Describing Independence as a time for empowerment, Charles said, “Tobago’s autonomy is a priority on the assembly’s agenda.” He said the THA is currently consulting with a Cabinet sub-committee regarding the draft bill on autonomy for Tobago. He said once this part of the process is completed, the draft bill will be sent to Parliament for debate.

Charles also said the THA is working to create, “stronger, long-lasting partnerships will redound to our benefit.” He said these include the possibilities of public-private partnerships,” as we seek to accelerate our development programme.” Charles the Assembly’s recently created Tourism Agency is taking a holistic approach to improving Tobago’s tourism product.

He urged Tobagonians and the rest of the population not to be distracted by negativity and naysayers as the country marks 55 years of independence today.

With his company, Tête-À-Tête Théâtre, he is collaborating with Bon Bassa to present this, his newest work.

As a writer/director, Barry last worked with a Best Village group in the early 90s.

What inspired his return was a chance incident two years ago. When a judge suddenly pulled out on the morning of the first day of competition of the Folk Theatre finals in 2015, Barry was called in to replace him. Viewing a week of productions caused the bug to bite him once more.

He would later write Better, Better Village and then went fishing around for a group who would host him.

Bon Bassa took the bait, a media release stated.

To continue the metaphor, Better, Better Village is basically a fish out of water story.

It is centred on Mr Roberts, an aspiring playwright who is also the son of a deceased Nobel Laureate for Literature. He dreams of being as renowned as his father, but his talent is nowhere close in comparison.

Rejected by his peers, he gravitates to a folk theatre company to have them do one of his plays at the annual folk theatre competition. In this arena he experiences culture shock as this world is governed by a discipline alien to anything he had experienced before. What ensues is a series of outrageous, comic situations.

Barry describes Better, Better Village “as quite a potpourri.

It is dramatic at the core, but layered with comedy. It is also, at times, a play within a play and then at other times, a play within a play, within a play.

And of course, it is filled with folk songs and dances. It is a complex story, simply told.” Barry’s play speaks about changing the perception of folk theatre and he thinks that life is imitating art.

He believes that this is the first time that a “mainstream” theatre company is pairing with a folk company in this manner, where the co-operation happens throughout the competition stages and is then featured outside of the Best Village forum. The end result is a production at a standard that breaks the stereotypical expectation of those with a biased view of folk theatre, the release said. Barry says that the move to Queen’s Hall, St Ann’s with this production is a marriage of two genres that he loves – “mainstream” theatre with folk theatre.

Placing second in the competition is by no means a fluke as his writing has won him several Cacique Awards such as Most Outstanding Comedic Production for The Five Foolish Friends in Shhh…it is Christmas and The Foolish Friends in…Shhh it is Carnival; Most Outstanding Original Script for Paradise Garage and The Catalyst; Most Outstanding Dramatic Production (Tie) for The Catalyst which also won for Musical Score and Musical Composer.

Barry has no immediate plans for Better, Better Village after this run, but depending on how it performs at Queen’s Hall, other possibilities may present themselves.

What about Best Village next year? He does not want to commit as yet but confesses that he is toying with a concept that is even more demanding than Better, Better Village. He just needs to make the time to write it.

Better, Better Village runs for four nights from September 14 to 16 at 8 pm and September 17 at 6 pm. Tickets are available at Queen’s Hall Box office from September 11 – 16.

Lawrence spoke to the media briefly before yesterday evening’s training session at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella.

And the TT coach made it clear that full points will be of utmost importance.

“We know the importance of the game on Friday and we know how vital it is to get three points,” said Lawrence.

Trinidad and Tobago are at the bottom of the six-team standings with three points (from six games), and victory is crucial in keeping the team’s hopes of at least a fourth-placed finish (and a playoff against the fifth-placed team from the Asian Zone) alive.

Lawrence was also pleased with the response he has gotten from his players, since they entered into a residential camp on Monday.

“The boys have been working hard and they have gelled well,” said the TT coach. “They’re all keen to do their best and ensure that we get the victory.” Trinidad and Tobago’s last meeting against Honduras, which took place in November 2016 at San Pedro Sula, resulted in a 3-1 victory for the hosts. That defeat saw the end of Stephen Hart’s reign as TT coach.

This time, a defeat against the Hondurans may be the end of TT ’s quest for a place at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

But Lawrence is hopeful that the fans turn up in their numbers to spur on the hosts.

“We expect the fans to give us that extra boost on Friday,” he said. “We want to have an atmosphere that is intimidating to the Honduras team.” Expecting the encounter to be a gripping one is Honduras-based TT goalkeeper Jan-Michael Williams.

Both he and defender Daneil Cyrus are attached to Juticalpa FC and have started their season coming up against some of the Honduran national players in the league including Olimpia striker Carlo Costly who has been recalled to the side for today’s match.

“The Hondurans are extremely passionate about football and about this game and we have to ensure we match them with passion and aggression on Friday and be even better than them,” Williams said yesterday while at the team base at Cara Suites Hotel in San Fernando.

“We used the time to look around and observe everything about Honduras football. The league is very competitive and physical and that will transfer into the game on Friday,” he said.

“Preparations have gone very well and we have had in the back of our minds for the last two games how important this game is. Trinidadians are people that tend to operate when their backs against the wall. Culturally this is one of our strength and weakness.

I think it is sad where we have had to come to a situation where we are desperately in need of points but on Friday we will use that situation to work in our favour where we need the points to stay alive in the qualification bid,” Williams added.

They are being represented by Criston J Williams, Fareed Ali and Wayne Sturge.

Lara said he and the other accused have been languishing in prison for the past seven years.

However, Earle-Caddle reminded them she was not the chief magistrate at the time of commencement of the case, however she was seeking to move the matter along as quickly as possible.

“I am here everyday,” Earle- Caddle said. “While there have been matters that were restarted, I have ensured that some of them are approaching their closure. I cannot see about what took place in the past, only the present and the future.” One of the accused said when last he spoke to his attorney, they were seeking to file an application before the High Court but was unsure of the status. However Earle-Caddle said she was not aware of any such application.

The men are expected to reappear in court on September 14. They are charged with the murder of Diego Martin labourer Russell Antoine.

This is one of the 52 cases left in abeyance after the appointment of former chief magistrate Marcia Ayers-Caesar as a judge of the High Court.

In a statement, the association said the politicians described the detention as a ploy to distract attention away from the escalating murder rate, the Tobago ferry “fiasco” and the revocation of the appointment of the Minister of Public Utilities Robert Le Hunte .

The association said such accusations called into question the independence of the police service and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and undermine public confidence in the administration of justice .

“If it is the experience of those who operate within the corridors of power that the DPP and the police are susceptible to political influence, then the proper and constructive approach is to propose reforms which would insulate law enforcement officers from such interference in the exercise of their powers,” the association said .

The association cautioned members of the public to reserve comment until after a court of law has pronounced .

They also cautioned all concerned against using these events to inflame political passions .

“In that regard, seeking out the opinion of politicians, including the prime minister, on an ongoing criminal investigation can only serve, unhelpfully, to politicise the issue,” the association said .

What does independence mean to me? Independence is freedom from control or influence of others. It is the power to act without externally imposed restraints.

All of us have the choice and responsibility to improve our lives.

Independence celebrates hope. The price for independence is in most cases blood.

In TT we need to recognise and celebrate all entrepreneurs and workers. We need to support and recognise the hard working small business people around us.

Here is what independence should mean to all of us: We do not answer to someone else. We determine our schedules, values and priorities.

We stand alone. We are able to depend on ourselves.

We are self-reliant.

We can do things without manipulation.

We can live a fulfilling and sustainable lifestyle.

We have choices.

We are responsible for our lives. We drive our own “bus.” We have the right to do the right thing. We have a collective attitude and mindset. We have an equal distribution of wealth and resources.

I do not mind working hard, it’s who I am working for.

God bless our nation of many varied races.

AV RAMPERSAD Princes Town

Since then TT has made tremendous strides which are noticeable throughout the country. However, much more needs to be done. I have made the following dream list for the country: An economic turnaround: First and foremost on my independence dream list is a 360-degree turnaround in our economy. I still believe it can happen despite the prediction of some economic pundits. We were here before and there was a turnaround — the oil price did go up.

Diversification in the economy: This can become a reality. Someone or group would have to lead the way and demonstrate that this is possible, boldly going where no man has gone before and being a pioneer in these challenging times.

A drastic decrease in crime: From the depth of my heart I sincerely believe this dream can materialise in all areas of crime — murder and robbery, illegal entry of guns and illicit drugs, corruption at all levels, abuse of children and rape of our women. I refuse to accept that this is something we have to get used to. We can make the change working together.

There is still hope, let us not give up trying.

Uniting the people: We cannot evade the fact that as a nation we are divided but this division can be turned around if every citizen recognises that it is unprofitable for any country or people to be divided. Unity is possible and is within reach if we want it. It begins with we the citizens and leaders.

Looking out for each other: The one word that demonstrates this is “love.” Let there be love where we will reach out and touch people in need. If God has blessed you with abundance, reach out to an unfortunate someone and make their day brighter.

So as we celebrate Independence Day, I hold fast to those dreams for TT . Our country will be a better place as they are fulfilled.

Happy Independence Day and God’s blessings to all.

ARNOLD GOPEESINGH via email

Carmona, a former judge, may have been attempting to be flashy, saving the best for last. But the error was obvious to anyone with a rudimentary understanding of the law. If a Cabinet is to comprise, at the barest minimum, a prime minister and an attorney general, and if it is for the prime minister to appoint that attorney general, then a prime minister must be in office first before an attorney general can be appointed.

This blooper resulted in a spectre the likes of which this country had never seen. The swearing-in ceremony for the two ministers had to take place a second time, this time behind the closed doors of the Office of the President.

It turns out that event was not such a rarity after all.

The circumstances surrounding the botched appointment of Robert Le Hunte last Thursday as Minister of Public Utilities do not have to be fully explained for us to apportion blame.

That blame must fall squarely on the arms of the State that are involved in the vetting and appointment of ministers.

To varying degrees all of them must take some share of responsibility: President Carmona, Prime Minister Rowley, Attorney General Al-Rawi, the Office of the Solicitor General, and Le Hunte himself.

The President may have no choice but to act on the advice of the Prime Minister when it comes to Cabinet appointments, but surely no president can be forced to make an invalid move. Does the Office of the President not take legal advice on matters before it, particularly appointments? Was this not the very heart of the recent Privy Council ruling which found the President to be accountable when it comes to the exercise of his power to appoint to various boards? Does the Office of the President – which in theory has at its disposal all of the Silk in the land – have adequate and independent legal counsel? Was that office able to conduct checks in relation to this appointment, unfettered? And while Rowley has attributed the whole fiasco to a “communications glitch,” where did that glitch occur? Did the Office of the Prime Minister, as well, conduct checks? Did the Ministry of the Attorney General and the Chief State Solicitor? The biggest mystery here is how this could have happened in the wake of the Marlene Mc Donald affair. It was essential that this appointment not have any irregularities.

It is, however, to the credit of the Office of the Prime Minister that once the matter was discovered it was disclosed. For it seems there were no other institutions upon which the public could have counted on to pick up on the matter.

How could a corporate citizen like Le Hunte, who comes from a background where due diligence is par for the course, miss this matter? A communication glitch is one thing, but a failure to assess the situation on his own terms is another.

In both instances, the new appointee is placed in a terrible position.

Either he is a part of a system that cannot get the most basic tasks right, or he has not been thorough enough when it comes to the very first thing he had to do as a minister: raise his hand and take the oath.

We call for the State to implement a far more rigorous process of ministerial appointment, whether through formal means or protocols at the Office of the Prime Minister, to prevent a recurrence of this embarrassing episode for all concerned.

Talented, courageous and meritorious individuals who come forward to serve the public should not be embarrassed like this

In a release, Annisette said Duke sought to bring to the attention of the nation, the plight of the travelling public who use the seabridge between Trinidad and Tobago.

“While some may argue that his approach to bring attention to this contemptible situation was unorthodox, we in NATUC are of the view that when traditional methods are not working, it is time to resort to new and innovative solutions to deal with problems.” He continued, “NATUC shares the pain and distress of the people of Tobago who have been suffering immensely over the colossal failure of the government to address the seabridge issue in a meaningful way. NATUC therefore welcomes Mr Duke’s symbolic and courageous attempts to bring this despicable issue into the living room of every Trinbagonian.” He said NATUC will continue to raise issues that are affecting the well-being of citizens and in this particular case, the failure of the Government to sign the charter party agreement which has allowed citizens the services of the super-fast Galicia for a further period of two months.

“We trust that the people of Trinidad and Tobago would put aside party politics and deal with the real issues that are affecting the citizenry. Historically, party politics has caused a polarisation and a divide in our society and this has resulted in a poor state of affairs for Trinidad and Tobago.

We cannot continue to behave like the proverbial ostrich and pretend that these are only minor hiccups and that all is well.” Annisette further added, “All of us are painfully aware that Trinidad and Tobago is in a state of dysfunction and our institutions are failing to deliver the services that are required of them to ensure smooth governance for the citizens. The general public is fast losing faith in the government and these institutions to the county.” He said Watson Duke has demonstrated he has the testicular fortitude to commit to a cause, and to go the full distance to seek relief for the people of Tobago and by extension, all citizens of TT.

It takes a lot to establish a brand and it would have been a big and difficult decision to cast off ttt in favour of CNMG that never tripped off the tongue, that few ever came to know the meaning of and which struggled hard to be trusted.

I am assuming the intention in abandoning the brand was to establish an umbrella organisation (Caribbean New Media Group) under which television and radio would sit side by side as equal partners and in which new digital media platforms would be developed as quintessential elements of a future-focused broadcasting landscape.

Again, I am guessing the thinking was that ttt had a certain amount of unwanted baggage that it was best to jettison with the creation of a whole new set of distinct broadcasting entities in one stable.

CNMG was a great investment on the part of the then government.

Overall, the creation of a forward-looking, public-owned media group in the early part of this new century that could deal with the move away from analogue to digital broadcasting was a very good idea.

It was strategically correct and could have worked, but it fell flat on its face because of the lack of expert and visionary leadership, of experienced management at the required level and finally because of the shortage of financial resources.

The human resources were fine and CNMG enjoyed nearly adequate staffing levels when I first came across it in its early stages.

They were a good group of people with experience, passion and eagerness to take broadcasting forward, but with no hesitation I can say that the problem lay at the most senior levels of the organisation and the inadequate structure at the very top. It would also be safe to surmise that there would have been the inevitable pressure from government. No quasi-state organisation is free of downward pressure and often the interests of the organisation are not completely in sync with government’s.

Therefore, in public service broadcasting, there needs to be a clear line drawn between the broadcaster and the government about the entity’s remit and its independence and a charter set out that cannot be reneged upon on either side.

For that to happen a lot of groundwork needs to be put in and a proper in-house senior management structure must exist that can at once represent the interests of the broadcaster, its staff and those who use its channels and, most importantly, with the CEO deliver the remit.

This management board, led by the CEO, should be answerable to a board of trustees selected to represent society in its broadest sense.

The role of trustees would be to safeguard the interests of both the broadcaster and society and be the buffer between the broadcaster and the government. No CEO should ever be called into a meeting by any minister and instructed what to do or who to hire.

It is not a popular opinion to express but I doubt the expertise required to head the new organisation exists here, not for what is really possible, which makes the structure of the organisation, the appointment of a very able senior management team and the agreed reporting lines even more important; and I fear for radio as the poor cousin within a broadcasting organisation dominated by the more expensive demands of television.

It has been reported that only radio was making money within the CNMG group, which leads to another pertinent matter better agreed upon in advance, ie, what is the purpose of a public service broadcaster, to make money or serve the public, and are they ever compatible?