A group of residents staged a protest at Petit Morne estate near Ste Madeleine, last week, to highlight the stopping of payment by the National Infrastructure Development Company (NIDCO) of their rent. Approximately 500 residents are the remaining group who have not been fully compensated or relocated as a result of the highway construction. They were supposed to be relocated to plots of land in Petit Morne but due to the delay in providing infrastructure such as water and electricity, the residents were forced to rent apartments when the previous People’s Partnership ordered them to leave their homes that were on the fringes along the highway route .

The residents are from Oropouche, Debe, Penal and Rousillac .

The highway runs through those communities and work has stopped at the Grants Road, Rousillac intersection. Several residents who once resided along the route have been compensated financially or have been given plots of land equipped with water, electricity and telephone .

Last week, president of the Debe- to-Point Fortin Highway Action Committee, Edward Moodie, led about 50 residents in a placard demonstration at the entrance of the Petit Morne settlement. He said while several residents who once lived on the highway route were either relocated or compensated, there were approximately 500 affected residents who were told to relocate .

Moodie said those residents were informed by NIDCO to rent apartments while plots were sourced for them. And, he added, NIDCO has been paying their respective rents but recently they were informed by letter that NIDCO could no longer meet those obligations. Moodie said the plots which were allocated in Petit Morne for those 500 residents, are without basic infrastructure such as water and residents .

The residents, among them women, gathered with their placards and shouted slogans calling on NIDCO to pay their rent .

Moodie said, “We are concerned that NIDCO has stopped paying the rents for these residents who are now forking out money out of their pockets. NIDCO have told them that they will repay them after their plots are prepared. But these are poor residents who cannot foot the $5,000 rent.” Moodie said the demonstration would continue this week. NIDCO officials could not be reached for comment .

As Jesekiah ate a sandwich, he seemed unaware of their fate and that of the neighbours whose homes were razed by a fire set off on Boxing Day when a lit candle he held to pray for his father, who is in prison, fell out of his tiny hands.

Two houses were burnt flat rendering 28 people homeless, including the boy’s family.

Since Monday, the families have been sleeping in the covered area of the nearby basketball court and at the homes of friends.

Jesekiah suffers from autism which inhibits his mental and physical abilities. He sat under a Tamarind tree yesterday outside the ruins of his home, along with neighbours surveying where they once lived. Others distributed meals to children and elderly people.

In their conversations about the tragedy that has befallen them, no one spoke ill of the boy. His mother, Kay Greene, 35, fed her son the sandwich and as she did so, she said she has not spoken to him about the fire.

“He would not understand what happened. I who lit the candle and was praying for his (Jesekiah’s) father who is in prison. I leave the candle on the shelf and Jesekiah pick up the candle and followed me to pray for his father. The candle fall off his hand and the next thing I know, the bed was on fire,” Greene said.

The fire spread to neighbouring apartments and men, women and children scampered out of their homes. By the time fire appliances arrived, seven apartments were gutted. The affected families are: Leon Grant, Gerald Grant, Kay Greene, Peggy Alleyne, Natalie Williams, Agnis Tannis and Patrick Williams.

Natalie, a 34-year-old mother of two, said she was grateful there was no loss of life. Natalie is the sister of Greene and Jesekiah’s aunt.

She recalled the horror when people began to scream as the wind blew the flames from door to door.

It was at about 10 am on Monday, when her grandmother Agnes Tannis, 83, called on the family members to gather under the tamarind tree for a traditional Boxing Day meal. Natalie said, “This is a tradition with granny and we all heed her call. We were outside the apartments when Kalina (Attong, a relative) shouted ‘fire! fire! Everybody left what they were doing under the tree and run into their apartment and grab their children.

We lost everything.” Natalie spoke about Jesekiah whom she said always seemed to be in a posture as if he is praying The woman, who lived in the apartment next to her sister, said, “His mother would hold the candle and pray everyday and Jesekiah will follow suit. It seems that he could not control the candle and it fell on the bed and caught a fire.

His 11-month-old brother, Israel, was asleep on the bed but luckily, he was rescued in time.” Natalie said when her apartment became engulfed in flames, she ran into the living room to pick up her television set, but, spotted her son Asa, six, in the thick smoke. She dropped the television and grabbed her son. Her sister, Greene, was only able to salvage a few family photos.

San Fernando Mayor Junia Regrello visited the residents who sat under trees and had their meals which were supplied by the San Fernando City Corporation. He also delivered to them mattresses and clothing. Regrello said, “It is unfortunate that these families have to endure such hardship at a time when everyone is enjoying the Christmas season.” The fact they had settled at the basketball court, he added, is a bit of relief. The mayor said he has since contacted business owners for donations of building materials towards restoring their homes as soon as possible.

The Trinidad and Tobago Fire Service is advising business owners to secure their businesses as there has been an “unusual” increase in arson.

Speaking with Newsday yesterday, Deputy Chief Fire Officer Kenny Gopaul said in the last month fire officers have responded to six incidents of “non-accidental fires”.

These occurred in San Juan, San Fernando and Princes Town.

“We are finding incendiary devices and forced openings in these businesses. There is a definite prevalence right now and it is highly unusual.

Business owners should take additional precautionary measures, install more cameras, have security patrols. They should also liaise with the police and fire services,” he said.

Gopaul also had words of advice for citizens during this holiday period.

Dozens of people are now homeless as fires destroyed homes in several parts of the country.

He said people should not leave naked flames unattended as well as minors who may be near to fire. He also advised people using fireworks to be careful. “They should supervise minors who are using fireworks or who participate in bamboo bursting.

We warn people about doing these things but we can’t stop them, they need to be careful,” he said.

Gopaul noted there were regulations that governed the use of fireworks.

“These activities should be done in open areas. We get a lot of calls during the holiday period about people being damaged severely through fireworks and other pyrotechnics.

So take precaution, people should seek the advice of the fire service.

Former Prime Minister Patrick Manning passed away. The firing of Marlene Mc- Donald as a Cabinet minister.

These are some of the political stories which were in the spotlight in 2016.

Newsday looks back at the political stories of 2016 which remain in the spotlight going into 2017.

I don’t have cancer Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, at a post-Cabinet news conference at the Office of the Prime Minister in St Clair, declared he does not have prostate cancer nor any ailment that is likely to affect his job performance, but otherwise he regards his medical records as confidential.

“I’m pleased to announce that my doctors have pronounced me to be in good health,” he said. “I have no ailment or symptoms that can prevent me conducting my duties.” His disclosure came as he sought to dismiss speculation arising out of a visit to California, USA for a medical check-up.

He said for decades he has practised a “normal arrangement” of vacations and health checksups, cognisant of the high-rate of prostate cancer among men in this country, especially those of African descent.

An initial Prostate- Specific Antigen (PSA) blood-test for prostate cancer done in TT had revealed “something of interest” to his local doctors, which led him to go to California for further tests, which had ruled out prostate cancer.

He hit those commentators who had pronounced on his condition even before the US test results were known. Rowley at length urged TT men not to be too “macho” to do a prostate exam.

There were also health concerns for other government ministers in 2016. Energy Minister Franklin Khan fell ill in Thailand where he and his wife Laura are on vacation in December.

Reassurances about Khan’s health were given by Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) Stuart Young at the final post-Cabinet news conference for 2016 at the OPM in St Clair, Port-of-Spain. Declaring that certain media reports which claimed Khan suffered a heart attack were incorrect, Young explained, “It is a complication to do with his heart and brought on by a viral infection.” Young said Khan was receiving quality medical care and would return home as soon as he was able to travel.

Earlier in the year, Khan underwent some non-invasive medical procedures to deal with some heart-related issues.Finance Minister Colm Imbert underwent surgery earlier this year at the St Clair Medical Centre to remove an inflamed gall bladder. Trade and Industry Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon had an emergency appendectomy.

We are family Photos from an Emancipation Dinner at the Diplomatic Centre in St Ann’s in August introduced the public to Rowley’s second son and his fourth child, Christopher Barthol.

Prior to that photo, the public knew about Rowley’s daughters Tonya and Sonelle (from his marriage to his wife Sharon) and his son Garth from a previous relationship.

Asked at a post-Cabinet briefing, how big his family is, and how many sons he has, Rowley replied, “Two (sons)”. Asked if he has any more daughters that the country may be introduced to at some time (in addition to Tonya and Sonnelle Rowley), a smiling Rowley replied, “Well, you never know.” All present giggled. “No. Interestingly enough, again, that too is an area of interest to people. I’ve had a long life before I came into public life. I had two children before I was married and then I had two after I was married. The second two were born after I came into public life.” Rowley came into public life in 1986 and his first daughter was born a year later.

The nation was plunged into mourning on July 2, when former Prime Minister Patrick Manning died. Manning died at about 8.15 am at the San Fernando General Hospital after battling Acute Myeloid Leukaemia.

A post on his Facebook page said, ““Former Prime Minister Manning was surrounded by his family and loved ones. The Manning family would like to thank everyone for their prayers, love and support during this trying time. Funeral arrangements will be announced in due course.” Manning was admitted to hospital on June 27 for an “aberration in his blood count”. Manning’s wife, Hazel disclosed via his Facebook page that he was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia and was being prepared to undergo treatment.

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley told the population on June 9 to pray for Manning. As he concluded his address at the opening of the Education Tower on St Vincent Street, Port-of-Spain, Rowley said, “I want to recognise former Prime Minister Patrick Manning, who at this moment, is not doing as well as he would like.” The Prime Minister continued, “I would like you…in your thoughts and in your prayers…

to keep him in mind…because this is part of his vision…for the city of Port-of-Spain.

An official funeral for Manning took place at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Port-of-Spain on July 9, after his body lay in state at the National Academy for the Performing Arts in Port-of-Spain and San Fernando. At the funeral, Manning’s son Brian hailed his father as his hero.

Brian also asked that his father be honoured either with the reformation of the Divine Echoes Orchestra (formed under Manning when he was prime minister) or a fund for low cost housing through the International Financial Centre.

Government and Manning’s family continued discussions about how to honour him but no decision has been made to date. An offer for Manning to be awarded the Order of the Republic of TT posthumously, was declined by his family.

On March 17, Portof- Spain South Member of Parliament Marlene McDonald was fired as Minister of Housing by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley during a meeting at 6.30 pm, at the Office of the Prime Minister in St Clair.

A press release, stated: “Please be informed that His Excellency Anthony Thomas Aquinas Carmona, acting in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister under subsection (3) of section 76, subsection (1)of section 79, subsection (9) of section 3 and subsection (3) (c) of section 77 of the Constitution of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago has revoked the appointment of Ms Marlene McDonald as Minister of Housing and Urban Development.

“The Prime Minister has also advised His Excellency on the following: to reassign Mr Randall Mitchell from Minister with responsibility for Public Administration to Minister with responsibility for Housing and Urban Development; to reassign Mr Maxie Cuffie from Minister with responsibility for Communication to Minister with responsibility for Public Administration and Communication and; to assign Mr Stuart Young as Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister.

McDonald’s firing from the Cabinet followed media revelations earlier she had employed her common-law husband Michael Carew in her Port-of- Spain South Constituency office.

A report from Fixin T&T head Kirk Waithe stated he received information from Parliament which showed that Carew and a director of the Calabar Foundation were employed at Mc- Donald’s Port-of- Spain South constituency office for five years, while Carew’s brother Lennox Carew still worked at the MP’s office.

Michael, who worked at the office from June 1, 2010 to September 7, 2015, had earned the second highest salary of $13,400 on the constituency payroll for the full parliamentary term while Lennox began working in the office on March 1, 2011 and has been in receipt of the highest salary of $14,000 out of 13 people working in the office.

Rowley in an interview said he could not ignore these new revelations which had surfaced in the media. (Focus continues in tomorrow’s Newsday.)

Perhaps callously disregarding the serious effects of crime or being disconnected from its effects, siloed beneficiaries of 24-hour security details.

When one considers killing of Akiel Chambers, Keyana Cumberbatch, Asami Nagakiya and most recently Shannon Banfield and the numerous other morbid and terrifying stories that have littered the press over the years, it is clear that women and children are under siege from various predators.

While crime continues to spiral out of control, successive governments continue to use misfits to fill the position of Minister of National Security, failing to acknowledge the fluid, dynamic and evolving nature of crime; failing to see that it is not limited to gun and gang violence requiring a full frontal approach, but requiring a broad set of skills and collaboration, and overlooking the need for major social intervention, community policing, and profiling.

Only crazy people do the same things over and over again in anticipation of a varied outcome.

As a result, they keep coming up short, forever missing the bits that are important and focusing on items outside of their remit.

Strange that our Minister of National Security could find himself walking through Matelot and Grand Riviere, never once considering a walk to IAM on Charlotte Street, Port-of-Spain, mere blocks away from his Knox Street office.

Go figure.

Neal De Mills Barataria

But in quantifying the current and future costs of FATCA (Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act of the US) compliance, one must go beyond the costs to be incurred by individuals, companies, local banks and other financial institutions and the potential loss of their billion-dollar profit margins .

We must also factor in the huge losses/blemishes that the diplomatic and international image, as well as the Exchequer/economy/ investment climate of the country TT , will suffer .

What loss of value can we place on the regressive diminution of our sovereignty, political independence and the independent functioning of our parliamentary democracy by the use of duress, reprisals, threats, interference in our internal affairs etc? Are we still living in a globalised village, borderless world based on mutual respect and interdependence of nation-states? The current debate seems to be revolving exclusively on the axis of blind, pro-country FATCA loyalists versus partisan Opposition- based politics .

Many are claiming conveniently to putting country first by their indiscriminate short-sighted definition of the imbroglio and support, most notable of which is the Bankers Association .

The media, reinforced and fed by the People’s National Movement (PNM) propaganda machinery, are promoting the view that the PNM Government has developed a patriotic stand. It has the ultimate and exclusive responsibility to achieve passage of the Bill with the requisite threefifths (26) majority. Hitherto it has failed to mobilise Opposition support by influencing it positively .

The fault for this FATCA fracas lies exclusively with the PNM and it alone. It is the Government according to the late Makandal Daaga .

The PNM has been conducting itself in a most impetuous, politically partisan, irresponsible and adversarial manner, using Parliament to derive cheap political mileage by discrediting the Opposition at every turn. It even reneged on its joint select committee agreement .

That is not the strategy that will compel and evoke the support of the Opposition — a sine qua non to the passage of the FATCA 2016 Bill. Bad mouthing the Opposition is counter-productive to the PNM’s legislative agenda on Constitution-amending bills. It has to stop this fruitless impulsive tirade/jihad Faris et al .

Although the PNM dominates the corridors of power, the electorate has imposed limits on the legislative reach/power of the Government. This the political neophytes cannot appreciate being bogged down by the old immature politics of confrontation and disrespect .

Three mainstream media editorials have zeroed in on this .

They have criticised the PNM for its wanton persistent display of garrulous political immaturity .

So far all that the PNM regime has been doing for 15 months is piggy-backing on the legislative legacy left by the PP (Bail, Gambling, SSA, FATCA Bills). It has been complaining about lack of automatic support from the Opposition while conducting itself in a confrontational, almost bulldozing modus operandi. That is not the road map for good effective governance, Prime Minister .

STEPHEN KANGAL Caroni

Recently I geared up myself to watch the live stream and listen on radio to a Christmas programme called Carols at Sunset, due to start at 6 pm. At about 6.10 pm the studio presenter announced that because of “traffic” the show would get going in about five minutes. Well that five minutes turned out to be about 20 minutes.

The acting CEO of CNMG, Wendell Constantine, welcomed all and gave out greetings. And then came the presenter whose appearance left much to be desired.

His pants could have been sent to a laundry for a good pressing.

Carols at Sunset certainly implies choirs and groups singing traditional Christmas carols but what we saw and heard instead was a mixture of Christmas songs with a sprinkling of Christmas carols and that was when the “live” stream was up and running.

One would have thought that Constantine, who is no newcomer to performances, would have known the difference between Christmas carols and Christmas songs.

C Peters via email

But I live here and cannot claim exemption from the taint of this moral aberration as much as anyone else, being part of the society, and could even become its victim as in the instances above, much as so many others have in their dayto- day living.

The practice of bombing supermarkets to profit from that action continues on apace and the headline in a daily newspaper screams, “Elderly woman, 84, abducted, robbed and thrown out of a car”.

I have chosen these two instances, for the first reflects a pattern of behaviour totally out of sync with civilized behaviour and in the other, “age” cries out for compassion from even the most brutal of criminals.

The question to ask is where do we go from here faced with this level of moral degeneracy.

One ray of hope is that we have the chance to say “thank God” when the day is done and we are able to live to see another.

But Shannon Banfield did not nor did Sean Thomas on Queen Street and maybe when we least expect it our turn will come like with the four criminals waiting for the Transport Commissioner on Thursday night. Good Lord, he is the commissioner, a symbol of the law supreme, about whom the average criminal should think twice.

But criminality has reached the nadir in the mind set, so that commissioner or no commissioner, high or low, rich or poor, you are just someone to be preyed upon — humanity preying upon itself “as monsters of the deep” (King Lear).

But it’s not here alone. It seems it’s the way in the world for there seems no restraint about bombing hospitals in Aleppo or Yemen, or fire-bombing buses with escaping refuges from Aleppo or maiming and dismembering the children.

What is happening in TT is a symptom of that disease and unless the mind experiences a psychological reversal through education to counter this reversion to the worst in us, not even the Christ child can save us Dr Errol Benjamin ebenjamin522@ hotmail.com

Cuffie’s earlier communication suggested that Cabinet had ignored QRC’s claim and had approved the allocation to the police, whereas it was merely a temporary accommodation.

This would-be folly was aggravated and compounded by Minister of Education Anthony Garcia adopting a hands off position — “it’s not in my hands” — while not appreciating his role and function as Education Minister to advocate on QRC’s behalf. Both Ministers Cuffie and Garcia could benefit from a weekend retreat to sharpen their ministerial wits.

Michael J Williams via email

Those who are poor and can barely scrape a meal because of the VAT imposed on basic food items will look forward to the leftover meals to be distributed in boxes on Boxing Day.

Merry Christmas!

Imaam Iqubal Hydal Felicity

In an end of year message, Jupiter observed the company’s 2015- 2016 annual budget had been developed and approved against stringent cost-cutting directives with the focus on “lean and efficient operations” where manpower and overtime costs were reduced during that period.

He noted manpower expenses had been reduced by TT$132 million while overtime expenses were cut by TT$5 million. The overall operating expenditure for the 2015-16 period was reduced by TT$500 million with a further reduction of TT$500 million in capital expenditure.

The chairman stated in a release, “In 2017, Petrotrin will continue to build upon the foundation established in the previous fiscal period. The company will continue to adjust its operations in response to the market outlook and will pursue opportunities to reduce operating expenses by another US$500 million (TT$3.2 billion).” There would be an increased focus on asset integrity improvements and enhanced safety performance throughout the company’s operations, Jupiter said, while exploratory drilling is expected to continue on the company’s acreage while making use of seismic data. The completion of the Ultra- Low Sulphur Diesel Plant, a key component of the refinery upgrade, was also a top priority as it was expected to increase revenue in the downstream industry, the chairman stated.

Jupiter stated, “As the chairman of the board of directors, we give our commitment in 2015, and, we repeat that commitment in 2016 to support the continued development of this business, the bedrock of the oil industry in Trinidad and Tobago. We give our commitment also to continue in the spirit of transparency and accountability, working closely with all stakeholders in the interest of strengthening and sustaining our company for future generations.”