Baptiste-Primus said the ministry is currently conducting interviews for staff for the restructured OJTP.

She said efforts will be made to ensure that the most suitably qualified people are brought on board, who will continue to address the concerns of trainees on the programme and provide the level of service that they deserve.

Baptiste-Primus said as part of the restructuring process, the OTJP’s satellite offices will now be located at the ministry’s satellite offices in Point Fortin., San Fernando, Siparia, Chaguanas and Tunapuna.

She promised that from June1, staff will be at these offices to address trainees’ concerns. The minister said the accomodation for the OJTP’s head office is still ongoing and trainees will be advised in due course as to its address.

“We are minimising to the very best of our ability, any disruptions to the operations of the programme” she stated.

Urging trainees to keep the ministry updated on any further concerns they had, Baptiste-Primus invited them to contact the OJTP’s director at K.Lovell-Ferreira@ ojt.gov.tt.

Those in charge of selecting the WI team will have to go back to the drawing board for the team is certainly not making the cut.

It is clear our players lack consistency.

Good today and bad tomorrow is not what is required to get to the top. We need to continue searching for players until we find a group of men that can take us to a new level. We cannot afford to quit; we must persist as a region.

Well, we have the T20 tomorrow, which is our strength and the best chance of showing what we are capable of. I hope the boys go out there with that killer instinct and finish strong. A win will do us some good.

ARNOLD GOPEESINGH via email

“We expect to be talking to Barbados, Grenada and St Vincent about the liabilities of BAICO (British American Insurance Company), which was the entity through which Clico operated,” he said. At the just-concluded Caricom Heads of Government meeting in Grenada, Rowley said that the countries involved have said that Trinidad and Tobago took steps through legislative processes to financially bail out its citizens who were affected by the CL Financial collapse.

They have said that TT has not sufficiently done the same for citizens in other Caricom countries who were CL Financial clients. The basis of the argument, Rowley said, was interpreted from the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas to mean that no Caricom country should favour its own citizens in a regional entity over citizens of other member states.

“These arguments are on the table. They were bolstered by some agreements that dated back to the Manning era which were further supported by the Persad-Bissessar era where certain commitments were made to pay certain monies.” Those agreements, he said, “were cemented by a payment of US$50 million in a promise of US$100 million. We are now being called upon to conclude those transactions.” He has asked for time to look at the requests “a little closer,” he said, not in the context of the promises that were made, because TT will not renege on its commitment to its Caricom colleagues, but to look at the current situation with CL Financial.

He said, “there are some serious developments taking place with respect to this Clico matter, and the last thing we can do now is to pay out money to anybody (regarding) Clico while we are engaged in a very serious matter with respect to the Government’s protection of the national interest, with respect to the monies we paid out to Clico.” Claiming that the population will be advised of developments that are likely to take place, some shareholders, he said, have taken action to expel the Government of Trinidad and Tobago from the board of CL Financial while taxpayers have not recovered their $20-odd billion that were paid out.

The matters, he said, are far from ending notwithstanding previous ministers telling the people of TT that they have settled the issue.

“In fact the future looks quite unsettled but along the way (Government) will take all reasonable and legal steps to protect the interest of the people of (TT),” he said.

The players retained ahead of the draft were: Kyle Hope, Isaiah Rajah, Yannic Cariah, Roshon Primus, Imran Khan, Amir Jangoo, Tion Webster, Marlon Richards, Sheldon Cottrell and Bryan Charles Selected in the Cricket West Indies (CWI) Player Draft were: Kissoondath Magram, Khary Pierre, Steven Katwaroo, Ewart Nicholson and Akeil Cooper. Merryboys wicketkeeper/batsman Jangoo is one of five players earning their first Red Force professional contract.

“I am really delighted to be awarded a contract by the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force. Last season I got a look in for the final two matches and I made the best of my opportunity.

Honestly I am really happy the selectors showed faith in me and awarded me a professional contract,” said the 19 year old Jangoo.

He continued, “The last year has been a rollercoaster for me.

I missed out on selection for the West Indies Under-19 team and I had to come through the Combined Campuses and Colleges route. Being awarded a Red Force contract is vindication for all the hard work I have invested and being mentally resilient through adversity.

The easy decision is to give up when things are not going your way but I continued to work hard and now I am a professionally contracted player.” Red Force: Kyle Hope (Overseas), Isaiah Rajah, Yannic Cariah, Roshon Primus (Overseas), Imran Khan, Amir Jangoo, Tion Webster, Marlon Richards, Sheldon Cottrell (Overseas), Bryan Charles, Kissoondath Magram (Round 1 Draft), Khary Pierre (Round 2 – Draft), Steven Katwaroo (Round 3 – Draft), Ewart Nicholson (Round 4 – Draft), Akeil Cooper (Round 5 – Draft).

Williams came off the bench and played with high intensity and energy to score 17 crucial points for his team including 12 spikes, three blocks and two serves. The hosts, who are the defending champions, remain unbeaten after two matches and top Group D with six points.

TT started the match slowly once again which allowed Suriname to win the first set at 25-22.

The local boys then improved on their passing and serving which helped them to win the second set at the same score 25-22. Using their momentum from the previous set, the home team lead all the way throughout the third set until the score-line of 23-21 where they faltered in the end to lose 30-28.

TT looked more assured defensively, especially with their blocking, and they went on to win the fourth set 25-21 to tie the match at 2-2. In the final set, TT looked the more confident team while their opponents seemed to have lost concentration, with a number of unforced errors. With the game in the balance at 9-9, the opponents had no solution for the tricky serves of Brandon Legall. He served out the rest of the match giving the defending champions the victory at 15-9.

A victory against Martinique in the next match will assure TT a semi-final spot tomorrow.

The leading scorer for TT in the match captain Ryan Stewart with 20 points. He said, “We have to continue doing what we do in training, recover quickly and play volleyball to the best of our ability.” Barbados came from two sets down to be victorious against Haiti 3-2 (22-25, 19-25, 25-23, 25-18, 15-13). Jamaica stayed unbeaten to top Group E with six points when they swept Bahamas 3-0 (25-18, 25-19, 25- 18). And Martinique kept their hope alive to qualify for the knockout round with a comfortable win against Curacao 3-0 (25-14, 25-23, 25-23).

Harris told Newsday he has not received any letter from the Pope confirming his resignation letter has been accepted.

He announced his resignation after turning 75 in March in accordance with church law.

“When that happens, normally a letter is sent to you saying ‘Nunc Pro Tunc’ which is Latin for ‘fine, you remain there until we tell you.’ “I did what I had to do because it is the law. I have not been told anything so I remain in the post until I get the news from Rome.” However, on record, Benedictine Abbot Fr John Pereira told reporters of the Pope’s acceptance of Harris’ resignation after a thanksgiving ceremony commemorating the service of Bishop-elect of St George’s, Grenada, Fr Clyde Harvey.

Harris explained only when someone is appointed, Rome will inform him what to do.

“They will tell me they have appointed X to replace me and when his date is going to be, and that is the date when the resignation becomes effective.

It could take a month or two. I sent in my resignation in March and we are in July. It could take from now till the end of the year, I don’t know. Rest assured that as soon as I know I will place it into the public domain.

I will call in the press and present the new person…that is the only time we will know when the new Archbishop will take over.”

Sheldon Bernard of Coalmine Road, Sangre Grande appeared before Senior Magistrate Gillian Scotland to answer the charge.

The matter has been adjourned to July 18.

Ramdhan, 39, also of Coalmine Road, was found at his home bleeding from a chop wound, which almost severed his neck, on June 26. He was taken to the Sangre Grande Hospital where he died.

Bernard was charged by PC Kevin Andrews of Homicide Region 2 after advice was received from Director of Public Prosecutions Roger Gaspard, SC, on Tuesday.

In his contribution to the debate on the bill in yesterday’s sitting of the Senate, Solomon said the bill proposes cash or certified cheques in the amount of $10,000 or less be given as security for bail.

“The thinking behind it is that cash would be more easily accessible and persons would be able to obtain bail easier,” he said.

However, if one cannot afford the ten percent bail or $10,000 granted by the professional bailors, he said, “There is no way he would be able to obtain the full amount of bail in cash. It defies logic.” Paying in cash is encouraged by the legislation, he said, and magistrates may use it to the full extent.

“You will defeat the actual purpose behind the bail because you will have less people being unable to obtain the bail – obtain the money – and then they fill the remand yards which are already filled beyond capacity” The bail, he said, “is badly construed and will have the negative effect of what is intended.” Referring to the recent kidnapping of a south Trinidad businessman in which kidnappers demanded $250,000 and which was dropped off at Beetham Gardens, Solomon said, “That is how they are going to get the cash.” Calling the bill “dangerous legislation”, he said, “You are encouraging the criminal element to go after quick cash to get their boys out.” Some people who may be paying cash on the accused behalf, he said, may very well be criminals themselves with ill gotten gains.

“Drug lords in particular are full of cash,” he said, and can easily afford to release ten or 20 men who would be indebted to them and will have to do their bidding.

What I see out of this, he said, “is a crime wave coming out of this.” Emphasising that crime is the biggest problem in the country, he said TT has the “unfortunate placing” as being ranked seven in the world with the highest crime rate by the Gazette Review 2016.

TT was placed ahead of countries like El Salvador, Brazil, and Kenya.

Venezuela was ranked number one.

“That in itself was disconcerting given our close proximity to Venezuela,” he said, while alluding a recent triple murder in Trinidad involving some Venezuela nationals.

Noting also trafficking in drugs, and human trafficking between the two countries, he said a group of Trinidadians was arrested recently in Venezuela for human

At a media conference on Wednesday, Garcia said 2,170 pupils earned less than 30 per cent in the examination while the number of pupils overall, scoring over 50 percent, dipped from 64.84 percent last year to 63.22 percent this year.

In a media release, Gopeesingh pointed out that Garcia and his colleague Dr Lovell Francis had “quashed a comprehensive package of measures that had led to the best ever SEA academic achievement in 2014, which was even bettered in 2015.” “This year, close to 15 per cent of SEA students scored less than 30 per cent. The number of students achieving less than 30 per cent had been reduced to one per cent under the People’s Partnership government,” Gopeesingh said. He observed that some of the measures which had been reduced included the provision of moderators and facilitators in more than 200 primary schools to provide one-on-one assistance to students.

“In addition, targeted support was provided in creative writing.

Students were asked to write ten essays over a year with the top five being elected. The ministers of education have also discontinued the more than 400 homework centres which had provided essential learning opportunities to students, especially those who are most in need.” He said there had been a significant reduction in the number of personnel in the Student Support Services division, including guidance counsellors, social workers and educational psychologists.

“Further, the management leadership capabilities at respective schools have been weakened, with the curtailment in teacher training and development and removal of Parenting in Education programmes. The decline in the results is disheartening and disturbing, especially after the historic academic gains of 2014 and 2015. I urge teachers and parents to keep the faith with their students and to work diligently in leading them to scholastic successes.

“I equally implore the ministers of education to initiate a strategic approach to the education system in order to once more achieve historic levels of achievement and to bring broad smiles to all SEA students, parents and teachers.”

The victim has been identified as Steve Joseph, 31, of La Lune Road in Moruga.

According to police reports Joseph and another man boarded a pirogue on Wednesday afternoon and headed for Icacos Point. Reports are that at 4 pm, another vessel pulled alongside the pirogue and men dressed in black and speaking Spanish, opened fire before speeding off.

Joseph was hit several times and lay bleeding in the boat while his companion was unharmed.

Nothing was taken from the pirogue. The man later brought the pirogue in to shore and made a report to the Cedros Police.

Joseph was taken to the Pt Fortin Area Hospital where he died while being treated.

A post mortem was expected to be done yesterday at the Forensic Science Centre in St James. Joseph’s companion is assisting police in their investigations.