That system needs to become far more transparent and accountable, particularly on the matter of asylum and the alarmingly high estimates of illegal immigrants resident in the country.

According to a Newsday report published on Friday, sources closely linked to the IDC facility say it is affected by the absence of an air-condition system, leaking roof, defective surveillance cameras and a faulty electronic gate, which, for the longest while, was being operated manually. While there has reportedly been a marked reduction in the number of detainees (73 men and 18 women), there is enough to suggest conditions remain deplorable.

Not only do these matters raise questions about whether the facilities have become inhumane, but they also point to tremendous security risks.

People housed at the facility include Jamaicans, Russians, Haitians, Vincentians, Venezuelans, Grenadians and Chinese nationals.

There are further reports, however, that people who have regularly been subject to immigration controls here, Cubans who, since a 2016 US order blocking their access to the country, have been forced to find new migratory routes. Other nationalities of unauthorised immigrants frequently cited by officials include Guyanese and Ghanaians.

With high estimates of illegal immigrants resident in Trinidad and Tobago, the potential for breaches from the IDC is a serious matter.

Citing a newspaper article that quoted former minister of national security Gary Griffith, a recent report by the Swiss-based Global Detention Project says it is estimated that there are 100,000 illegal immigrants in the country.

However, according to the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, there were only 49,900 international migrants in the country as of 2015.

Though the discrepancy between these numbers is high, it is clear enough that there is a substantial presence in our country.

This means more is at stake given lapses at the IDC in Aripo.

Things are particularly messier when we consider the lack of a clear, centralised policy when it comes to the key issue of asylum.

According to the Global Detention Project, an international group based in Switzerland, non-governmental sources report that asylum seekers are also placed in administrative detention.

While Trinidad and Tobago is a party to the 1951 Convention on the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol, “it has not adopted implementing legislation nor established a national refugee status determination procedure.” As a result, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and its local NGO partner (Living Water Community) have the responsibility for identifying and providing assistance to asylum seekers and refugees.

However, transfer of refugee status determination procedure from the UNHCR to the government began in June 2014 after the adoption of the National Policy to Address Refugee and Asylum Matters.

The first phase included the creation of an ad hoc Refugee Unit in 2015. In 2014, 161 new asylum applications were registered by the UNHCR and Living Water.

This arrangement has the advantage of not placing more burdens on local law enforcement agencies that would have to conduct checks into applicants. However, it effectively means the population cannot hold anyone to account for these matters since they fall within the remit of the UNHCR and a private Roman Catholic organisation.

The overall, picture, therefore is one of commess, which needs to be addressed. And soon.

The Weight of Ink is a multi-layered novel that shows how non-fiction writers conduct research and how historians piece together information from rare documents. These are the types of experiences that are packaged in books such as Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly; Isabella, the Warrior Queen by Kirstin Downey or The Colour of Shadows by Judy Raymond.

Kadish’s novel slips back and forth in time from London in the 1660s to the London in the early 21st century as it tells the tale of two women: Ester Velasquez, an emigrant from Amsterdam who, through a personal tragedy, finds herself accidentally serving as the scribe for an important blind rabbi, and Helen Watt, an historian and expert in Jewish history. Just before Watt is about to retire, she is called to examine a treasure trove of 17th century documents hidden in a house.

Racing against time – both her own personal time restraints due to her impending retirement and those cast upon her from the university that is considering the possibility of purchasing the documents – Helen works with the help of Aaron Levy, an American graduate student to uncover the secrets hidden in piles of rare manuscripts.

The Weight of Ink might not seem like a tension-filled novel, but it is. On the verge of great discoveries, Watt and Levy must contain their excitement and hide their knowledge before someone “steals” their secrets. It is an agonising fear that non-fiction writers constantly face as they spend years of painstaking research while wondering if someone else will discover and expose the truths they are now uncovering.

Minute details becoming overwhelmingly important: a note in the margins, a revealing slip of the tongue centuries before in a letter reveal unexpected information that impacts on the plot.

The Weight of Ink crosses the borders of many genres: historical fiction, mystery and literary thriller to reach the essence of what it is to write non-fiction – especially that which relies on painstaking research.

It is both profound and entertaining; a rare combination of intellectual stimulation and meaningful entertainment. The Weight of Ink offers a rare glimpse – a literary portal into the silent, lonely and rewarding world of research that so many non-fiction writers experience in an unappreciated world that readers take for granted.

To know that experience of discovering hidden information and then setting off on a quest to discover more information to prove a point is a common quest shared by non-fiction writers.

It makes non-fiction writing rewarding and fun, but it separates the writer from the reader in unimaginable and almost unexplainable ways.

Readers don’t generally care about the process of discovery that leads to a literary work.

Generally, they only want the end product: the book. Non-fiction writers find their greatest joy in the discovery process. This might not seem important to those who read history, biography or any other non-fiction for that matter, but it is satisfying to know that someone like Kadish can cross those boundaries that separate reader and writer and offer a brilliant multi-tiered novel that recreates non-fiction writers’ experiences to readers.

The Weight of Ink is a beautifully written novel that offers a rare literary experience that no serious reader should miss.

Comprising bpTT ’s interns and the company’s Brighter Prospects scholarship students, the group engaged in lively conversation with the Canadian diplomatic team led by High Commissioner Carla Hogan Rufelds.

The team was captivated by the wide range of topics discussed, which included public and political affairs, advocacy, trade, consular work, development assistance, security and personal experiences.

Rufelds was enthused about the visit. “I am really impressed by the cadre of talent present around this table and it was a pleasure for our team to discuss how the high commission works and some of our key focus areas.

It’s commendable that beyond supporting their educational pursuits and providing valuable work experience, bpTT is exposing these young people to a broader understanding of how the world works and the innumerable opportunities that are open to them. This exposure will serve them well as they grow into their expected roles as future leaders.” The young team was guided by bpTT ’s community sustainability and stakeholder relations adviser Joel Primus and human resources recruitment co-ordinator Elisabeth Latiff-Russell.

Primus gave some insight into the company’s perspective on the meeting: “Over the years, we’ve facilitated meetings for our interns and scholarship recipients with persons in high office, including the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Chief Justice and the Attorney General.

We see these young people as more than students and future workers. They are citizens of this nation and it is important to provide them with perspectives beyond their academic focus. It is critical that they see the bigger picture, understand the importance of building relationships and networks and their personal role in fashioning a better future for Trinidad and Tobago.” BPTT ’s internship programme enrols the brightest students who are entering their final year of studies at university, while Brighter Prospects is one of bpTT ’s flagship education programmes that offer scholarships to tertiary level students from Mayaro and environs. The young people who met with the Canadian High Commissioner represented diverse areas of study including engineering, economics, law, communications, geology, dentistry, criminology and geography.

The experience was enlightening and inspirational for Renelle Kissoon, who is currently studying criminology and criminal justice at The University of the West Indies, St Augustine. “The discussions with the high commissioner and her team were very informative and revealing.

Understanding the nature of relationships between nations has given me an insight into the concept of diplomacy and collaboration for international development,” Kissoon said.

“The discussions on topics like reform to our criminal justice system, human rights and diversification of agriculture showed just how much we can tap into international resources to facilitate our nation’s progress. I am really happy that bpTT has facilitated these discussions for us.

I am even more energised than before.

Sinanan made the disclosure 24 hours before the Land and Physical Infrastructure Joint Select Committee (JSC) of the Parliament begins the first of three hearings it will hold regarding the seabridge today. The Authority was due to submit its report over the weekend. However Sinanan told Newsday the Authority has been given “more time” to complete its report. He said he expects the report would be provided to him, “by the end of the week.” The minister said some of the issues the Authority is looking at could feature in the JSC’s deliberations.

Sinanan also said he has not aware of the status of Cabinet appointed investigator Christian Mouttet’s enquiry into the procurement of the Cabo Star and Ocean Flower 2 vessels for the seabridge. “He (Sinanan) reports to the Prime Minister,” Sinanan said. Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley announced Mouttet’s appointment on August 15. Mouttet has been given a 30 day deadline in which to submit a report to Rowley. Sinanan, who will appear before the JSC tomorrow, reiterated that he welcomes any investigation into the procurement of the two vessels.

Efforts to contact Mouttet where unsuccessful but senior government officials indicated that he remains on target to submit his report on time. Last month, Port Authority chairman Alison Lewis confirmed that Mouttet met with the Authority’s board of directors and was being provided with documents.

Bridgemans Services Group vice-president Andrew Purdey also said he met with Mouttet last month over the course of two days. Purdey said all the information Bridgemans has on the Cabo Star and Ocean Flower 2 were provided to Mouttet. He described Mouttet as “a professional” and said Bridgemans would supply any further information if Mouttet requires them to do so.

A total of 47 people will appear before the JSC between today and Wednesday. Today’s hearing and tomorrow’s hearing take place from 1 pm at Tower D of the Port-of-Spain International Waterfront Centre.

Lewis and members of the Authority’s board of directors; former chairman Christine Sahadeo and former board members; Works and Transport Ministry Permanent Secretary Sonia Francis- Yearwood and other ministry officials and TV6 reporter Mark Bassant, are scheduled to appear before the committee today.

In addition to Sinanan, Minister in the Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs Fitzgerald Hinds; Cadiz; Purdey; Seamen and Waterfront Workers Trade Union president Michael Annisette; Intercontinental Shipping Limited managing director John Powell; representatives of the TT Inter-Island Transport Company; Ken Shipping and Marine Services Limited managing director Lester Kenny; marine consultant Alfred McMillan and attorney Nyree Alfonso, are due to appear before the JSC tomorrow On Wednesday, the JSC will continue its enquiry on the seabridge at the Victor E Bruce Financial Complex in Scarborough from 1 pm. Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Chief Secretary Kelvin Charles; THA Minority Leader Watson Duke; former Tobago Chamber of Commerce president Dianne Hadad and representatives from the Inter-Isle Truckers and Traders Association are among the 11 people who will appear before the JSC on Wednesday. Prior to this on Wednesday, the committee will hold an enquiry on the state of agriculture and fisheries in Tobago at the complex at 9 am.

The JSC is chaired by Independent Senator Stephen Creese.

Other members include Energy Minister Franklin Khan, Sports Minister Daryl Smith and Opposition Senator Wade Mark.

After these hearings, the JSC will compile a report which will be sent to the House for debate.

Sinanan will have a certain time period within which to accept or reject the recommendations of the committee.

In the statement, the ministry said this represents a landmark commitment on Government’s part, by reaffirming TT’s commitment to the protection of the ozone layer as well as taking into consideration the effects of ozone depleting substances on the earth’s climate. The ministry said ratification of Kigali Amendment further strengthens efforts to phase down hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) in TT, which are climate warming pollutants.

The ministry said its National Ozone Unit has begun this process with the adaptation of climate and ozone friendly technology in the air conditioning and refrigeration sector. The ministry said the aim of this objective is to have consumers adopt more environmentally friendly technology, as well as have a well-trained cadre of technicians to service and repair equipment and appliances.

The ministry highlighted a ten percent reduction of the HFC baseline in 2015 and assistance provided to local manufacturing facilities to transform their production methods to more climate friendly chemicals in the aerosol, foam manufacturing and agricultural sectors. The ministry also said national compulsory labelling standards for refrigerant cylinders have also been implemented.

Dieffenthaller is one of the creative minds behind the successful local soap opera “Westwood Park” which ran from 1997 to 2004.

Public Administration and Communications Minister Maxie Cuffie announced Cabinet’s decision on this matter last month. He said the new TTT will focus on local programming and Government information.

While Dieffenthaller supported the intention to increase local content on television, she said, “To say the least…we have not seen or heard of the entire plan nor do we know what the budget consideration is.” She also said no one knows, “what the selection process will be or who will be on charge of this.” Dieffenthaller also said no mention has been made about “the plan for sustainability” of the new entity.

She opined, “If the wrong people from another century are going to try to go backwards, then this is a futile endeavour.” She reiterated while the talk is welcome and long overdue, “if they’re not walking the talk, then it’s just talk.” Diffenthaller said the Filmmakers Collaborative of TT will be expressing its views on the plan in due course.

Haleema, her parents and her seven-year-old brother Haleem, who is her donor, were scheduled to leave today for India but will now leave next Monday instead.

Haleema was diagnosed with Beta Thalassemia Major, a blood disorder, since she was 18 months old. She was accepted by the Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurgaon, India to undergo a bone marrow transplant at a cost of $400,000.

Her ailment requires her to visit the hospital twice per month for blood transfusions.

The child’s mother Kristal Mohammed said days before she undergoes blood transfusion, she would develop a high fever, become listless and nauseous and begin vomiting.

Haleema’s father Hamil is a construction worker while Kristal is a housewife.

The couple has three children and Haleema is the youngest.

An application for assistance from the Children’s Life Fund Authority was turned down on the basis that the condition is not a life threatening one. But with the help of sponsors and fund-raisers, her parents were able to acquire the money for the surgery and three-month stay in India.

After the surgery on Haleema she would be required to stay in India for three months for doctors to continue to monitor her recovery.

Her brother, who will be donating bone marrow, will also have to undergo surgery.

When Haleema was 18 months old, her mother noticed something was wrong and took her to the doctor where she was diagnosed with the disorder.

She has been hospitalised on numerous occasions and is required to do blood transfusions on a fortnightly basis.

Desperate for their little girl to have a better life, her mother and her father decided to seek the public’s help in raising the large sum of money.

The lion’s share of the money came through donations to the Islamic Broadcasting Network owned by businessman Inshan Ishmael with corporate Trinidad and Tobago and well wishers making up the difference within two to three weeks.

Dance to this news. Affordable housing is possible. It’s happening in Kenya.

“With a deficit of 250,000 housing units per annum, a new building technology in Kenya, known as expanded polystyrene (EPS) panel technology, is expected to turn around the construction industry.

The technology uses cheaper materials compared to conventional stones and yet strong enough to withstand…” strong forces.

I contend that the Government and monopoly businesses in the real estate industry are standing in the way of affordable housing. Polystyrene housing could break up TT ’s aggregate cartel and create a new downstream use for its oil reserves.

A polystyrene sheet, 5.5 x 3 metres, costs $328, factory price. It’s cheaper to import a housing kit from Kenya than build a house of similar size with traditional materials bought in TT .

Squatters cooperate with each other and build more houses than government and the private sector. If squatters had alternative materials like industrial polystyrene foam sheets they would also build stronger homes than government and private contractors.

B JOSEPH via email

“The statement was not accurate,” he said.

“Unfortunately, TTUTA used information given to them in the wrong way. Officials from EFCL (Education Facilities Company Limited) have assured me everything was in place for the reopening of all government schools. All government primary and secondary schools are in a state of readiness when schools reopen tomorrow (today).” Garcia was speaking with reporters yesterday after a walk through at the Arima Central Secondary School at Tumpuna Road, Arima.

“If TTUTA wants to instruct its teachers not to work, it is up to TTUTA. We will deal with that if it arrives, but we have a responsibility to the parents and, more so, to the children of this country to provide them with education. Since I have taken office as Minister of Education, together with my colleagues we have been working assiduously to ensure there is access for all our students so they will be able to benefit from the quality of education we are determined to offer.” Garcia also assured more than 700 students assigned to the Arima Central Secondary School that construction work will resume within days.

He said the matter was discussed at Cabinet on several occasions and he is going to ensure that everything is put in place for work to resume in the shortest possible time.

“What we saw today really tells us it would not take much to complete the construction, and it is about 85 per cent completed.

“While I cannot say when the work will be completed, what I can say most definitely is that work is going to start as soon as possible and I am looking at in a matter of days.” Garcia confirmed work on the school had stopped for more than a year because the contractor was not paid. He said government is in a position where it has to be very careful with finances and there are a number of contractors who are owed money.

“We are doing everything possible to ensure that the contractors are paid. But in this case, the contractors stopped work and, as a result, we had to stop operations for the time being.” While Garcia said he was not in a position to say how much money was spent to finish the school, he said his officials from the ministry and officials from the EFCL will be doing an assessment.

“This is one of the reasons why we did a tour of the surroundings so that they would get first hand information. When they go back to office tomorrow (today) they will be able to come up with scope and also financial details.”

He has had a colourful tenure in public life – one in which he faced off frequently with the media, was jailed and incurred intense flak over allegations of corruption in the now infamous Piarco Airport Development Project, which began during his government’s term in office and, arguably, remains a scar on that administration.

Yet, Basdeo Panday will go down in history as one of Trinidad and Tobago’s most dynamic and controversial post-independent leaders.

As TT celebrates 55 years as an independent nation, Panday believes that while the country has achieved much, it has fared “very badly” in spite of the oil and natural gas resources which has been its economic driver.

“We have had several oil booms and we gave it all away,” Panday said in a Sunday Newsday interview as he bemoaned the country’s dwindling economic fortunes. “We have also failed to diversify the economy and prepare for the present situation where oil is no longer a mainstay in obtaining revenue.” The 84-year-old lawyer and politician said, though, TTs most glaring shortcoming has been its failure to create a “free” people.

“I think that’s the greatest drawback.

I would like to see the nation become free. The nation is unfree because of the political system,” he said, attributing the situation to the Westminster model of governance.

Panday said the Westminster system, with one of its most dominant features being the first-past- thepost model, “superimposed upon a racially divided country,” must be removed to engender a free people.

The former PM said the situation could be reversed through constitutional reform, which he has long advocated.

“Until such time, freedom is a word in inverted commas. There needs to be a reform of the Constitution so that the people can have real power.” Born on May 25, 1933, in St Julien Village, Princes Town, Panday is TT’s fifth prime minister, having served as the head of government from 1995 to 2001 as political leader of the United National Congress (UNC). The former Couva North MP, known for his silvery-white hair and sharp wit, also held the position of opposition leader on various occasions between 1976 and 2010, prior to the latter year’s general election, which the UNC-led coalition People’s Partnership won.

In 2010, Panday lost the party’s leadership election to Kamla Persad- Bissessar, one of his protégés, who later became prime minister and served one five-year term in government. She is now the Opposition Leader and remains UNC political leader.

Although Panday’s political career began in 1966 when he joined the Workers and Farmers Party, it was his subsequent position as president general of the All Trinidad Sugar and General Workers Trade Union, which laid the foundation for his ascent in local politics.

There, he advocated passionately for the rights of the working class, particularly among the East Indian population, many of whom had struggled in the sugar belt of central Trinidad during the turbulent 1970s. From a factual standpoint, Panday holds the reputation as TTs first East Indian prime minister, a feat which represented a major breakthrough for a significant portion of the country’s citizenry.

His tenure came after the People’s National Movement’s (PNM’s) 1991-1995 term in office, a traditionally African-based party, which led the country in an unbroken stint in government for three decades, from 1956 to 1986, when the National Alliance For Reconstruction won that year’s general election and lasted just one term.

Today, many years later, Panday told Sunday Newsday he never saw himself as an Indian prime minister.

“In my view, Trinidad never had an Indian prime minister. Only India has an Indian prime minister and I don’t think I was an Indian prime minister. I think I was a prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago actually.” Still, there were some tumultuous moments throughout Panday’s stint as prime minister. In 2000, some 12 years after he founded the UNC, the party won the general election with 19 seats while the PNM got 17 seats. But the government collapsed after three of its MPs, Ralph Maraj, Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj and Trevor Sudama fell out with the party. The following year, Panday called a general election which ended in an 18-18 deadlock. Arthur NR Robinson, who was President at the time, appointed Patrick Manning as prime minister in December 2001, in what turned out to be a controversial decision.

Robinson said subsequently in his book, In The Midst Of It, launched in 2012, that Manning was the better man to lead the country by virtue of his moral and spiritual values. Robinson claimed, though, he had reached the decision after consultation with both Manning and Panday.

Of Robinson’s decision, Panday told Sunday Newsday: “First of all, I thought he (Robinson) was wrong and everybody thinks he was wrong because precedence would have shown that under that kind of circumstance what the President does is to call upon the sitting leader of the government, the Prime Minister, to form a government and if he cannot then he calls upon the Opposition to form a government.

But Mr Robinson broke the rules. He gave foolish answers like moral and spiritual values. So he was totally wrong.” Asked why he had dismissed Maharaj, who was the attorney general, Sudama and Maraj, Panday said: “The attorney general was guilty of certain things which I will reveal in my biography and because of that I removed him as attorney general. When I removed him, he somehow influenced Sudama and Ralph Maraj to join with the PNM in voting against the government.

And they began to do so on every single act that we were trying to do in Parliament.

“Anything we tried to do they voted against it. And so we couldn’t pass any laws and do anything.

When that happened, I said to myself I was elected to run this government and serve the people and if I cannot do that, then I will go back to the people. And that is exactly what I did, I called an election, which resulted in 18-18.” Panday said he harbours no ill will against the three men. “My relationship with them is the same as it is with everybody. I have no enemies.

I do not have a spiteful bone in my body. I speak to everyone. I hate no one.” Panday, at the start of his administration, also clashed frequently with members of the media.

In one of his more bitter encounters, he clashed with former television journalist Natalie Williams over allegations of corruption and nepotism in an agreement between the Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission (TTEC) and a company once known as Inncogen over the purchase of an electrical plant. The deal was alleged to have been brokered by a close associate of Panday, who ran an automotive business in the US and had a history of involvement in power generation.

When Williams had asked Panday about the deal, he responded: “That’s insulting. That’s insulting!” Panday’s misgivings about the ability of certain members of the media to carry out their function effectively gave rise to the drafting of a Green Paper on media reform during his government’s term. To this day, the controversial document has not seen the light of day. Panday said the Green Paper was intended to engender fairness in the industry. “I believe that many people believe that the media can be quite biased.” He recalled that Ken Gordon, then publisher of the Caribbean Communications Network, whom he called a pseudo- racist and had to pay a hefty sum for defamation, once said the media had an “untrammelled right to publish.” “But I replied by saying they (media) do not have an untrammelled right to publish with lies, half-truths and innuendos. And it is on that basis that an Act was being drafted to prevent people from putting lies, half-truths and innuendos in the media.” Regarding his relationship with media as PM, Panday said: “It happens all over the world. Some were biased and some were not and they tried to be sensational.” Panday gave two examples.

He recalled he had once said, “No one will attack my government unfairly and escape unscathed.” The reporters, he said, left out the word ‘fairly.’ On another occasion, he said, someone had asked him a question about Robinson and he replied, “The PNM had been in power for some 30 years and I would have slept with the devil in order to remove the PNM.” He said the reporters changed his words to ‘Panday will sleep with the Devil.’ “Why they do it? Some of them are personally biased and the media has an axe to grind.” In March 2007, Panday got a feather in his cap after the Court of Appeal overturned the conviction against him for failing to declare a London bank account, based on the likelihood that he would not have received a fair trial.

Three Court of Appeal judges found there was a real possibility of bias by the Chief Magistrate Sherman McNicolls in his April 24, 2006 ruling, which had found Panday guilty on three counts of failing to declare the London bank account to the Integrity Commission for the years 1997, 1998 and 1999, contrary to Section 27 (1)(b) of the Integrity in Public Life Act 1987.

On the Piarco Airport scandal, Panday said there was “a lot of misinterpretation about that issue.” Referring to claims that a window for a structure on the airport had been purchased for $75,000, Panday claimed his government had no role in such a decision but had placed the project in the hands of the National Insurance Property Development Company Limited (Nipdec).

“Nipdec was building the airport, not the government, and therefore, whatever issue came out of that was of no corruption of the government,” he said.

“The government was in no way charged with corruption in the airport.

Nipdec was actually charged because the issue with Piarco was bid-rigging. The government had nothing to do with bid-rigging.” During his tenure, Panday claimed his administration was able to reduce crime to the lowest it had been in 15 to 20 years, and also made the education system more all-embracing.

“We brought back in to the schools thousands of children, who, every year, were dumped on the dung heap because they did not have access to secondary education,” he said. “We abolished the Common Entrance examination, built schools to accommodate them and brought all of the children leaving primary school into a secondary school.

The idea was to ‘chorale’ them, so to speak, so that they were not on the streets and many of them coming out of the primary schools didn’t have the necessary qualifications to absorb the secondary education.

We knew that once we got them in schools, we were able to identify them and bring them up to standard to accept the secondary education.” Panday lamented his government was not able to complete the initiative after it came out of power in 2000.

Saying his regime also managed to reduce unemployment from 18 per cent to between ten and 12 per cent, Panday felt his administration’s effort to unify the country was, perhaps, their biggest achievement.

“We tried to unite the nation in the peak of its historical antecedents of racism and division.” This focus, he said, was manifested in the granting of a national holiday to the Spiritual Baptists on March 30, the donation of 25 acres of land to members of the faith in Maloney for the construction of an African Spiritual Park and the granting of land in Trincity for Pan Trinbago to build its headquarters.

(which today remains a partially built structure overgrown with vines off the Churchill Roosevelt Highway).

Regarding unfulfilled aspirations, Panday said he would have liked to make a more significant impact on crime, which was at the top of his government’s agenda.

“I would have liked to deal more with crime since it cannot be solved in one sentence. It has to do with unemployment, poverty, all kinds of things. And in order to deal with crime, those are the areas where you must begin,” Panday said, adding he would also have liked to see more unity among the ethnic groups. Although he has left representational politics, Panday remains a sought-after resource on matters of national interest.

AT A GLANCE

* Basdeo Panday attended university in London, obtaining degrees in law, economics, and drama.
* Panday is married to Oma Panday (nee Ramkissoon) and has four daughters, one of whom, Mickela, also followed in her father’s footsteps, serving one term as Oropouche West MP.
* In June 2005, Panday became the first prime minister to spend time in jail, at the Maximum Security Prison, Arouca, on corruption charges for which he was eventually acquitted.
* On May 1, 2007, he opted to resign as UNC chairman but the party’s executive refused to accept his resignation.
* In March 2008, Panday was suspended from the Parliament for using his laptop for a debate.
* He lost the party’s internal election on January 24, 2010 to Kamla Persad-Bissessar.