact that Divine Echoes was of PNM origin and that the United National Congress (UNC) led-Government was determined to destroy anything started by the Opposition.

Speaking at the party's bimonthly media conference yesterday at his Port of Spain office, Rowley described the confiscation of the band's equipment as "punitive and callous".

He said he knew the Government did not agree with the creation of the band, but noted that it was a positive investment in young people.

"If it is the Government did not want to continue with the full support, why couldn't the Government have reduced their support to this band and at least given them a life?" he said. Rowley said the Government was determined to undermine anything started by the PNM.

"They referred to it continuously as 'Manning's dance band' and anything that Manning name call in or the PNM name call in, it is to be destroyed," he said.

Rowley said he would "cry shame" on the Government if it did not reverse the decision.