CHIEF Servant Makandal Daaga, one of the four leaders of the People's Partnership coalition government, is silent on the lack of financial assistance offered for Emancipation celebrations because his mouth is full from "eating ah food" in the Government, Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley has said.

Rowley made the statement on Tuesday night as he delivered the feature address at the People's National Movement (PNM) political meeting held at the St Barb's basketball court in Laventille.

He made the comments in response to the refusal of the Emancipation Support Committee (ESC) to accept a $1 million cheque from the Government for off-setting costs associated with this year's Emancipation celebrations.

Chairman of the ESC Khafra Kambon said on Tuesday he was disappointed and now angered by the lack of financial support for Emancipation celebrations, which he estimated to be in the vicinity of $7 million.

Emancipation Day, a public holiday, will be observed with a tribute to the ancestors, a re-enactment of the Emancipation declaration, a street parade in Port of Spain, on August 1.

Emancipation activities, however, kick off tomorrow, with the opening of the Lidj Yasu Omowale Emancipation Village, at the Queen's Park Savannah, Port of Spain.

Rowley chastised Daaga, the leader of the National Joint Action Committee (NJAC), for remaining silent on the "discrimination" against the ESC.

Rowley said he made his first entry into politics on the political platform of the NJAC and was now ashamed of Daaga.

"I am ashamed of Chief Servant Makandal Daaga to sit down there and see what is going on and have nothing to say," Rowley said.

Rowley said Daaga's biggest input into the People's Partnership government was the creation of the "absolute nonsense" Ministry of National Diversity and Social Integration.

Rowley accused Daaga of only being concerned with "eating ah food" and said he was currently silent because he has "a mouthful of food".