THE EDITOR: “Laventille, Oh! Laventille,” words made famous by David Michael Rudder. The community of Laventille has recently been in the news again, and may I ask, “Is there anything good to come out of Laventille?” When there is a crime or any type of criminal activity in Port-of-Spain, Laventille seems to always make the headlines.
25 percent of crime for the year 2002 was reported from the Laventille community, how sad! 25 percent is a large percentage or one-quarter of all crime committed. Have the authorities failed Laventille? Why was Laventille been neglected by past and present administrations? Can the authorities do something quickly? How far is Laventille from the city, within minutes, and why has the situation been left unchecked? Does anybody really care? Laventille has produced prominent citizens, and has produced two of the best steelband orchestras in the land, added to the North/West Cultural Committee leaders and champions in the Prime Minister’s Best Village Trophy competition.
So even amidst all the negativity that prevails, there are also some positives, but the negativity overshadows what is positive. Each time a citizen mentions the fact he is from Laventille usually there is a stigma attached to the person, and the community he comes from. I am sure there are decent, upright, honest, hardworking citizens who come from Laventille, but they are hardly heard about. There are school children who have come from Laventille and have made excellent grades at school. So where does the problem lie? Is there any hope for Laventille at all?
KEN SMITH
Woodbrook
THE EDITOR: Trinidad is today suffering from a wave of murders and fatal road accidents that is unprecedented in the history of the island. This situation has got the society so traumatised that people are quite sceptical to socialise or even to leave their homes after sunset. People do not feel safe any more even within their own homes. And the police laments: ‘What more can we do?’
What is the difficulty or hindrance that prevents the government from outlawing the possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition, making such possession liable to a mandatory term of imprisonment, of say, from three to five years at the level of the Magistrate Court, and much more at the level of the High Court, exclusive of any other fines or other forms of punishment that may be found necessary?
ALEXANDER LEGALL
Port-of-Spain
THE EDITOR: I would like to suggest that the newspapers cease publishing the amount of money gained by criminals in their activities, especially where kidnapping is concerned.
Does the public really need to know how much ransom was collected, or how profitable was a bank robbery? Surely such irresponsible, pointless reporting only encourages people into a life of crime. In fact, we should consider making it illegal to publish these details that compromise the peace and safety of our citizens.
STEPHEN BROADBRIDGE
St Ann’s
THE EDITOR: Please permit me a space in your popular newspaper to bring to attention, the difficulties experienced by the senior citizens who visit the Freeport Health Centre on a daily basis. My grandmother and our elderly neighbours, who visit the health centre in order to obtain their medication and have their blood tested have to wait long periods in the sweltering sun until the gate opens.
Some arrive from as early as half past five in the morning to get an early number in line, but to their bitter disappointment, upon entering the cool air-conditioned atmosphere, those who had arrived late, are given the early numbers while the early comers are handed numbers in the twenties and thirties. Secondly, I would like to express my total abhorrence of the lackadaisical frame of mind the doctors display. On numerous occasions, residents of Freeport, Carapichaima and surrounding environs have been plagued by the insensitive attitude shown to them by the nurses and doctors at the Freeport Health Centre. Despite profuse complaints, via letters, from the patients who attend this health facility about the rudeness directed towards them, the authorities have turned a blind eye on the prevailing situation. The doctors always arrive late, and when they do this, the elderly people are forced into deciding whether to sit patiently on the chairs, some of which are back breaking, or to go home and return later in order to get their medication which they urgently need. Shouldn’t these elderly persons in our society reap the rewards they have sowed?
Haven’t they suffered from hardships worse than yours or mine, in order to make Trinidad and Tobago a better place for the upcoming generation? To those doctors and nurses, especially the doctors, the answer to these questions is NO! No, because as the saying goes, “Actions speak louder than words,” and the careless attitude displayed by the doctors to these simple human beings, can clearly show what are their feelings towards these senior citizens. These doctors have their own private practice, and in their opinion, if they arrive at the health centre tardy, at least they have made an appearance rather than not coming at all, and that, the elderly people should be grateful to them. The Health Ministry should look into this matter forthwith, because the people you consider to be your elders and deserve utmost respect in society are being gravely mistreated and neglected instead of being cared for lovingly and patiently by the community.
DAVI RAMKALLAWAN
Bank Village
Carapichaima
THE EDITOR: Ours is a very transient nation. This has been so for many generations and will continue more so with our present generation. Those who can afford it love to travel to other countries for their holidays and for their education, and more and more of us every year seek to emigrate to other countries, particularly the USA and the UK while many immigrants from Guyana and the neighbouring islands seek to settle here by legal and illegal means.
This movement of peoples in and out of our country will, in time to come, put a heavy burden on our way of life and our economy. We shall suffer what we know as a brain drain when our most productive workers at all levels emigrate to other lands while less qualified people come in to seek permanent and temporary employment. The free movement of peoples within the Caribbean is just a good pipe dream. However, we have to put proper immigration laws in place to control the inflow of peoples. If we envision that within the next twenty years we shall have an oil and petrochemical boom in this country, then we should prepare ourselves for this. Today, our schools are overcrowded and understaffed, our roads are in disrepair, our hospitals, clinics and health facilities in disorder and our security systems ineffective. Now is the time for affirmative action. Tomorrow may be too late. We are burning the candle at both ends.
ELLIS MAINGOT
Trincity
THE EDITOR: I have some questions for the young man from the YMCA who distributed the condoms in front of the Woodbrook Secondary School. Did you get the approval of the YMCA to do this? Why did you not just give out the pamphlets educating the students of HIV/AIDS, sex etc? Why did you not do the proper thing and get permission from the Principal to have a talk to the students in the classroom – if you are so versed on the subject? What are your qualifications in this area?
It is my opinion that we need to teach the young people that they are responsible for their actions. Once we educate them on the right way to go, they are the ones to decide whether to go that way, or the wrong way and that has its price. Also, do you think those students have the money to buy condoms in the supermarket or drug store after they get their little bit of freeness which is just one sexual experience?
B SANDY
Maraval
FORMER Works and Transport Minister Senator Sadiq Baksh and former NIPDEC Director Trevor Romano knew the Piarco airport project would cost a billion dollars instead of the budgeted $650 million, but opted to keep that fact hidden for fear that the public would not accept the billion dollar project.
The startling revelation was made by the Ministry of Works and Transport client representative Peter Cateau when he continued his evidence yesterday. Cateau’s disclosure came when he being questioned by the Commission’s lead attorney, Theodore Guerra, SC, based on the contents of a confidential letter Cateau sent to Guerra dated April 17, 2003. Cateau vowed in the letter to “reveal things to stop the deliberate distortion of facts”. The letter was read into the records despite an objection by Cateau’s attorney Keith Scotland. Cateau in the letter to Guerra expressed concern that his life might be put at risk based on the revelations he had to make and asked that the Commission protect him. At the start of yesterday’s sitting, after adjourning Towfeek Ali’s matter to May 20, Cateau was recalled to the stand to be questioned by Guerra.
Guerra immediately sought to deal with the letter he received from Cateau. After Cateau confirmed he had sent the letter, his attorney Scotland objected to it being made public on the ground that it was written under confidence. Guerra however said Cateau as a witness for the Commission had written him in confidence stating certain facts and that he intended to do certain things, and therefore the letter should be made public. Chairman Clinton Bernard ruled in Guerra’s favour. Cateau stated in part in the letter that recent observations had moved him to make known “revealing things which need to be said” as it related to his former boss, Minister of Works and Transport Sadiq Baksh, Trevor Romano, main contractor NCL and other contractors, Birk Hillman Consultants (BHC), NIPDEC and Justin Paul, his Permanent Secretary.
He said the revelations had to be made to “stop the deliberate distortions of facts”, but he cautiously added that “it might result in my life being at risk and I trust you will protect me.”
Questioned by Guerra about the revealing issues concerning Baksh, Cateau said when he came on the project in 1998 as client representative, he was concerned about the project budget and arrangements in place for the project. He said although the budget was $650 million, he knew with the addition of VAT and fees to BHC and NIPDEC, the budget would have been closer to a billion dollars. Cateau said he expressed his concerns about the budget to Baksh during a meeting with Trevor Romano and Justin Paul, a Permanent Secretary. He said he requested that correct funding be put in place and Cabinet be approached on the issue, or else problems would develop. However he said Romano commented that making the budget of one billion known, the public might not accept the project and Baksh agreed with him.
Baksh did not say no, he emphasised to the Commission. Asked if in that discussion the question of speciality equipment arose, Cateau said yes. He said Baksh pointed out that the equipment would be funded outside of the $650 million budget. Cateau said Baksh also did not take a leading role as he would have expected a line minister in charge of the project to do. Cateau said things appeared to be ad hoc with no real identifiable project team to manage the project and the contractual arrangements did not allow for proper accountability. Cateau said he spoke to Baksh about his concerns but got no “real response.” He said Baksh merely told him NIPDEC was there to do its job but he (Baksh) did nothing. Cateau also said he had requested from Baksh that a financial audit be done on the project but Baksh never complied. Cateau said at the end of construction of the terminal $1.3 billion was spent and with the completion of other works the cost was $1.6 billion. He also repeated that for BHC to be effectively challenged on the project he and NIPDEC needed the support of the Baksh. Cateau also spoke of pressures brought on him by the Inter-Ministerial Committee to award a contract to NCL. He said to get anything sanctioned on the project the Committee, BHC and the Airports Authority had to approve it. Cateau will continue his evidence today to speak of more “revelations” he promised in his letter.
IT TOOK five men and an excavator to dig out a seven-year-old boy and his 33-year-old stepfather after they were buried alive under almost ten feet of dirt when a cesspit caved in on them in Moruga over the weekend.
Little Brandon Douglas was completely immersed in the pit, and his stepfather Dexter Watson was covered from his neck. Both are warded at the San Fernando General Hospital where Brandon is fighting for his life and his stepfather is in serious condition. “When they pulled Brandon out he had already turned blue,” the boy’s grandmother, Ermin, sobbed. Brandon is in critical condition at the Intensive Care Unit. Hospital officials said he was breathing with the assistance of a ventilator since he suffered massive chest injuries. Watson suffered broken ribs, a punctured lung and neck injuries and is in Ward Three.
The freak accident occurred at Fort George Road on Saturday afternoon when Watson, a mason was taking measurements of the cesspit that was being constructed. Watson was employed to do the day’s work by the owner of the land, Ag Inspector Lloyd Kerr. Watson, his common-law wife, Paula Douglas, and Brandon live at Paula’s parents’ house opposite the worksite. At around midday Brandon, a Standard One pupil of the Moruga Baptist Primary School, followed his father over the road to the job site. Villagers said as Watson worked in the pit, the boy stood on the loose dirt that had been excavated from the hole. One villager told Newsday: “Dexter came across and borrowed some line and then went down to measure the pit. He went there alone but like the boy followed him.” Ermine, pointing to large cracks on the ground said: “Look at the ground how it has so many cracks. It was easy to cave in because the place is so dry.”
The Fort George Road area is riddled with landslips and several houses in the area have been damaged by the shifting of the soil. While no one had actually witnessed the cave in, according to villagers Watson and Brandon had spent not even 15 minutes at the site when a neighbour ran into the road shouting that they were trapped under the dirt. One villager, Selwyn Huggins, said: “The depth was too much for them. Dexter tried to escape and he was pushing Brandon up out of the hole but he was too far down. There wasn’t anything he could do.” Brandon’s grandmother said she was at home when she heard the commotion. Huggins said he and four others frantically grabbed shovels and pitchforks and began digging alongside the excavator. “We got them out in about 20 minutes. If the excavator wasn’t around we wouldn’t have gotten them out in time,” said Huggins. The hole has since been covered with galvanise. Princes Town police are investigating the incident.
IN RESPONSE to renewed allegations about his role in the Piarco Airport development project, UNC Senator Sadiq Bksh yesterday reiterated his position that the Commission of Inquiry was nothing short of a “circus.”
In a telephone interview yesterday Baksh said while he had not heard the latest developments, he was not overly concerned about the new allegations. “The circus continues,” he said. Baksh was accused yesterday of hiding the real cost of the airport project. The former Works and Transport Minister under the UNC administration said the Commission had failed to unearth any wrongdoing at the project. However, he declined to elaborate saying an appropriate response would be forthcoming once all the allegations have been made public.
AN ARGUMENT over a loaf of bread led to the stabbing death of 20-year-old Nathaniel Julien of Farm 39, Wallerfield early yesterday. A 26-year-old relative of the deceased was detained by the police and is expected to be charged with murder.
The murder of Julien is the 82nd for the year so far. According to reports, on Sunday the victim’s mother, Junette Julien, purchased a loaf of bread for her son to take to work. The deceased, who worked at Trincarb as a labourer, awoke around 6.30 am yesterday and saw a relative eating the bread. An argument ensued and Julien armed himself with a cutlass and began chasing the relative who reportedly armed himself with a harpoon and attacked Julien. He was stabbed once in the chest. The harpoon penetrated his chest and exited at the back killing Julien instantly.
A neighbour who witnessed the incident contacted the police and officers from the Arima Police Station were alerted as well as District Medical Officer Dr Vidya Maharaj. The victim’s mother, who was not at home at the time of the stabbing, rushed to the scene on learning of the incident. She almost fainted on arriving at her home and was comforted by relatives and neighbours. She was too distraught to say anything about the murder yesterday. The body was ordered removed to the Forensic Science Centre and an autopsy will be carried out today. A 26-year-old farmer was detained for questioning and following the autopsy today investigators will seek directions from Director of Public Prosecutions Geoffrey Henderson on the matter. Relatives and neighbours of the dead man claimed he and the suspect were always arguing and were not on speaking terms.
