‘Preacher’ Piggott tells nationals:

HE WAS a banker for 25 years, a former Minister of Works and Transport, and now the Trinidad and Tobago High Commissio-ner to Canada. But on Saturday night, anyone listening to Arnold Piggott could have sworn he was a religious minister.

Speaking to about 200 nationals at the Trinidad and Tobago High Commission’s offices here in Ottawa, Piggott said too many bad things were being said about his country and the time had come to stop it.

“I want you to stop the gossip, when you go on the Internet, don’t look for the gossip, look for the good things about Trinidad and Tobago.”

Piggott hosted a reception to mark Indian Arrival Day which will be celebrated tomorrow.

Piggott, the 12th TT High Commissioner to Canada, asked, “when you go on that great medium, the Internet, do you go for gossip or to positively influence progress at home and abroad? Let us cherish our achievements and do everything to strengthen the bonds of harmony, understanding, appreciation and love which has made Trinidad and Tobago a living example of the brotherhood of man and the fatherhood of God.”

Piggott boasted of the achievements of a small country as Trinidad and Tobago. He took guests through a large room at the Commission where TT was on show. There was a display to show what TT has — oil and gas, products of trade and industry, tourism, and culture.

Piggott just could not help it but talk about the sporting heroes — Jean Pierre, Hasely Crawford, Brian Lara, George Bovell III, and Stephen Ames, although he is now a Canadian citizen.

He left the best for last — Dwight Yorke and the Soca Warriors who will grace the stage at the World Cup finals in Germany next month.

He had no choice but to speak about crime in Trinidad and Tobago. But he assured nationals here, that Government was doing everything to address the problem.