In a post on Facebook in Shazana’s name read: “Shazana Mohammed was feeling frustrated with Faaiq Mohammed in Mission Bay, Florida. Totally disgusted by Caribbean Airlines and the way they handled this Ft Lauderdale incident. They are not accommodating and willing to assist passengers to get home quickly. Total lack of information and communication. Furthermore no one at the airport has any information on where lost luggage can be found. Officials responsible for the collection of luggage are totally clueless as to where they are and when they can be picked up. This is so frustrating,” read one of the posts.

Since the tragedy the couple has been keeping family and friends updated via Facebook. On Friday, the deputy mayor wrote: “All Praise due to Almighty God… My Family and I were evacuated safely at Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport… today’s event was the scariest we had to face…” Shazana wrote: “Scariest day of my life. Never thought I’d have to drop to floor while gunshots echoed, cover my head then literally run for my life among hundreds of people. My life flashed before me. #grateful #thankyou- God” Flights have since resumed out of the airport but it was reported that the terminal where the tragedy took place remain closed.

Contacted yesterday by Newsday about comments posted by Shazana and shared by the Deputy Mayor, CAL’s Head Corporate Communications Dionne Ligoure said she was unable to comment.

Ligoure said: “I am not in a position to do so as I don’t have the information but it is something I would have to look into.”.

The shooter, a former National Guard soldier from Alaska has since been charged with the crime and could face the death penalty if convicted. According to reports coming out of Fort Lauderdale, the attack on Friday sent panicked persons scampering out of the terminal and spilling onto the tarmac, baggage in hand. Others, reports stated hid in bathroom stalls or crouched behind cars or anything else they could find as police and paramedics rushed in to help the wounded and establish whether there were any other gunmen on the compound.

Newsday spoke to Chaguanas Mayor Gopaul Boodhan who said he has been in contact with his colleague since the incident.

Boodhan said: “He told me of his experience. You know these are things you see in the movies you never know how you will react when you are actually there.” He said he knew the Mohammeds’ were having challenges returning home because of the disruption in flights.

Rose, who tuns 77 in April, graced the stage at 9 40 pm, dressed in a fuchsia three-piece outfit, adorned with green and gold appliqu?s and gold shoes, and immediately had the crowd dancing to her rendition of “I Am African”, “Zoom Zoom” and “Madame”, a song that she said she wrote after the country’s first Prime Minister Dr. Eric Williams insisted that women be paid a genuine salary for their work.

Her next number “Back To Africa” was a gem.

The leading lady of calypso gave an emotional delivery of the song leaving the audience swaying to the music, that included a moving sax solo by Peter Cipriani.

Then came “Calypso Queen”, with stinging lyrics geared to those who attempted to take a crown. at that point many in the audience thought she would have followed it up with “Her Majesty”, one of her winning 1978 winning National Calypso Monarch numbers but that didn’t happen.

There was a musical interlude with members of her road band, Drew Gonsalves (TT/C’da), Corey Wallace (TT/UK), and Jamba Eguema (Afr./Fr.) ramajaying centre stage, along with the TT brass men and the Tobago background vocalists. Rose came back on stage to deliver several other hits, including her current hit song “Leave Me Alone”, which she predicted after her performance will be Road March this year.

After her performance she told the media she was extremely happy, and what made the event even greater for her were the children present, and those who joined her on stage at one point in her performance.

Asked how she is getting the energy for such demanding performances Rose said: “Fish, crab, lobster and boiled garlic and ginger mixed together,” she said with a hearty laugh.

And her advice to new artistes? She said: “The new artistes have to write constructive calypsos that could be understood all over the world. The lyrics must match the tempo like “Abatina” and “Leave Me Alone”.

Earlier in the show that featured a number of Tobago monarchs including Leslie Ann Ellis, dressed as Lord Nelson, (Robert Nelson), inston Bailey, the Mighty Shadow, who, dressed in his original garb suffered from a poor mic system, but that didn’t deter the audience from singing along and some making their way front stage to prance to his renditions of “Dingolay”, “Yuh Looking For Horn” and “Bassman”.

He was called back on stage for more “Bassman”. he obliged and pleased the crowd.

We all wish well to parents, teachers and educational administrators, and all who help to shape our youngsters’ hearts and minds.

An awareness of impending exams at Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA), CSEC and CAPE will surely focus minds and help pupils quickly settle down to a work routine.

We’d like to remind youngsters of words famously uttered in their grandparents’ day, by first prime minister, the late Dr Eric Williams, “The future of the nation is in the children’s school bags”.

These words are as true today as when declared 60 years ago, as the need to diversify the TT economy away from the depleting oil and gas sector will require us to put all heads together to craft a new knowledge-based economy, as per Japan and Singapore. To this end all parties must give of their utmost to ensure our youngsters have the books, equipment, accommodation, teachers and lesson plans to succeed.

We note the raging debate in Parliament over cuts in the provision to pupils. The Opposition has alleged cuts in textbooks and school-meals, plus a shift in laptops now to be supplied to schools rather than individual pupils, but the Government’s reality is that of a tight economy even as it faces debts run up by their predecessors.

The Government is also facing last week’s rumblings from TTUTA rejecting any idea of a zero percent salary increase for teachers, even as the Early Childhood Teachers Trade Union (ECTTU) is calling on Education Minister, Anthony Garcia, to meet to discuss fresh legislation to govern nursery teachers, who fall outside the Teachers Act that governs just primary and secondary level.

Last term pupils stayed home for days due to school infrastructure woes, such as mites at Montrose Vedic School, blocked sewer at El Dorado East Secondary and Chaguanas Primary School, faulty air-conditioning at Aranguez North Secondary School, pest infestation at Santa Flora Government Primary, electrical woes at North Eastern College, and cramped labs at San Juan South Secondary. While many are long-running problems, it will certainly be a shame if pupils must face them again in this New Year.

On a positive note, the Ministry can boast of having curbed school violence last term, including re-deploying certain errant pupils to other programmes in technical/vocational pursuits. A firm message must be sent so each pupil understands that his/her place in school is a privilege — funded by taxpayers — to be gratefully utilised for his/her career advancement. The country simply cannot afford otherwise, literally in terms of dollars and cents.

This year’s allocation for education (recurrent costs) is $800 million less than the sum spent last year, which itself was $1,500 million less than initially allocated.

While $6,800 million was spent on education (including tertiary education) in 2015, last year it was just $5,769 million spent (out of $7,221 million allocated), and this year it is allocated at $4,965 million. So, amid these hefty sums, the Ministry lost about one-third of its budget over two years.

Prudent spending of these sums and the repair of schools largely relies on the health of the Educational Facilities Company Limited (EFCL) as the Ministry’s executing agency. The EFCL Board recently prevailed over a ministerial team to fire CEO Louis Frederick, reportedly for refusing Board orders to approve school repairs without getting a ministerial nod, all amid allegations of exaggerated invoices from contractors and of favouritism to pay certain contractors. Education Minister, Anthony Garcia, or even Prime Minister, Dr Keith Rowley, must settle this row quickly and fairly, so the EFCL can get on with its work of maintaining the nation’s schools.

While the fast food culture is embraced by Indo-Trinidadians as well, they, however, have certain peculiarities of their own with respect to diet. While Indian delicacies in the form of doubles, sahina, alloo pie and phulorie etc. are now in demand by all ethnicities, the consumption of these items would be highest among Indo-Trinidadians in light of availability and location of cooking.

When we look at the ingredients involved and the manner of cooking, heavy consumption of these items carries higher risks for heart disease and related ailments.

The ingredients in these delicacies are heavily weighted towards carbohydrates and oils.

However, the method of cooking, (frying at high temperatures) is of far greater concern and applies to the whole range of cooked foods and not just these cheap and popular items.

A professor of Indian origin conducting research at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, has concluded as follows (Guardian 9/11/16): “When food is heated up to high temperatures, new compounds are created and some of them are known to be harmful to health …. chemicals released which include trans fats that are known to increase the risk of heart disease”.

The research showed that people of South Asian descent (including Indo-Trinidadians) who generally cook in hot oils at high temperatures and with longer and deeper frying, suffer from higher rates of heart disease than those of other backgrounds.

In comparison, he states that in the Chinese snacks (not the kind peddled in Trinidad) there are virtually no trans fatty acids. In the Indian snacks, there is a vast amount.

The Indian treat jalebi — fried batter soaked in sugar syrup — was found to average 17 percent trans fats and samosas 3.3 percent. “When the same oil used once is reheated for further cooking, then the problem is compounded. This reheating of oil, once used, for further cooking is a feature not only of the preparation of Indian delicacies but is endemic throughout the fast food industry.

The regular consumption of chicken loaded with chemicals is not only characteristic of Indo-Trinidadians but other ethnicities as well. However, the manner of cooking may involve additional deep-frying and the thick gravy generated is said to enhance the flavour. Curried duck and paratha roti is deemed to be the very epitome of Indo-Trinidadian cuisine and its consumption eliciting maximum culinary delight.

Yet duck is one of the fattiest of meats and its regular consumption associated with cholesterol build-up in the arteries, while paratha roti is flour saturated in unhealthy oils and heated. However, paratha roti (not sada roti) happens to be standard fare in Hindu rituals and ceremonies and even among Indo-Trinidadians of other religious persuasions.

Hindus who comprise the bulk of the Indo-Trinidadian population in this country have been known to have special food preferences. After a Hindu religious ceremony, the offering or parsad is distributed to the congregation. Parsad is really half-roasted flour liberally mixed with ghee or oil and sugar.

It is not the healthiest of foods.

A substitution could be slices of fresh fruit but such a change might be construed as an affront to religious tradition. Moreover, there are the ubiquitous sweets on offer, all heavily sugar-coated or just raw melted sugar, which is a feature of all celebrations whether birth, marriage or religious and which induces higher blood sugar levels as well as obesity.

The question therefore is how can change to a healthier diet be promoted and who will lead the campaign.

OWTU President General Ancel Roget said the union’s proposal would not cost the company “one additional cent” but that proposal was being studied by the Minister of Finance, adding that “whether or not we have a strike, that will be decided by the Minister of Finance. The Minister of Finance is only crunching numbers in some delay strategy, heaven knows what that is, but if we do go into strike some seventeen hours from now, the clock is winding down, it is because of the Minister of Finance’s refusal to respond to what is a very reasonable approach on the part of the union.” Roget charged there was “something else” involved in the issue and said that Imbert needed to tell the country whether the Government had imposed a wage freeze on the nation. He claimed the union had information that people close to the Government stood to benefit from the strike. “There are people who are connected close to the Government who are going to benefit in terms of the importation of fuel at a marked up price which they will sell to the Government and which Petrotrin will have to pay for at the end of the day.” He said this meant that the strike will cost Petrotrin many times more than it will cost to settle.

An OWTU delegation led by Roget met with Petrotrin executives at the Ministry of Labour and Small Enterprise Development from 10 am yesterday but emerged at 5 PM to say that they had not been able to resolve their dispute. Roget said the union was set to begin its threatened strike this morning.

Roget said that it was unprecedented that the company had failed to respond positively to a proposal “where for monies we have already earned, we are saying on the basis of a company increasing its production and revenue, it is only then we will be able to be paid that money. In other words, you owe me money, but I am going to work with you to increase your revenue for you to be able to pay me that money that you owe me and that is very reasonable.” He said the Minister of Finance had all the figures related to the dispute with Petrotrin since August last year but he had continued to “dabble” with them until the present crisis. He said the union had already completed its strike camps and would occupy them this morning and wondered why the Minister of Finance was provoking a strike that would cost Petrotrin enormous sums of money.

Roget said the Petrotrin delegation did not bring anything new to yesterday’s talks and the union had told them to go back and talk to those who claimed to have the authority to give direction to the negotiating team. After yesterday’s day long meeting at the Ministry of Labour and Small Enterprise Development, the union delegation and the Petrotrin team headed to the Industrial Court for additional talks with Roget saying that depending on what happened at the court they were supposed to meet back at the Ministry of Labour for further discussions. “We are giving every single opportunity in all of the institutions, both at the ministry and at the court, to see if we can find resolution to these issues.

And at this point we feel that we have given enough, monies that you owe me from six years ago, monies that I have already worked for, I am telling you that I am going to do some productivity bargaining for you to pay me that money and you are still refusing.

Well he wants a strike.” He also questioned the absence from the talks of the acting Minister of Energy, Imbert, who is acting for Franklin Khan, who is ill.

Roget said the union did not need to speak to the Minister of Finance but that the minister responsible for energy ought to have been at the talks because he was the line minister responsible for energy “and if the minister responsible for energy affairs does not have interest in energy affairs as those energy affairs relate to Petrotrin, well then something has to be wrong with that.” He claimed it was a grave error in judgement to give the energy portfolio to the Minister of Finance because he was unable to be objective while dealing with the energy matters and the finance matters because he will be “cutting and contriving in most areas and the whole situation will be compromised.

I think he is totally confused, that fella, Minister of Finance, but that confusion will be compounded tomorrow morning (today) when every single Petrotrin worker walks off his or her job. We commit to that if we didn’t get a settlement.

And, of course, we also commit to telling that story throughout the length and breadth of the country – even in Tobago – we would want to start very, very early, launch our own campaign in Tobago to let the Tobago people know that promises never materialised.

This was strongly articulated as the party launched its campaign in the build up to the Tobago House of Assembly election scheduled to be held on January 23.

The launch saw party supporters turn out despite the inclement weather to listen to the party’s plans for the islands growth and development. Some people danced in the rain as they awaited the start of the launch, delayed by the rain.

Although Market Square,Scarborough, Tobago which saw the party’s political leader and the country’s Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley address the audience.

He said to those gathered that the country had an airline that does serve Tobago. Rowley said he told the newly installed Caribbean Airlines Board-installed on October 14 last year- to change its long standing policies with how it treats with the air bridge and to, “service Tobago at an international level.” Following swiftly on the discussion of the improved air bridge, Rowley-who earlier said that Tobago had a lot of potential to contribute to the larger economy-particularly in the area of Tourism-addressed the entry of Sandals resort into Tobago.

Rowley said he took “personal responsibility” for the Sandals Group looking at Tobago. He added that consultation on the project is set to begin soon. He said that some objectors to the project cited “some hairy crab” being destroyed in Buccoo and that he intended to protect the environment, the Sandals project would co-exist along with the “hairy crab.” The leader of the PNM’s Tobago Council, Kelvin Charles also addressed the improved air bridge between the islands.

Charles described the air bridge as, “an important public good.” He said the air bridge was Tobago’s highway between the islands and Charles added that there was discussion between CAL and the Tobago house of Assembly which led to board of CAL leasing an ATR service to, “take up some of the slack.” Rowley also told the modest crowd he met with official of the National infrastructure Development Company Ltd (NIDCO) to settle the route of Valencia to Toco. He said this development would aid Eastern Trinidad and and Tobago and create trade linkages between Eastern Trinidad and Tobago.

Rowley added he was proud of the outgoing obago party leader Orville London whose tenure he said did not end in scandal.

Lieutenant Commander Kirk Jean-Baptiste, Public Affairs Officer of the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force, said the Army was prepared to protect the assets of the company and to take over the business of Petrotrin.

“This is part of our mandate to protect the assets of the government both on land and maritime,” he said, adding that the army is prepared and equipped to handle any crisis at the Petrotrin base.

The Defence Force will be joining with the Petrotrin Estate Police and the TT Police service to maintain law and order in case of any unrest during the strike.

Already 14 strike camps have been set up at six Petrotrin’s compounds.

The OWTU has served the State-owned Company with notice of strike action, in light of an offer of 0-0-0 made on collective bargaining periods 2011-2014/15 and 2014-2017/18.

Both parties entered a meeting around 10am yesterday, in a last ditch attempt to come to an agreement and avoid strike action on Monday.

The Union has said should an offer of 10 percent be made on the bargaining periods, it will call off the industrial action.

As of yesterday, there was no panic buying by motorists across Trinidad.

Checks at several service station showed the usual traffic and no long lines.

He said this would enable employees to directly deal with the issues of corruption, waste and mismanagement.

Petrotrin employees have threatened to take strike action, expected to last 90 days, from today (Monday) after their demands for a pay increase was not met by Government.

Management at Petrotrin had said they were unable to meet their demands and said it was a 0-0-0 offer on the table.

The OWTU served strike notice to Petrotrin on Wednesday last where the company would have a four-day window in which to respond.

Ramadhar insisted that Petrotrin employees be adequately compensated for what he described as a job with “grave dangers and hardships.” “Any offer of 0-0-0 rightly must be met with indignation by all right thinking men and women. That offeris not without precedent and its signals reasonably that is made in bad faith,” he said.

Ramadhar said if future negotiations were not handled with openess and fairness, the consequences to Trinidad and Tobago would be devastating.

He said it was time that Government held an inquiry into the union and the workers’ claims and concerns.

“The time has come for us to deal with the truth and act on the basis of facts that are provable,” he said.

Ramadhar said any strike action by employees could lead to the shutdown af most facets of economic and social lfe.

“The consequences would be serious as a national ‘heart atttack’.

“Nothing moves,” he said.

Ramadhar said any desperate effort to settle at what could be afforded would be least equally distastrous as every other union and worker would expect the same, if not better.

“We must avoid rash and unsustainable decisions at this time. We must realise that any decision will have an impact on all of us,” Ramadhar said.

A release from Petrotrin is assuring the country’s motorists that there are contingency plans in place if any strike action took place.

It stated that there would be the deployment of its management, senior and otherv staff who were not represented by OWTU to continue its essental operations, and collaoboration with other agencies to insure security and safety of personnel, monitoring and maintenmance of infrastructure and plants, and supply of refined products to the local market.

The metter was set for yesterday which, according to FITUN, if left unresolved, could take the country backwards.

President of FITUN, Joseph Remy, said from all reports so far, it was clear that if the Collective Agreement for 2011-2014 was resolved, then there was a possibility that this present impasse could be resolved.

FITUN believed that the OWTU was well justified in their call for Government to remove the 0-0-0 wage offer for the period 2011-2014 from the table.

Remy said it was during this time that former executive chairman, Lindsay Gillette, award “obscene” salary increases to select senior executives that resulted in them receiving montly pensions of over $90,000.

Remy dismissed Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley’s claim that the matter was awaiting judgement from the Industrial Court.

He said there could be no judgement when talks were at a conciliatory stage.

“It is necessary for the Government to speak the truth and level with the country and stop hiding behind their wrong interpretation of the Industrial Court process,” he said.

Remy said the behaviour of Finance Minister Col Imbert has been called into question when he “disrespected” unions offering 0-0-0.

Remy said despite his “unconditional apology”, it was clear that he had not changed his mind.

“The Prime Minister is ultimatley responsible for the actions of his Government, and by extension, the social and economic stability of the country,” Remy said.

Fr Perreira further condemned the actions of errant police officers who have in the past ‘tarnished the reputation of the police service’, adding that while rogue officers might evade discipline from their superior officers, they can never escape divine judgement.

Following the ceremony, Acting Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams said the TTPS was currently in the final stages of preparing it’s three-year operational plan; key to which would be reducing the frequency of violent crimes, particularly homicides.