The leaders of the nation “must understand and appreciate that the citizenry must not be made to feel that they are being alienated from the national life.

“Too many of our citizens today feel shut out and alienated from life in our nation and this applies especially to the young people of the country,” according to Rev Cyril Paul, minister in charge of the Armalaya Pastoral Region of the Presbyterian church in the country. He said; “If we alienate them now, we would lose them forever and we cannot afford to do this.” Rev Paul was at the time delivering the sermon at the 131st Anniversary Celebrations of the Susamachar Presbyterian Church in San Fernando on Sunday. Rev Paul noted that within the Presbyterian Church and its leadership there are many members and young people in particular who are feeling alienated from the Church, a situation that needs to be addressed.

Rev Paul quoted from Isaiah (49:4) saying, “I thought I had been labouring in vain, spending my strength for nothing”and from Corinthians (15:58), “Your work is not in vain in the Lord,” and from Matthew (6:34) “Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow”. He stressed that Isaiah’s cry of discouragement is a feeling that “holds many of our citizens in its grip today. “If Isiah was a victim of futility because of his country’s situation 26 centuries ago, what has he to say to the complex situation of the 21st century?” Rev Paul asked the congregation. Rev Paul said, “Isaiah has important things to say to us today. Although he was assailed by futility in its bitterest form, he met it head on and defeated it because he was equipped with certain inner fundamentals that came from the mind and heart of the living God.”

Rev Paul explained that Isaiah possessed the “…conviction that he had a place of significance and worth in the society in which he lived.” He also stressed that while “it is important to recognise and safeguard the rights of others, it is of great importance that the conditions of our time urgently demand that we recognise also the worth of ourselves.”He ended by reminding the congregation that, “Light requires a surface to reflect it else it is not seen, so also God’s way and will are reflected in human witness and character. Therefore, we do what is wise instead of what is indiscreet when we link our energy with the holy rather than with the profane when we commit our life to justice in place of what is unfair, when we seek truth rather than falsehood, we are on the side of God doing His will manifesting and reflecting in His glory.”

TWO persons were yesterday fined $1,500 each by San Fernando Magistrate Sonia Aleong. They both pleaded guilty to separate and unrelated charges of possession of cocaine and marijuana.

Judy Chance, 34, a mother of five, was fined by Aleong who presided over the Second Court. Also being fined by Aleong, was Sterlin Harrison. Chance pleaded guilty to a charge of possession of 0.5 grammes of cocaine. The incident occurred on October 12, 2000. Prosecuting officer Cpl Joey Samaroo told the court that around 9 am on the said day, police executed a search warrant at 239 Southern Main Road, La Romain. During a search of Chance’s apartment located on the southern side of the building, the officers including the complainant PC Lee, found the cocaine hidden inside a match box, in one of the bedrooms of the apartment. Chance was arrested and taken to the San Fernando police station, where she was charged. Her attorney Frank Arthur Seepersad, blamed “financial constraints” which caused his client to become frustrated and use the drug. He also blamed the general area where Chance lived, for influencing her decision to take the drug. Seepersad added that the cocaine was not used for trafficking and since her arrest, Chance had not used drugs.

Magistrate Aleong ordered Chance to pay $500 forthwith and the remaining $1,000 by July 27. Failure to do so, the magistrate warned, would lead to three months imprisonment. Harrison, 27, of Pleasantville was fined $1,500 for possession of  ten grammes of marijuana. The  charge was laid indictably and Harrison pleaded guilty. According to Cpl Samaroo, around 11.15 pm Friday last, police were on patrol at Blitz Village, Pleasantville, they not-iced the defendant looked at the  police vehicle and quickly placed his right hand into the front right pocket of his pants. The suspicious officers, including the complainant PC Persad, searched Harrison and discovered in the right pocket, five foils with the herbs. Harrison was ordered to pay $500 forthwith and the remaining $1,000 by July 25, or else he would be jailed for three months.

Education Specialist of the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) for the Caribbean, Michael Morrissey, revealed that approximately 500 teachers in the Jamaican educational system are infected with HIV/AIDS.

Adding that these persons would now become patients in the near future, Morrissey said this would impact on the planning and financial future of education in that country. Stating that there was a need to help these persons, Morrissey said education can play a part in helping to prevent the spread of the disease. Morrissey was speaking at the official launch of an Intensive Training Course on Educational Costs, Financing and Budgeting, at the  Hilton Trinidad when he made the disclosure.

The course is being hosted by UNESCO’s International Insti-tute for Educational Planning, the TT National Commission for UNESCO and the Ministry of Education. Stating that he could not furnish statistics pertaining to TT, Morrissey again stressed that education can play an important role as it can facilitate the prevention and spread of the disease. Additionally, education will also help persons to cope with the reality of the disease, and the workshop will develop and strengthen the educational sectors of the region, Morrissey concluded.

Delivering remarks on behalf of Education Minister Hazel Manning was Permanent Sec-retary, Angella Jack. Jack reiterated Government’s commitment to ensuring that every child receive an education, and revealed that they were spending close to US$150 million to improve the education system in TT. Adding that they had recently launched a major construction programme at a cost of $2 billion, Jack stated that a number of initiatives were being implemented in the educational system to help persons better deal with reform processes.

UNITED National Congress (UNC) chairman, Wade Mark yesterday knocked a report from a Government-hired consultant which described the Integrity Commission as “too weak.”

In a newspaper report yesterday, British consultant Bernard de Speville (former member of the Hong Kong Anti-Corruption Commission) submitted a report to Cabinet which said anti-corruption efforts in Trinidad and Tobago were having a  limited effect, and the mechanisms employed by the Integrity Commission were unable to deal with instances of alleged corruption. However, Mark scoffed at the report, claiming that Government was engaging in a cover-up of its financial activities. He said it was under the UNC that the Public Integrity Act of 2000 was placed on the statute books, and the Prevention of Corruption Act 2001 would have been passed in Parliament if former Ministers Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj, Trevor Sudama and Ralph Maraj had not broken ranks with the UNC over its handling of corruption allegations. The December 2001 elections followed shortly thereafter, removing the party from office.

“The legislation is as strong as you can have it,” Mark declared. The UNC chairman stated that since 1999, no public official was able to declare their assets because the Integrity Commission was not provided with the necessary forms. Mark added all that was required was a simple tabling in Parliament which would approve these forms for the Commission’s use. He claimed Government was hedging on this issue in order to avoid scrutiny of its financial affairs. Asked whether a date had been set for a meeting between Police Commissioner Hilton Guy, the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) and political parties contesting the July 14 Local Government Elections, Mark said he expected a meeting would be held some time later this week.

HIGH Court Judge, Peter Jamadar has struck out paragraphs from an affidavit filed by former registrar of the Industrial Court, Marilin Sammy Wallace in which she alleged impropriety against Industrial Court president, Addison Khan.

Sammy Wallace questioned the expenditure and monies spent under the heading, “Official Entertainment” by certain officers of the court. She claimed that her removal as registrar in January this year was motivated by her query of the expenditure. Sammy Wallace also queried certain allowances Khan was entitled to, as president of the court. Sammy Wallace is seeking judicial review of the decision of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission to remove her. When hearing resumed yesterday before Justice Jamadar in the San Fernando First Civil Court, attorney Martin Daly SC, appearing for the JLSC, submitted that the paragraphs which contained the allegations were scandalous, irrelevant and otherwise oppressive. Daly also described the paragraphs as inadmissible opinion-evidence, that were speculative and of no probative value.

In fact, the Senior Counsel, who is being instructed by State Counsel Sharon Sharma, described many of the paragraphs contained in Sammy Wallace’s affidavit as “wicked and containing bacchanalia.” Justice Jamadar agreed with the arguments and ordered that all the “offending” paragraphs be struck out. With regard to the order, attorney Khemraj Harri-kissoon, representing Sammy Wallace, made an application to amend the former registrar’s original claim. Justice Jamadar dismissed the application and ordered Sammy Wallace to pay the cost of both senior and junior counsels representing the Commission, as well as for attorneys representing the Industrial Court president. The case will come up for hearing again on July 16.