Lines of motor vehicles stretched from overcrowded gas stations onto the streets all over the country yesterday after drivers heard of a possible strike by workers of the National Petroleum Marketing Company Limited (NP). Reports regarding the impending shutdown of Quik Shoppe operations, among other things, were yesterday refuted by NP. According to NP, its board of directors simply ordered the management to review various models used by the company in order to maximise revenue from convenience stores.

The company made it clear that it will not cease convenience store operations. NP sought to quell the fears of workers, saying that permanent employees will not be released, neither will there be a reduction in the number of employees needed to operate the stations. According to security guards attached to NP House, Sea Lots, there were small protests during the past three days. NP gave assurance that contradictory to rumour, an adequate supply of products and services will be delivered to all clients.

At least 14 members of the Defence Force fainted while performing drill in front of President George Maxwell Richards in the Ceremonial Parade for the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces on its 41st Anniversary at Teteron Barracks on Thursday. During the parade, from 4.30 pm to 6.30 pm, soldiers and coast guardsmen were seen either collapsing or kneeling down on one knee to pre-empt collapse. A medical squad on standby was kept busy, rushing onto the parade ground to ferry off squadies who were either placed on a stretcher or were aided to walk off.

On a few ocassions, two and even three servicemen were seen fainting at the same time. During the prayer session, delivered by no less than six different holymen — Orisa, Muslim, Hindu, Christian, Bahai and the Defense Force Chaplain — some nine servicemen fainted. Interestingly, of all who collapsed only one was a woman, a member of the Coast Guard, who swayed and had to be walked off the parade ground. Ironically all this fainting was happening while Brigadier Ancil Antoine was wishing good health to President Richards and was advocating the reform of the military health-care system. The Newsday photographer was asked to leave the event by Defence Force personnel, for having photographed the faintings.

The Defence Force is looking to China and elsewhere for military aid to compensate for the loss of military grants which the United States withdrew because of this country’s refusal to exclude US military personnel from prosecution by the International Criminal Court. So said Chief of Defence Staff, Brigadier Ancil Antoine, addressing the ceremonial parade for the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces on its 41st anniversary, at Teteron Barracks on Thursday. Antoine said: “The loss of IMET funding for military training from our principal ally, the United States, is cause for concern on our part.  However, we have put in place contingency plans to address this shortfall and will be looking to our other allies such as the Peoples Republic of China, Nigeria and India. I would like to express our thankfulness for the assistance and support of the governments of the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Sweden, and more recently China, India, France, Venezuela and Argentina.” He said he had also requested a further $2.6 million from the Ministry of Finance for the Force’s development programme.

Chief of Defence Staff, Brigadier Ancil Antoine, has called for the enhancement of Defence Force’s Chaguaramas lands to establish a comprehensive military base, including housing and facilities for recreation, work, training, sports, entertainment, medical care, logistics and offices. He said such a base would provide soldiers and their families with a safe and secure environment, which he said was a prerequisite for them to do their duty for the country.   “With the adoption of a ‘One Force’ concept, our people will come first…We propose to reform our military health-care system, seek affordable housing and encourage Family Support Groups.” He disclosed that the Defence Force and Police Service, in union as the Interagency Task Force, had conducted 2,246 mobile and foot patrols in Laventille/Morvant and made 249 arrests, to tackle the recent spate of gangland killings.

Suspects were held for crimes like possession of arms and ammunition, larceny, murder, robbery and narcotics offences. He said: “This spree of arrests assisted to re-establish a more stable environment within the community than in the past.” He disclosed the Defence Force had also held two holiday camps for that area’s youngsters, and was re-introducing the Civilian Conservation Corps and three other youth programmes. He said the Force considered it an honour to shape young minds, “As citizens ourselves, we are aware of the threat posed to our young citizens by violent crime, illicit drugs, delinquency, illiteracy, lack of respect for authority, and the breakdown of the family unit.”

President George Maxwell Richards, in his address, commended the establishment of the family support groups, noting: “Yours is a profession that can take a severe toll on family life.”  He offered his support in the Force’s request for improved facilities, equipment and manpower, and its proposal for a military base complex. Noting Antoine’s focus on young people, Richards said: “You must make a conscious effort to connect with the youth of the nation, in a sustained way, so that the Force may become more attractive to young professionals. I agree that they (ie soldiers) must see themselves also as contributors to national development and not compartmentalised into a fighting force.” Urging careful selection of recruits who have proper motivation, Richards noted that the profession was not just a job, instead saying: “It is a sacred trust that goes far beyond quantifiable reward.”

The National Carnival Bands’ Association of Trinidad and Tobago (NCBA) mourns the loss of Agnes Charles-Rabathaly, who died yesterday. In a media release, the NCBA stated that Charles was one of the most celebrated and renowned Queens of Carnival in San Fernando. She won the South Queen of Carnival title and Female Masquerader of the Year on numerous occasions and was the National Queen of Carnival in 1982 with her portrayal “Dance De Parang” designed by Steve Muradali from the band “Dance Marie Dance.”

After Agnes stopped playing mas she was very much involved in the adjudication process and at the time of her passing, was one of the judges’ coordinators of the NCBA. The organisation expresses its deepest condolences to her family, close friends, associates and the rest of the Carnival fraternity. May she rest in peace.

Amidst rumours regarding Sheldon “Skelly” Lovell’s release on bail, defence attorney Patrick Godson-Phillips said that his client will not be released any time soon. Lovell, who has been labelled the most wanted man in the country, is charged with the kidnapping and false imprisonment of Yves Ayoung Chee and Benedict Barrette. “I am in contact with the person who is intending to stand bail for Skelly. They are not ready. Just leave Skelly alone,” said Godson-Phillips. The attorney added, “Skelly is fine where he is for the while.” Lovell was granted bail in the sum of $200,000 on Wednesday, however up to late last evening, he was reportedly in custody at the Golden Grove Maximum Security Facility.

The Medical Professionals Association of TT (MPATT) on Thursday provided figures from a laboratory in south Trinidad to support the view that there is a problem with an unidentified virus as well as dengue. MPATT was responding to Health Minister Colm Imbert’s assertion of a political motive behind reports of a high number of suspected dengue cases at San Fernando General Hospital. In a statement last Thursday, MPATT referred to a major laboratory in San Fernando that received 192 blood samples for testing for patients suspected of having dengue fever. While 81 were positive for acute virus infection and 42 of them exhibited profiles supporting previous dengue infection, there were 111 cases whose cause of illness was not determined. “The vast majority were jaundiced and bedridden.”

MPATT said the data was from one of at least ten labs in South and did not include all the data from all labs from January to the present. The Association questioned the level of political maturity over the decades when this country has been “dithering with other matters while dengue has been marching into our bedrooms.” TT experienced a dengue epidemic in 1981 involving strains I, II, IV. Type III appeared in the US in 1983, and in 1986, the first case of dengue haemorrhagic fever was reported in St Lucia. TT’s first case was documented in 1992. “We have the Aedes aegypti mosquito transmitting both dengue and yellow fever, and aedes albopictus transmitting dengue,” MPATT said. According to “official” statistics for 2000, this country has 91 percent coverage for yellow fever. However, MPATT said the last WHO coverage survey in 1986 found only 48 percent of the population was adequately protected against yellow fever.

The misinformation by Health Minister Colm Imbert may lull the population into a false sense of security and cause innocent people to die because those at risk of contracting dengue fever will be tardy in getting treatment if they display any viral symptoms. “These people can become susceptible to dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF), renal failure and death,” said Dr Colin Furlonge, President of the Medical Professionals Association of TT (MPATT) in a media release on Thursday.  Furlonge was responding to statements made by Imbert on a radio programme in which he questioned the qualifications and expertise of senior specialist physicians working at the San Fernando General Hospital (SFGH).

The Health Ministry has ordered an investigation of senior doctors who allegedly said there was a “mystery viral type” illness. The SFGH experienced overcrowding last weekend because several people sought treatment for symptoms similar to those associated with dengue fever. Defending the doctors, Furlonge said: “It is the responsibility of the doctors to be judicious and careful in discharging any patient who has any viral-like illness that is severe enough and holds any possibility of being dengue or DHF.” Furlonge said doctors would be criminally negligent if they did not function with a high index of suspicion and act cautiously to provide appropriate care in any of these situations.

POLICE yesterday released a 20-year-old man detained in connection with the wounding of Alvin Celestine. Celestine was beaten into an unconscious state with a broken piece of pipe during a fight following a small-goal football game at Vessigny beach on Tuesday. The man was released after investigators consulted with the Director of Public Prosecutions and it was ruled that Celestine was beaten in self-defence, and not in a malicious attack.  According to police reports, Celestine and the 20-year-old man were playing football on the beach at Vessigny when Celestine became enraged after a bad tackle during the friendly game.

A fight ensued and Celestine attacked the man with a cutlass and in retaliation, the man dealt Celestine three blows on his head. Celestine, who doctors say suffered massive skull fractures,  remains warded at the Intensive Care Unit of the San Fernando General Hospital in critical condition. Sgt Jimmy Palloo and Cpl Anthony Monsegue of the Point Fortin police are investigating.

Local contractor Damus Limited has been awarded a fabrication contract by BHP Billiton to construct the largest platform ever constructed and loaded in Trinidad and Tobago, the Kairi-1 (K-1) Wellhead Protection Platform. The K-1 platform, which will be used in the Angostura Development, located east of Trinidad will be one of the key components for the production of oil.  It will support drilling and production of up to 15 oil and gas wells for the next 20 years. Larry Johnson, offshore facilities delivery manager, BHP said Damus Limited in partnership with Gulf Island Fabricators (GIF) in the Gulf of Mexico has been awarded fabrication of the deck for the K-1 platform. Johnson said the total value of this fabrication contract is US$4.5 million. Fifty-four percent of this contract will be fulfilled by Damus, which translates into a historic 55,000 man-hours of work for Damus, as it has led to new transfer of technology in specific construction techniques required for the offshore platform industry.

BHP Billiton has sponsored Damus’ personnel travelling to the Gulf of Mexico to learn these techniques. The TT labour pool at La Romain and La Brea will peak at 80 men and an average 40 men respectively for six months, commencing in October 2003. Johnson said Damus’ challenge is to support installation of K-1 in April 2004. “This will be a considerable feat as the K-1 deck has four levels and a helideck, weighs 550 tons, measures 18 metres square and 18 metres tall, and is larger than any offshore structure assembled in TT.” The platform will be assembled at the La Brea Industrial Development Company Limited (LABIDCO). Garry J Walker, project director, Angostura Field Development said the Angostura Development follows the largest oil discovery in TT for some 30 years. He noted that the peak production rate from this development will be around 80,000 barrels of oil per day.

He noted that the commitment to fabricate the K-1 deck in TT was not a new one. “Unbundling contracts, where packages of work such as the K-1 deck are broken into smaller components for tendering purposes, in order to give national suppliers a better chance of competing — is part of BHP Billiton’s operating philosophy.” He noted that BHP did this because “it was the right thing to do.” “Somebody has to take the first step. We took the challenge of this first step, because our worldwide BHP Billiton Charter values building of local capabilities and we do this throughout the world.” Walker said BHP has also pioneered the advance of national capabilities through the re-introduction of detail petroleum design engineering into TT in November 2002. “This has been absent in this country for decades.

This is another crucial step in truly developing a model for TT in respect of its upstream petroleum industry.” Sheldon Gomez, project engineer (Aripo), BHP, said until more in the industry recognise the importance of doing detail design engineering work in this country as BHP has done, and truly growing the skills of young engineers to perform this work, the fabrication industry may never develop to its full potential. “We have the talent, the fine engineers, the real potential to develop design engineering as an export industry. We simply need more operators to share the confidence BHP has shown in the human resource of TT.”

GOVERNMENT has increased levels of assistance to adolescent mothers in Trinidad and Tobago through the expansion of the Social Development Ministry’s CHOICES programme. Social Development Minister Mustapha Abdul-Hamid on Thur-sday presented the Child Welfare League of TT (CWLTT) with a $134,750 cheque from his Ministry. This donation is an intial installment of funds for use by the CWLTT to implement the expansion of the CHOICES programme which addresses the needs of pregnant adolescents, teenaged mothers and in particular, first-time mothers be-tween the ages of 13 and 19. The programme will see the number of CHOICES centres in TT increase from three to ten and facilitate the provision of increased and enhanced services to cater to the needs of young children of adolescent mothers.