N Touch

WASA man plans protest

EMPLOYEE of the Water and Sewerage Authority, Bernard De Freitas, says that he intends to begin a one-man protest in front of WASA’s  St Joseph offices from today, to highlight the grief he feels over the Authority’s handling of his medical situation and employment status within the company.

He is also calling on Public Utilities Minister Lenny Saith to look into the Health and Safety standards at the Authority, especially the problems that are affecting the authority’s process plant operators. In an interview with Newsday yesterday, De Freitas, 37, explained that he suffered major respiratory problems and had to undergo two surgeries and the possibility of another one for damage caused by constant inhalation of chlorine at WASA’s process plant. De Freitas, who has worked with WASA for 14 years, explained that as a process plant operator he is in constant contact with dangerous chemicals, one of which is a powdered form of chlorine called HTH, which has been identified as the cause for large turbinate to develop and block his nasal passage. This has caused De Freitas to develop  serious breathing problems which “cause unsatisfactory oxygen saturation in his blood.” He said that sometimes when he is asleep his breathing stops, since his oxygen level drops when he is asleep. He was sent to a sleep therapist, who advised that another surgery be done to remove the remainder of the nasal blockage. De Freitas explained that the problem first surfaced in 1999, when he realised that he was having breathing problems. He said he visited ENT Specialist Dr Tilluckdharry at the Port-of-Spain ENT Clinic, who informed him that he had nasal blockage and needed surgery to remove it.

Following the surgery in February 2001, a letter was issued advising WASA to relocate him to a chemical-free environment. In May, 2001, De Freitas was advised that another surgery was necessary. About two weeks before the surgery, De Freitas was relocated to the Water Loss Department. However, when he returned to work following his second surgery, he was informed by the department’s manager that he (the manager) did not want any “sick” people working in his department. De Freitas was moved to Maintenance Operations in St Clair, where he was once again thrown into a department to work within close proximity to chemicals. He said that because of his continued health problems, the St Clair area manager wrote a letter to the Authority asking that they move De Freitas and another employee with a similar health problem to a safer environment, but no response was issued by WASA. After waiting about a month for a reply, De Freitas began to protest in front of WASA’s office in St Joseph. In January, 2003, the Human Resource Manager and Deputy General Manager of HR met with him and informed him that the company did not have any vacancies for him to fill, however, they would place him in a temporary position within the company until something permanent came up.

He was also informed that his stay in the department would depend on whether the managers of the departments would accept him there. He was then placed to work in the emergency department, where he is presently employed with no job classification and no assignments being given to him. He explained that he went so far as to obtain a diploma in occupational health and safety from the Cipriani Labour College, which did not assist him in getting a position within the company. He said he is reminded daily by the Emergency Department Manager that he was not wanted there and that there was nothing for him to do there. Asked whether he feared losing his job, De Freitas said, “there isn’t much more for me to do right now. I don’t know how much longer I can go on like this. They are treating me real bad, as though I am nobody, after I have given them 14 years of my life. “WASA is not going to just get up and realise that they are being unfair and start treating me different, I have to get up and do this on my own. I am the one who suffered here, and now they are treating me as though I am the problem.” De Freitas says that he has been drawing strength from his friends and family and especially his two daughters aged eight and one and a half. He said that he will begin his protest today and intends to stay in front of WASA until his situation is dealt with in a professional manner.

Mom fears she could be the next murder victim

Jennifer Oliver lamented these words as she relayed her traumatic experience of domestic violence to Newsday yesterday.

Oliver, 34, mother of seven children, has been abused by a man whom she has been living with for the past year. She claims that a few months after she moved in with him, he began abusing her. “He got angry with me one day and hit me with a concrete block on my hip.” After that incident, she decided to make a report to the police. In December last year, she was granted a restraining order against the man for a period of 12 months. The restraining order, which was issued by a Tunapuna magistrate, stated that the respondent is “prohibited from assaulting, beating or any way using violent language towards the applicant.” The order was however breached when Oliver, who is employed as a live-in maid caring for an elderly person a few blocks away from her assailant’s home, was attacked around 7.30 pm last Thursday at Warata in the Maracas Valley, Maracas.

She said after work that day, she was awaiting a taxi to take her to a friend’s house. “He approached me and asked me what I was doing out there. He beat me all over my body. He kicked me in my head and my ribs. It was so painful,” Oliver related as her eyes swelled with tears.  “He then dragged me from where I was to his home. He took me by my neck and start to choke me then pull out a knife, pressed it into my chest and said that he would kill me. I got so frightened because I thought he was going to kill me. I started to scream.  “Somebody heard the commotion and called the police because they (the police) pulled up the same time. He quickly put the knife in his pocket.” While she related her story, she displayed the many bruises that she sustained during the beating. Her left arm, back, hip and leg were swollen and red. Her rib cage was also injured as she pointed out on the x-ray that she received from a doctor. Oliver went on to explain that the officers did nothing about the incident. She claims that they released him. Meanwhile, Oliver is pleading with women who are in her predicament to come forward. “Most women are ashamed to tell their story for fear of being victimised by others. But the only way that they can get help is to speak out.” There have been many incidents in Trinidad where women who have been battered by men met their ultimate fate: death. The most recent being that of Juliette Victoria Cumming, 41, of Princes Town, whose throat was slit by a man against whom she had taken out a protection order three months before her death.

Queen Elizabeth sends best wishes

On the 41st Anniversary of our nation’s Independence, Queen Elizabeth II, has extended good wishes to President George Maxwell Richards and the people of TT.

In a message conveyed to the British High Commission, Queen Elizabeth II stated “On the occasion of your national day, I have the pleasure in sending Your Excellency and the people of the Republic of TT my best wishes for the prosperity and happiness of the people of the Republic of TT.” In conveying the message, the staff of the British Commission also added their good wishes on this occasion.

Prestige vs The Rest

THE EXCELLENT performance of Trinidad and Tobago students in this year’s Cambridge General Certificate of Education A level examinations is cause for genuine pride and delight. The fact that 36 of our students have placed from first to tenth on the GCE World Rank Order in a number of subjects is truly refreshing news. It proves, once again, that our education system is good enough to produce top-class scholars and that our little country has young people with the discipline and ability to compete academically with the best in the world. Most impressively, six of our outstanding students have placed first in the world rank in different subject areas. Our congratulations go out to all of them.

Having welcomed their success, however, we are compelled again to make a crucial point, one that must  be concern to the people who plan and direct the structure and course of our education system. A simple review of the GCE A level results presents the glaring fact that all the successful students come from what we have grown accustomed to calling “the prestige schools.” Alexander Paddington, a Fatima student, tied for first place in physics. Crystal Lee Lum of St Joseph’s Convent PoS attained first place in Geography. Seven students of the same school achieved top places in Biology, French, Geography, Economics, History, English Literature and Sociology. Kabita Sookool of St Augustine Girls tied for first place in Chemistry and placed tenth in Biology, while three of her sister students made high grades. Kevin Singh of Naparima College placed first in the world in Accounting and tied for third place in Mathematics. Sharon Khan of Naparima Girls’ High School gained first place in Chemistry while Videsh Seereram of Presentation College, Chaguanas, tied for first place in Physics and placed fifth in Further Math.

We may well say that these results should come as no surprise since they simply repeat the pattern established by these examinations over the years. And there is the legitimate argument that these “prestige schools” attract the brightest students who, having done well in the former Common Entrance now SEA examinations, choose them as their first choice. But the question is, should we be satisfied or complacent about this status quo? Why is the performance of the State-run senior comprehensive schools so dismally poor with respect to academic achievement? Why can’t any of them produce excellent students or scholarship winners on any consistent basis? We refuse to believe that there is such a sharp dividing line that only the country’s bright children go to the “prestige schools” while the mass of non-achievers are absorbed into the non-denominational schools. The system being what it is, we expect the “prestige schools” to do better, to produce the lion’s share of the country’s scholars, but certainly not to the entire exclusion of other secondary schools on a consistent basis.

We do not believe that it is good enough for the Government simply to say, well we are doing our best providing free secondary education for all of the nation’s children, and be satisfied with the relatively poor results of the schools they operate. Something, in our view, is wrong here and we believe, in the interest of all our children, a thorough study should be made to determine all the reasons for the disturbing dichotomy in performance between the “prestige” and government schools. Is it due to inadequate teaching, an inability to inspire, an acceptance of being second class, what is it? We must find out if we want to lift the quality of these schools to a higher standard.

‘Welcome to Donkey City’


As Chalkie once sang “Yuh cyar beat a Trinidadian” … and in this neck of the woods you’ve simply got to learn to laugh or you’re liable to go stark, staring, raving mad and you might as well join any one of the political parties — real or imaginary — where your “normality” would hardly be questioned. In what other country would, given the existence of a curfew, the priority become the organising of as many “curfew parties” as possible? OK, OK, we’re a happy-go-lucky, fete-loving lot, but how do you explain taking to the streets in a seemingly “last lap” jump up in the face of a public warning that we’re virtually hours from an imminent direct hurricane hit?

It’s no wonder that calypsonian Duke lamented that, “We’re not a serious people at all.” Calypsonian Maestro, addressing “Mr Trinidadian,” claimed that, “our sense of reasoning goes and comes” — mostly goes, I might add, and Maestro continues, “We come like de ass in de lion’s skin.” I suppose only a calypsonian can get away with such public derision — and we laughing. We appear to be past masters at lampooning ourselves and find an outlet for this talent in our ol’ mas’ bands. However our talent for assuming other personalities, even animal personae, can, on occasion, come in handy. I once heard a story (for whose veracity, I cannot vouch) that a Trini, during the days of the great depression in England, fell on hard times and accepted employment in a circus “playing lion” since the owner could not afford the full complement of lions. So Mr “part-time lion” rose to the occasion, as only a Trini can, as he roared, pranced and pawed the air as if “he was to the manner born.”

As they say, “bad luck take he,” because at the end of the show the part-time lions and the true-true lions were, inadvertently placed in the same holding bays. Our “local lion” almost gave up the ghost when he was accosted by another lion. How he must have found out, the hard way, what “an ass in a lion’s skin” felt like, until he discovered that he wasn’t the only Trini in a lion’s skin. Incidentally, this “ass-in-a-lion’s skin” role has been replicated on the political scene far more often than we’re prepared to admit. To change the topic, somewhat slightly, “When last did you see a donkey or hear an ass bray? “Don’t answer, don’t answer it’s not what you’re thinking of, although I’m aware that our politicians consider each other as donkeys.” To return to the serious side of my question. I once read a report that there are about three dozen or so donkeys in the entire twin-island state of Trinidad and Tobago. Where are they? Well your guess is as good as mine. Now there are two points we ought to be clear on. The first is that specific studies have shown that contrary to popular perception, the donkey is quite an intelligent animal. Secondly, not every donkey is an ass and not every ass is a donkey.

Due to the volcanic eruption in a smaller island up North, two dozen or so donkeys had to be evacuated. I believe that they ended in Grenada. My own view is that Grenada’s gain has been our loss. Can you imagine the sort of welcome they could have received at our wharves with banners reading, “Welcome to Donkey City.” Accommodation shouldn’t be that difficult to arrange. For a start, we could place them above the Red House, in place of the dragon or dove, so that one can achieve an intellectual if not biological balance. If you think that I’m skating on thin ice here, I might point out that a certain parliamentarian once fumed, “I’m no tadpole” and threatened to return to parliament, after the general election, as “the great white shark.” Political sardines, please take note. So if, gentle reader, at some future date you happen to observe the “Mighty Sharkie” (shall we say?) cavorting somewhere at sea, with “true-true sharks,” let not your heart be troubled, as the good book said, it’s only a “would-be shark” attempting to resolve an identity problem — and, at the very worst, ending up as the “great white shark,” destined to eat the political sardines, raw! The risk of being eaten by an aquatic shark would, I expect, be minimal, as even real sharks may find it difficult “to stomach politicians.”

Incidentally, there was a Tobagonian who successfully wrestled (literally) sharks for a living, and the entertainment of tourists. Ironically, he met his death, while eating, when a fish bone stuck in his throat. I’m not sure, but I believe his name was Anthony. I was a bit taken aback when the “great white shark” was introduced by his then Prime Minister, Basdeo Panday as “an old warhorse.” Like his boss, the fellow appears to have a dual identity problem or experiencing a multiple identity crisis. If I’ve laboured the point of “horses and donkeys in parliament” a bit too much, it’s Basdeo Panday to blame, because he’s the man who stated categorically that, there are “horses” on his side of the House and donkeys on the opposite side. He subsequently discovered that he not only had some donkeys but what he called “jackasses” as well on his own side of the “stable.” I wouldn’t be inclined to make a big deal of Mr Panday’s “observation” that there are “donkeys” in our parliament. After all, he should know, having been a member of parliament for “donkey years.” Having a donkey in parliament (or an additional donkey, if you accept Panday’s thesis) should present no insuperable problem. Braying is braying in any language. The “equal opportunity act” should ensure that any “Trini to the bone” should not be able to lord it over any “Donkey to the stone.” Where are our constitutional lawyers in all this?

We shall all do stupid things

THE EDITOR: I support Ken Gordon’s call for full compliance with our laws, big and small. But we hope we won’t have to sing the song, “How long will it last?” We all have pet irritations; taxi drivers blocking traffic for the convenience of a passenger (I try to be tolerant and say they are hustling a bread. It doesn’t hold water!); a vehicle parked on the wrong side of the road and causing an unbelievable jam. And of course, this is not a Taliban state — police must deal courteously with citizens as in a civilised society. But I agree with COP Snaggs; everybody must have the Gordon philosophy. On Maloney’s boulevard I was shocked to see a low, cement-plastered vendor’s booth some fifteen feet long grabbing the full width of the pavement. (It may become an architectural icon, a model for others). On Cameron Road in Petit Valley a similar but longer structure cozies up against the asphalt edge of the road.

In Guayaguayare, near the RC Church, in sandy terrain, a sixty-degree cutting was made in a ridge about fifty feet high. A house stood at the top near the edge. I wonder how long it will survive. But big money also plays in this game; reports are too numerous of buildings and development plans bypassing Town and Country Planning Division and other relevant authorities. Contracts are laws. The most common is about wages. On the one hand, greed, power, high unemployment and inadequate Government supervision drive many employers to underpay workers, provide unsatisfactory work conditions, neglect NIS contributions and seize or coerce benefits alien to the labour contract. (Government needs to devise some assistance for aged and ailing retirees who really cannot pay the minimum wage for help they absolutely need). Workers, too, commit crimes. Many convert their eight-hour day’s work to URP two hours; treat customers with contempt; are inefficient, show little desire to improve and even sharpen their stealing skills. But the primary human contract dates way back to the first man; protect and honour your ‘woman’ and protect and ‘mind’ your children. As people said earlier to the man who didn’t, “You ain’t man; you is manicou.”

Growing up, children observe and take things to their ‘logical conclusion’ then stretch them beyond what adults thought possible. The result: explosion in youth crime and other youth misbehaviour — even though we do have exemplary employers and workers and model youth. As human beings, we shall all do stupid things as long as we live — but some want to crucify children for that failing. However, crime is another matter; for the sake of our own present comfort and our children’s future happiness we must live wholesome values, obey our laws and help our children do the same. In short, we must have respect and concern for others. As the song says, “Share love.” And joy of joys: with law enforcement, dogs and owners will be saved from the hell of explosives in built-up areas and enjoy the heaven of peaceful New Year celebration.

VAN STEWART
Diego Martin

This man needs counselling not jail

THE EDITOR: I am a tourist here in your beautiful island and have never written a letter to the editor before, but this warrants it. I have a Masters Degree in Sociology and worked as a counsellor in a maximum security prison in Illinois. To put a gardener in prison for two years for having sex with an under-age, non-consenting black and white Holstein cow is a terrible thing to do. A poor, old horny gardener will now learn a good trade in something like drug running and be able to make lots of money and have all the women he wants when he gets out until he possibly kills somebody. That is not justice. Send the guy to counselling but not prison. Where is the crime? It surely is not uncommon for people on farms to have sex with sheep or goats; cows are a bit on the large side. I don’t say I approve of it but it happens.

I spent much of my time as a prison counsellor trying to keep people like the gardener from being killed or raped. Our poor gardener will probably get more sex than he ever dreamed of but he will be on the unwilling, receiving end. He may very likely end up with AIDS. This is a tragedy. Also, to kill the cow because it was “distressed” seems absurd. Living on a farm for several years I know that cows are artificially inseminated, which involves locking the cow in a tight cage then inserting a device into her. Not unlike the gardener. The cows don’t seem any worse for wear in this situation. The Judge also said, “you can get a woman for a box of fried chicken.” Does this mean prostitution is okay here? Both acts are crimes. To have women that need to resort to selling their bodies because of the breakdown in society, the economy or a poor educational system is no excuse. Does she want to lie down with a smelly gardener or other men who may physically harm her and definitely emotionally harm her? I doubt it. Let the guy out and tell him it was a bad thing that he did.

LON THOMPSON
Port-of-Spain

Our children lack guidance

THE EDITOR: We need to start some way of dealing with the social problems plaguing this country. Our children are lacking guidance and moral values and as a result they are being led into a life of crime and immorality. They no longer have a parent caring for them. Their mothers now work because the fathers don’t provide, willing or not, the fathers don’t provide or don’t provide sufficiently. The children are left in the care of aging grandparents, neighbours or other unsuitable persons where they are exposed to the unthinkable. In my neighbourhood there’s a woman who charges to keep children and has her boyfriend visiting at all hours. She is married. Do the parents know? Do they care?

My friend complained to me recently that her husband was having an affair and that the woman had her teenage daughter calling the house at all hours for him. What are you telling your children, especially your girl children? That it is ok to pick up any man, it does not matter if he is married? Then in fact you are saying marriage is not a sacred institution. We can do it today and scrap it tomorrow? We need to start protecting our children and not complain when they engage in sex at an early age. We need to prepare them for the future, let them know — you reap what you sow. Let them know you can lead a decent life and that I, the one who loves him/her will show the way.

FEROZE KHAN
Curepe

Two to battle for WICB president

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua:  The West Indies Cricket Board yesterday announced two candidates for the presidency of the regional body. Both retired banker Teddy Griffith, 60, of Barbados, and Antiguan businessman Clarvis Joseph, 67, had received the necessary two nominations by Saturday night’s deadline, the Board said. The West Indies Board will elect a new leader on September 30 in Antigua to replace Rev Wes Hall, who resigned for health reasons last month. Joseph, who received his first nomination from Jamaica, had served as the board’s vice-president until he quit two years ago along with then president Pat Rousseau after the directors overturned their decision to dismiss team manager Ricky Skerritt.

He has also served in administrative positions for both the Antigua and Leeward Islands cricket boards. Griffith, put forth by Barbados, played 25 first-class matches for Barbados and Jamaica during his 1954-1967 career. Currently he heads the West Indies Board’s marketing committee. The Board did not say which countries seconded the nominations. The West Indies Cricket Board represents Caribbean countries including Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Leeward Islands, Windward Islands and Trinidad and Tobago.     

Jabloteh extinguish Fire 3-1

A WORKMAN-LIKE performance by CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh gave the T&T Pro League leaders full points against Arima Fire at the Larry Gomes Stadium, Malabar, Arima, yesterday. The unbeaten Jabloteh scored their 12th win of the season, beating Fire 3-1 and now hold an eight-point advantage over W Connection, who crushed South West Institute of Football (SWIF) 6-2 at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva. Otis Seaton failed to give Jabloteh the lead in the 12th, blasting his penalty wide after referee Austin Perelion adjudged a handled ball by Fire defender Anthony Haynes.

Against the run of play, Fire would draw first blood in the 16th when Akiel Guevara sent striker Ashford Legerton clear, and with national Under-23 defenders Ronald Primus and Nigel Daniel flatfooted, calmly slotted home past Jabloteh goalkeeper Kelvin Jack. Fire held the lead until the 36th minute, when a left-side centre from Daniel was misjudged by Fire goalie Peter Ramon-Fortune leaving an unmarked Fabien Garcia to tap home into the open net. Seaton was again off-target when a Garcia pass was struck overbar in the 40th, while a minute later, Cornell Glen evaded Ramon-Fortune but rifled his drive against the crossbar. Jabloteh were not going to be denied though, and victory was secured with an own goal in the 53rd and a rare item from Travis Mulraine in the 87th.

A Garcia pass was collected by Seaton on the right who dribbled past Nathaniel Charles and sent a low drive to Glen who mis-kicked his shot on goal but Dave Charles in an attempted clearance knocked the ball into his own net. And, with Fire showing no initiative in attack, a long ball from Primus was collected in the box by a lurking Mulraine who muscled past two defenders and powered his right footer home. At Couva, a 10th minute strike from SWIF midfielder Brent Hudson cancelled out Connection’s opener from Gefferson Goulart in the fifth. But Connection restored their lead at the halftime interval with goals from Earl Jean, in the 35th, and Arnold Dwarika seven minutes later. SWIF were unable to find any sort of rhythm in the second half, with Connection securing full points following strikes from Goulart in the 70th and national Under-23 captain Silvio Spann in the 77th. Bevon Lewis reduced the deficit to 5-2 when he scored in the 80th but Spann’s second in injury time was a fitting end to a commanding Connection display.
Under-20 Results: JABLO-TEH (5) – Ijanna Mark 2, Ricardo Bennett 2, Jerol Forbes 1 vs FIRE (0); W CONNECTION (5) – Jason Marcano 2, Kyle Cupid, Arnold Ferguson, Brenton De Leon vs SWIF (0).