In a media release yesterday, Sookhai noted that the relocation was a “positive indication of Government’s commitment to follow through on important policies and programmes” which had initially been started under the previous Administration.

“I want to express my sincerest congratulations to the Trinidad and Tobago Government for approving this initiative and further congratulations are in order to the Minister of Works and Transport, Rohan Sinanan for ensuring that this project will be fully executed during the month of February,” he stated, adding, “This move also shows a high level of political maturity and commitment to local economic development.

It may also help with the unbearable traffic situation heading into Port of Spain on mornings, as many motorists would be channelled to the new the location at Caroni, where the roads were widened to cater for greater traffic flow.” He added: “One of the ways to support diversification is through local economic development. I feel a strong sense of optimism about the government’s willingness to continue important projects that will benefit the geographic region of central and southern Trinidad. I endorse the continuation of the construction of the Point Fortin Highway. This highway will definitely open up new physical and economic space not only within the South-Western peninsula, but for Trinidad and Tobago as a whole.” “Consequently, I also call on government to hasten the process to seek the opening of the Children’s Hospital in Couva,” he stated, adding, “I agree with the Government’s plan to allow for a Public/Private Partnership Model to facilitate the operationalisation of this very important health facility. Having more available health care to citizens will position Trinidad and Tobago as a nation that places human development as a high priority despite the current economic challenges.”

Now, after following the puerile events of last Friday, I can safely say that it recreated in me images of a kindergarten filled with unruly political toddlers standing up and monotonously invoking Standing Orders to disturb and rudely interrupt the smooth delivery of the Opposition speakers incessantly, unnecessarily and annoyingly.

The House was debating the nomination by the President that Martin George become a member of the Police Service Commission (PSC) through an affirmative vote of Parliament.

Although the President had previously consulted the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition and received their agreement for the nomination, it had to receive as well the affirmative vote of the members of the House to become legal.

Accordingly, the concerted, orchestrated and disruptive attempts of the Government members to prevent and stymie the Opposition from assessing the suitability of the incumbent to perform and carry out the identified functions of the PSC were pathetic and immature if not restrictive and very artificial.

How can MPs legitimately do the requisite due diligence assessment of George if they cannot and will not be allowed by the Speaker to refer to the remit of the PSC in their statements? In the end Opposition MPs, Dr Roodal Moonilal, Dr Bhoe Tewarie and Dr Suruj Rambachan had to prematurely and in total disgust abandon and terminate their contributions.

It appears again that the Government members had some urgent extra-residential duties to perform on Friday evening.

Accordingly, their kindergarten conduct aided by the principal allowed them to unduly restrict and terminate the proceedings of the House prematurely as they did at 5.30 pm — one hour longer than the previous Friday. These people are short-changing us.

STEPHEN KANGAL Caroni

In short, notwithstanding that an enterprise might be predominantly owned and controlled by the State, there should normally be no fundamental difference between the overall objective of being a State enterprise and that of being a privately owned entity, ie, the profit motive.

Here, we should note that the origin of our State-owned enterprises sub-sector may be said to have been dictated predominantly — initially — by, inter alia, the assumed need to bring the “commanding heights” of the economy under State control and direction in the thrust towards national economic development. In this regard, the then privately owned foreign sugar and oil industries were clearly identified.

Unfortunately, there has been a bludgeoning of the bodies which comprise the State enterprises sub-sector (now approaching 100 in number), many of which can’t, on no account, “fit the bill” of being a classical State enterprise.

It has been said that many of these (questionable) bodies were established under the Companies Act in order to facilitate quick decision-making through their being enabled to avoid the mechanisms of the Central Tenders Board and perhaps even lessening their accountability to Parliament.

In any event, it is clear that, unfortunately, many have become havens of political patronage and more like dispensers of social welfare rather than being enterprises in the classical profit-making mold. Needless to say, it is within this context that the current situation at Petrotrin must be described as a “debacle”, that is, being in a state of a “calamitous breakdown, rout or collapse as an enterprise” (Lexicon Webster).

It seems clear that there has been a blurring of the difference between the status of being a State enterprise and that of being a statutory authority since the latter is established by an Act of Parliament with definite duties, objectives and obligations.

Furthermore, statutory authorities are subject to general and specific directions from the minister. This is unlike State enterprises, these being established under the Companies Act.

It should be noted that statutory bodies such as T&TEC and WASA which, according to their statutes, are required to be in at least a “break even” position taking one year with another, have been failing to meet their financial obligations, thus being a burden on the national Treasury.

I therefore postulate that what is required, in the first instance, is a complete “root and branch” review of the State enterprises sub-sector as well as of statutory authorities, with a view to (a) having genuine State enterprises classified as such and having as their prime objective the “profit motive” and (b) the necessity, purpose and future status of these bodies (including the statutory authorities).

Here we should note the view of the Prime Minister himself in foreshadowing the need for far-reaching decisions while focusing recently on the Petrotrin issue.

Errol OC Cupid Trincity, Tacarigua

I am aware of a letter sent to our Prime Minister, Dr Keith Rowley, by a young man who suggested that the PM explores the possibilities of trade with Israel. He also pointed to the advantageous benefits for TT from such a move.

I applaud the relations with Venezuela, but enormously large results will be forthcoming from trade relations with Israel. Food for thought, Mr Prime Minister.

Gertrude Edwards Tacarigua

It is to be noted that if this regular system was used, as with all previous and present FIFA qualifying league tournaments, including the present World Cup qualifier, our national team would have won its initial league tournament with the Dominic Republic and Martinique, by acquiring four points along with Martinique, but would have qualified automatically for the Gold Cup by having a superior goal difference.

Instead, the CFU decided to proceed with the most ridiculous plan of insisting that every game must have a winner, which was not only impractical for a league tournament but has caused possible avenues for match fixing and teams even deliberately attempting to lose to then qualify.

Going into the last game of the play-off against Haiti, because of this new rule, TT needed to win by two clear goals to top the group, and this twogoal win could have been in regular time or the 30 minutes extra time if the score was level at regulation time.

So because of this ridiculous format, established by the CFU, with the score tied at 2-2 with a minute to go, it benefited TT not to score, so it could go into the extra time to score two goals.

This then meant it would have been to Haiti’s advantage to allow TT to score and Haiti loses the game so it would qualify.

Had the Haiti coach known this he could then have easily directed his team to score an own goal with seconds left in the game and deliberately lose 2-3 in full time, and avoid having TT acquire a full 30 minutes to score the two goals needed.

Likewise, the TT coach may well have told his team not to score with a few minutes to go, so he would get the extra 30 minutes to score the two goals needed.

It shows this format can be manipulated, can cause match fixing and opens windows for poor ethics to ensure qualifying, which cannot be good for the sport.

TT has not qualified for the Gold Cup because administrators in the CFU decided to do their own thing, outside of FIFA’s usual league regulations, and their shortcoming should be exposed, which would ensure they do not repeat such blunders in the future.

Gary Griffith via email

I witnessed it in full swing as I drove past the Westmoorings bridge on Sunday and I felt compelled to pull aside and congratulate them on an excellent initiative.

We are always quick to complain so let’s be just as swift with praise.

The campaign will run until April 29 and will include the 14 regional corporations so let’s all join in and put a smile on everyone’s face for a cleaner and healthier environment.

Steven Valdez Woodbrook

The present political directorship who sets policies along with the citizenry are totally dissatisfied with the product from the Police Service. In this light Ag Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams has adopted an approach to purge the non-performers, which I and others are in total agreement with. Williams has sent the signal, with the message to buck up or ship out. Which I am sure will run through the veins of each officer.

Good luck.

Athelston Clinton Arima

This was what relatives of 19-year-old Anfernie Hamilton claimed yesterday days after the aspiring welder was shot dead on the weekend during an altercation near a bar on Cipero Street in San Fernando.

An autopsy yesterday confirmed cause of death was due to multiple gunshot wounds. Relatives expressed disappointment not only in the performance of the police but of medical staff who treated him.

“He was only shot in his legs.

How is it he died? He was not shot in the head or heart…he was shot in his legs,” cried a relative. “It is a big disappointment. All of it, from the first response of the police to the lack of care by hospital officials,” the relative added.

It was reported that at about 5.20 am on Saturday, Hamilton and his brother Nathaniel Roberts got into an altercation with a man. Roberts yesterday said that he saw police officers approaching in a marked vehicle but instead of helping to break up the fracas, officers parked their marked vehicle a short distance.

Roberts said he was armed only with a cup which he threw at the man who was fighting his brother. That man later drew a firearm and shot Hamilton.

It was then, Roberts said, that the police intervened yet still the gunman managed to escape. Hamilton was placed in the police vehicle and taken to the San Fernando General Hospital. Relatives said that at 9 pm, Hamilton died at the medical institution.

Hamilton was the youngest of three siblings, Roberts said. “It is really hard because they killed my baby brother. He did not deserve to die like that,” Roberts cried.

“He wanted to make something of himself. I always told him that he had to keep his head on and make money.” The murder toll for the year now stands at 21.

Meanwhile, an autopsy done yesterday on the body of mother of two Balmatee Bachan confirmed that she died as a result of multiple gunshot wounds. The CEPEP worker died on Sunday morning at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mt Hope after she was shot by a gunman while she and her husband Mahase Lutchman were returning to their El Socorro home at 2.15 am.

Bachan was shot several times.

Her distraught husband, of eight years, Vidal Lutchman, barely escaped with his life – having been shot in his right arm – but now has to live as a widower. In an interview with Newsday yesterday Lutchman said the only thing that is on his mind at the moment is that neither he, nor their two children, ages, one and seven, would ever see Bachan again.

“I just want my wife back,” said an emotional Lutchman, “If I could get my wife back, I would be the happiest man in the world. Right now, I am the saddest man in the world. I am thankful that I could still come home and see my two children, because if I did not accelerate while we were being shot at, I would have been dead as well.” Newsday was told yesterday that Bachan and Lutchman had left their Chandee Lane, El Socorro home at about 11 pm on Saturday to take a late night bath in Carenage, then on their way back home, get something to eat. Newsday understands that this was a common practice for the couple, however on Saturday Bachan complained of feeling ill.

Lutchman told Newsday yesterday that while they were on their way home, driving along the Churchill Roosevelt Highway, they almost came into contact with a silver Audi vehicle, which stopped suddenly in front Lutchman’s vehicle.

Lutchman then overtook the vehicle and proceeded along the highway. However, moments after they heard gunshots ring out.

“Bullets just started to pass,” said Lutchman, “At first we thought that it was our car, because it was giving trouble, then we heard more bullets hit the trunk of our car.

The car pulled up alongside us and someone started shooting the glass of the left back door. I sped up and went straight to the hospital.” He rushed Bachan to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, but despite the best efforts of the medical staff on duty, she succumbed to her wounds.

Lutchman was also treated by doctors at the hospital, having suffered a gunshot wound to his right arm. Newsday understands that Lutchman was interviewed by homicide detectives during the course of yesterday.

Relatives yesterday described Bachan as a loving and caring child, and the youngest of seven children. They also described the relationship between Bachan and Lutchman as a strong and loving one. Relatives expressed shock while speaking to Newsday.

“I didn’t believe it when I heard that she had been shot,” said Gobin Bachan, the father of the deceased.

“I didn’t think that she would have been shot while driving in a car. I just find this very strange. We want justice, but we are leaving things in the Lord’s hands, because we are Christians.”

She never made it to school and her body was found in a forested area in San Raphael, late Friday afternoon.

Cufiie said he visited and spoke with Rachael’s family on Saturday.

Cuffie said the circumstances of Rachael’s death as reported by the media and supported by the accounts of friends and relatives, bring to the fore the plight of school children living in the Talparo, Brazil, San Rafael/Arena communities, who depend on public transportation.

“Three days before Rachael’s gruesome murder, I met with the taxi drivers over the impact of increasing fares on the large number of children who depend on their service. The taxi drivers had announced a two dollar fare increase on all the routes along Tumpuna Road, San Rafael, Brazil, Talparo and Mundo Nuevo and and an additional three dollars at night. The increase was announced at the beginning of the year but took effect at the opening of the school term.

“During the meeting I made a special appeal to the drivers to take into consideration the needs of the students in the area especially since the the two dollar increase along with the three dollar hike in fares after nine pm is likely to be quite harsh for those who may have late classes or studying sessions.” Cuffie expressed concern about a fare increase, he noted, “ I believed then and I still believe now, that highly unaffordable taxi fares have the unintended consequence of forcing citizens to seek and use services outside the establishment which opens the door to myriad unsavoury situations.

“My meeting also focused on the issues affecting the taxi drivers, including the competition from the ‘white bus’ illegal transport vehicles and the traffic management problems in the area which I promised to address with the relevant authorities.” Also attending the meeting at the office of the MP on Tumpuna Road, Guanapo, was Alderman Candida Patron of the Couva/Tabaquite/ Talparo Regional Corporation along with concerned residents from San Rafael and Talparo who also spoke on the effects any fare increase will have on the school children.

The drivers were led by Sylman Kallian, president of the Brazil/ Talparo/Arena Taxi Drivers Association who promised to reconsider the $3 fare increase after 9pm but said they could not go back on their decision to increase the fare by $2 despite the appeals on the effect it would have on school children, according to a release, from MP Cuffie.

“I told them I already had discussions with the Ministry of Works about increasing the number of buses serving the community, and I have promised to take up the issues affecting the drivers which had led to the increased fares.

Following Friday’s development, Mr Kallian has given an undertaking that the drivers will meet to reconsider also the two dollar fare increase.

“I have given my commitment that we will continue to search for solutions that are workable for all parties involved but most importantly that are safe and community friendly.