Protest action at State-owned oil company, Petrotrin, spread to its Guayaguayare exploration and production site-facility as workers downed tools to highlight outstanding health and safety issues yesterday.
The workers also blocked the entrances to the administration offices with rusted oil barrels, tools and other pieces of equipment before entering the offices of manager, Harold Jagdeo, demanding that the company address their concerns. Employees also alleged that certain high officials at Petrotrin were intentionally “running down” the facility in an effort to farm out its oil fields to well known players in the energy industry. From as early as 7 am, the 40-plus, chanting, placard-bearing workers gathered in front of the administration offices calling for the resignation of manager, Harold Jagdeo. The workers however deny detaining manager, Harold Jagdeo, saying employees had a right to raise concerns with the company’s management officials.
OWTU representative, Sylos Pollydore, said employees were concerned that health and safety issues were being placed on the back burner by the company. “Just imagine, a big oil company like Petrotrin, we don’t have a single ambulance on site,” he said. “The administration, the workers feel, is running down the entire operations here,” he said, adding, “like they have a definite plan to close down this operation.” In a media release, Petrotrin acknowledged the action by employees, saying the issue was resolved after lengthy discussions between workers’ representatives and the company. But it pointed out that during the protest, debris was heaped at the entrance and exit of the field by workers “preventing movement of personnel in and out of the compound.” The company stated that while there was no injury to personnel there was some damage to office infrastructure which was yet to be determined. Work is expected to resume tomorrow.
The streets of Sangre Grande were flooded with students yesterday as over 5,000 pupils from both primary and secondary schools in the North Eastern Edu-cational Districts protested against violence in the nation’s schools.
Messages were sent via placards as the children marched through the streets of Sangre Grande attracting adults as they went along with messages, such as “Parents should be role models”, “Parents should be the first Teacher” “Love, Don’t Hate”, “Prayer can Change Anything”, “Grades not Aids”, “Respect Yourself” “Let Talk It out” etc. Attending were; Anthea Permell, School Supervisor 111, Albert Jordan, School Supervisor 1. Ministry of Education, North Eastern Division. Onlookers who came out from their work places crowded the the pavements to have a look at the thousands of students marching. Some said it was the largest march they had ever witnessed in Sangre Grande and the messages carried by the students touched some of them.
A PRINCES Town family of four had to delay having breakfast on Monday after a runaway garbage truck crashed into their home.
Kelvin Ganpat, one of the family members, said he was preparing breakfast at the family’s St Croix Road, home at around 7.30 am, when he heard his brother Reynold, who was in the front yard, shouting for someone to “mash brakes!”. Ganpat said when he ran outside he saw a garbage truck minus its driver rolling down the incline driveway. He said he and his brother had to run for safety. The runaway truck damaged scaffolding which was being used for construction of an upper level of the house, a Mazda 323 van, an outside stairway and a wheelbarrow.
Ganpat could not say the cost of the damages. Ganpat said the driver of the truck had alighted from the vehicle to inform the garbage collector from which side of the road garbage should be collected. The collector, new to the area was unaware that he was to collect the garbage placed on the left side of St Croix Road alone, since that side of the road fell under the Princes Town Regional Corporation, with which he was employed. The right side falls under the Debe/Penal Regional Corporation. Barrackpore police are continuing investigations.
THE CONFUSION over legal representation for murder accused Sean Parris continued Monday as the accused was still unable to retain a defence lawyer.
Parris said he believed that the Legal Aid department was playing games with him. For almost 20 minutes he voiced his concerns to Justice Hubert Volney in the San Fernando High Court, over the disorder associated with his case. Parris, a maximum security prisoner, was brought from Remand Yard to the First Court where his matter was listed for mention. He is charged with the shooting murder of Dr Chandra Narayansingh on June 29, 1994. Since April 1, Parris’ case has been set for trial but was unable to begin due to uncertainty as to which legal aid lawyer was appointed to the case. Parris complained Monday that during the last six years he has been remanded in prison awaiting the start of his trial. Four attorneys were assigned to represent him. “It is six years that I am in prison and I want this case to start more than any judge,” Parris stated.
The murder accused said that from media reports he believed that Legal Aid was giving the impression that he (Parris) was frustrating the judicial process. But, Parris continued, he was only seeking a fair trial with legal representation seeking his best interests. He said attorney Desmond Allum had consented to represent him, but before he could write to the legal aid department to make the request, another attorney had been appointed to his case. Parris, however, expressed his satisfaction with attorney Brian Dabideen as the instructing lawyer.
“I just want to have a fair trial,” he pleaded. Justice Volney replied: “Well that is the idea. You must have a fair trial and with counsel you are comfortable with. I want all the representation and everything to be sorted out this month so that a date can be fixed. Because of the age of this matter I have to do everything humanly possible to bring it to trial.”
IT IS true that the Prime Minister has total control over the appointment, transfer and removal of Ministers in his government but, surely, in a country as small as ours there has to be some limitation to the size of the Cabinet. As it now stands, the Cabinet chosen by Mr Manning after the October general elections comprises 24 members, almost the same size as the one he appointed after his party was chosen to take office following the 18-18 electoral deadlock two years ago. Questions arose as to why Mr Manning should want such a large Cabinet, particularly when he made such appointments as a Minister of Ecclesiastical Affairs.
Now, the Prime Minister has informed the country that he plans to add another member to his Cabinet, joining the Ministry of Finance which he himself administers. Again, it is the Prime Minister’s prerogative to boost the size of his Cabinet at any moment and no one should question his constitutional authority to do so but, at the same time, the PM also should feel some kind of obligation to explain or justify such an appointment particularly when it becomes controversial. According to reports, Mr Manning has chosen Christine Sahadeo, chairperson of National Flour Mills, to be the third Junior Minister in the Finance Ministry. He has yet to confirm this, but the PM himself had informed a recent women’s conference that another woman would be joining his Cahinet soon.
As a result, one is entitled to wonder whether the workload of the Ministry or that of the Minister has become so onerous that a third Junior Minister has now become necessary. At first there was some impression that Sahadeo would be replacing Ken Valley in the Finance portfolio, but that has since been denied. What we are now being told is that the responsibilities of Conrad Enill with regard to revenue and expenditure are to be cut in half, so that Sahadeo, a chartered accountant, will take over the revenue department. Why is this split necessary, we do not know. But we believe the country would like to hear some kind of explanation or clarification from Mr Manning, particularly when the removal of Sahadeo from NFM is already creating a furore of its own over who should succeed her. Is the finance job too big for Mr Enill? And why should the stability of National Flour Mills be disturbed by the appointment of its chairperson to a Cabinet post which does not appear to be quite necessary?
Mr Manning must be aware that some of his decisions are arousing public concern as they appear to carry an autocratic tinge, an insensitivity to public feeling. His determination to proceed with the removal of parliament from its traditional seat in the Red House, in spite of widespread opposition to the idea, continues to disturb especially since his apparent intention is to transfer his office into the refurbished Red House. In preparation to occupy this entire one-block building, it would seem that the Prime Minister and Minister of Finance feels the need to appropriately expand the departments of his portfolio; that, at least, provides some kind of explanation for his latest decision. Why little Trinidad and Tobago should have a Cabinet of 26 members is something we would like the experts in government to explain to us. So many ministers may well be necessary for the good government of our country having a population of 1.4 million and covering approximately 2,000 square miles. But we cannot help being sceptical when we consider that the United States President makes do with a Cabinet of 30 members in governing a country of 250 million people covering over three million square miles. Are we into Parkinson’s Law?
Last week’s column ‘The Burden of the Cross’ prompted a rejoinder from Pundit Prakash Persad, Chairman of the normally reticent SWAHA Inc, ‘Setting The Record Straight’ (Newsday Saturday May 3, 2003) that is deserving of a reply.
The column Persad labelled as ‘a continuation and vicious attack on a sister organisation.’ The ‘Burden of the Cross’ was entirely dedicated to the debate surrounding the inappropriateness of The Trinity Cross — and not to ‘attack’ any organisation. In the process of this discussion SWAHA’s PNM Senator Manideo Persad played a role and such role demanded scrutiny. SWAHA’s Chairman Persad is obviously uncomfortable with the results of that scrutiny. Chairman Persad makes the unfounded claim that there is some ‘continuation’ of attacks on SWAHA by this column. Save one previous column (‘Trinidad’s Fake Shankrarcharya’) that exposed the lowering of the highest Hindu title by SWAHA, neither this column nor the SDMS ever paid any attention to SWAHA. This claim is a mere figment of the imagination of the Chairman. The organisation that Chairman Persad represents is a going family concern that does not engage in national and thus unworthy of ‘attacks’ of any kind.
There is also the ludicrous claim that SWAHA “revitalised the practice of Hinduism in Trinidad and Tobago.” Was Hinduism ever dying in Trinidad and Tobago? Did this family-run Hindu organisation single handedly save Hinduism in Trinidad? This flight of fancy is what Chairman Persad would have the nation believe. Such arrogance is an insult to all Hindus who have kept their faith alive singularly or with the assistance of the myriad of Hindu groups that each makes a contribution to Hindu Trinidad.
The Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha remains on the national landscape as the only legitimate Hindu voice and this bothers Chairman Persad. This legitimacy does not come with the SDMS conducting numerous religious and cultural functions, operating mandirs, training pundits, and operating Hindu Schools. This is expected of all Hindu groups. What separates the Maha Sabha from other Hindu groups is its ideology of active engagement with the non-Hindu society. The Maha Sabha is conscious that Hindus and Indians are equal partners in Trinidad and Tobago’s society and as such it is incumbent to actively participate in all aspects of national life articulating a Hindu viewpoint. For this participatory relationship the Maha Sabha has been branded. The Maha Sabha does not hide for having a Hindu position.
Other Hindu organisations are content to merely react constantly as exhibited by Chairman Persad. The fact that SWAHA has made its position known on the Trinity Cross, as stated to Chairman Persad, and yet those positions remain virtually unknown reveals the inconsequential weight attributed to those statements by not only Hindus but also by the nation. Returning to the issue of the inappropriateness of the Trinity Cross as the national award, Chairman Persad bemoaned that when SWAHA PNM’s Senator Manideo Persad first raised the Trinity Cross in Parliament no support came from the SDMS. Chairman Persad conveniently fails to remember that the SDMS has singularly championed the name change for the Trinity Cross for a number of years. As the United States prosecuted its policy in Iraq regardless of the lack of UN support so too the SDMS does not depend on other weak external groups in its decision-making policies.
Chairman Persad perhaps should concentrate his lobby for the name change from SWAHA’s PNM Senator before extending outside the family. After having raised the inappropriateness of the Trinity Cross in the Senate, SWAHA PNM’s Senator Manideo Persad in an about turn stated, “We can’t expect change overnight because there are so many other pressing matters” and called for “less confrontation and more dialogue”. SWAHA PNM’s Senator even gave a rationale for not changing the name claiming that the PNM “were not sure of the mechanisms required to effect this change”. Given this about face by SWAHA PNM’s Senator the Hindu community must ask about the relationship between SWAHA and the ruling PNM. Why is the Prime Minister favouring SWAHA over all other Hindu organisations? Even the Arya Samaj whose President Jules Jugmohan was a previous PNM Senator did not enjoy similar levels of patronage.
Recently SWAHA PNM’s Senator Manideo Persad has been appointed as Trinidad and Tobago’s Ambassador to India in order to make way for Christine Sahadeo. It is widely suspected that Sahadeo will be soon appointed a Senator and ultimately a Minister in the Ministry of Finance by Prime Minister Manning. What is interesting is that Christine Sahadeo is also an Executive Member of SWAHA. Ms Sahadeo is closely aligned to SWAHA’s Pasea Mandir and was in fact instrumental in obtaining the land that the mandir was later built on. Ms Sahadeo’s husband also played a critical role in the construction of the mandir. From this latest appointment it is clear that there is a clear political alignment between the leadership of SWAHA and the ruling party. It must be noted that Chairman Persad did not refute or comment upon the public statement that a lucrative CEPEP contract was given to one Prakash Persad.
CEPEP since its inception has been viewed a tool to repay party faithful and supporters. CEPEP may have contributed to the Chairman’s confusion in the Trinity Cross debate. Chairman Persad correctly raised the issue that two SDMS Executives were part of the Panday Administration and yet the Trinity Cross remained. The Maha Sabha’s conscience and silence were never hidden during the Panday Administration with these appointments. The Maha Saha’s objections to the Trinity Cross were articulated to the Panday Administration strongly in many ways including via the media, and National Awards Committee, chaired by Trinidad and Tobago’s Chief Justice Michael de la Bastide. Unlike SWAHA PNM’s Senator Manideo Persad, the Maha Sabha’s objection to the Trinity Cross never wavered or altered no matter who was in government.
THE EDITOR: Somebody needs to let the youths of Tobago know who owns the private properties that belonged to us twenty years ago. I realised a while back that Tobago’s youth will by and large revert to slavery, but I didn’t think that it would be so soon. We own nothing here.
I was born in a little old house on the main road in Roxborough. I came screaming out “plop” into the midwife’s hands. I lived close to the sea in those days too. So I know sea and river and waterfall. For the Carnival season just gone, I went with some friends to Argyle Waterfall, took the Roxborough entrance and was promptly stopped by two neatly uniformed “staff” and was told that there was a fee to walk up the trail to the waterfall. Now I understand wanting to make maximum use of the tourist dollar, charging them for everything. I even understand the strange concept that Trinis are tourists, after all, they like the label. But who could ask me to pay to go to the waterfall where I picked cray fish as a child. Who? Well the fellas make me to understand that is private property and that they will call the police for me. Well, bojibo, I can’t argue with that. I put me tail between my legs and pass ‘round.
Yes, I say I born dey. I must know where else to pass. They bawl out behind me, if police meet me on the track I could face charges. So before anybody who born in the cold has to come here and charge me I want a list of all the beaches like Canoe Bay and the waterfalls like Argyle Waterfall and the lagoons and the forests that the government has sold out. I want a list before somebody shoot me like they shoot up the young boy in Pigeon Point — the one everybody forget. I want to know which road to pass to go midnight fishing, or if I have to build a pond in the landlord backyard — because you know they come from wherever they come out and I can’t buy land here. Yes, I must rent till I dead. If I may be so bold, I want to ask for some legislature to protect whatever ain’t sell yet so that my sons twenty years from now could bathe in the sea free, could catch snapper and red fish with line that they make themselves, could splash around in a waterfall, could put two stick together for their little families. The Tobago House of Assembly must stop this sale of land on this island because landowners have the right to defend their property and we who born here may soon find that we have no rights here; that our children could end up in jail for trespassing; that again we own nothing and have to beg for ten days and servant work; that if we don’t vote for so and so we can’t work with CEPEP; that we own nothing. Watch yourself Tobagonians — they might buy out THA too, then what we go do?
A SECOND
Tobago Youth Council
THE EDITOR: I wish to say something to the bad drivers of Trinidad and Tobago. I feel sorry that you in your anger at being abused in some form or fashion and unable to pay back the person(s) who angered you, are taking it out on other motorists. That is all it is really; the taking out of rage and frustration on innocent people.
Sometimes when I am on the road and I see learners and their instructors, I laugh because they drive so slowly as if they are afraid to pass over an ant walking on the road. But as soon as the same driver gets a licence, it is ‘woe be on to the world’. I also wonder what the instructor is instructing the learner because I see so many ill-mannered and discourteous drivers who never seem to know who has the right of way. They always think it is themselves. From all appearances it seems like they learn from their instructors how to “rush” another driver at intersections, how to usurp the right of way on a narrow roadway where another vehicle is parked in front of them and the oncoming vehicle has the right of way. They also learn to time the traffic lights so that even if they have the red light, they know that the other light has not changed yet, so they can still pass before that happens.
They probably also learn to disregard pedestrians’ rights and instead learn how to try and intimidate them by speeding up when they see one trying to cross the road. That has resulted in many an accident where they actually run over someone, their sick joke having gone too far. We must not forget that the government is largely at fault for not providing adequate roads to facilitate the growing number of vehicles on the road. I wonder if they feel that ordinary people should not have moving conveyances and only they are entitled. The government of this country likes to fancy itself as being au courant with everything the North Americans do but cannot conceive of providing adequate public transport for citizens.
I would like to make special mention of truck drivers. I wonder who is in charge of employing them. Sometimes while driving on the highway, as I am about to overtake a truck drifting on the left lane, lo and behold, said truck pops out from his spot behind another vehicle and in front of me. It matters not a wit at what speed I am driving; I could ram into the rear of his truck for all he cares. That is not even the worst of it. Nine times out of ten, when I glance at the driver, he looks as if he is not even on this planet. It seems as if he is either drunk or hadn’t slept for months. He is usually looking straight ahead, totally unconscious of nearly totalling another driver along with his car.
The only thing I will say about maxi taxis is that if I have to take a public transport, it is not going to be one of those. If by chance they wiggle their finger at me in a “you travelling tanty” sign language, I just turn my head the other way. I might consider a bus, but buses do not pass in my area and if I have to go to town I must plug my ears with cotton to avoid listening to the only radio channel they have. At this stage I have to compliment all drivers who show courtesy on the roads. Whenever you show me some courtesy, I always acknowledge by nodding my head. Keep it up. I am sure that you relieve your frustrations by punching a Manning pillow instead.
VERA JAMES
Chaguanas
THE EDITOR: IF people insist on laying blame for the position the country is in now, they must start with themselves. In the PNM, supporters must blame themselves for buying into racism and an attempt to dominate and in the UNC, many must blame themselves for walking away because they believed the propaganda the PNM so successfully dished out. For the record, I too am to blame.
Further, even at the risk of taps running dry, jobs being lost, becoming the victims of crimes in all of its forms, discriminatory practice, racist policies and real corruption, many chose to work towards their Trinidad and Tobago being restored to a Afro-Christian-dominated society which is a view long held by PNM supporters who could not bear the thought of an East Indian, Hindu Prime Minister. When people say that it was Basdeo Panday who brought about the sharpest racial divisions in politics, they can only be right insofar as they are willing to admit that they themselves are racist and are of the view that Trinidad and Tobago can only be ruled by Afro-Christian leaders. To them, Panday or any other East Indian had no right to become Prime Minister. Dr Eric Williams ensured that such a belief was not only driven down the throats of his own generation of party faithful, but that it was a belief that would be passed on and rigidly upheld.
Today, supporters of the PNM are coming out of the honeymoon. They are seeing the division they allowed themselves to be swept up in and are realising that a lack of water, a lack of jobs and a lack of security and a lack of equity knows no race. And the leadership of the PNM has come up with a response — the UNC is to blame. This after almost 18 months in office. The Prime Minister has gone so far as to say that the CEPEP programme was instituted to correct an historical imbalance. Translation — Indians made money in business for too long and now, we are making sure that you have an unfair advantage over them. Is that a statement for a Prime Minister to make?
The Prime Minister went further to say that the Opposition and by extension their supporters are irrelevant to the politics of Trinidad and Tobago. But he blames the UNC’s refusal to support them at the level of the legislature for his Government’s failure. He also said the PNM would pursue constitution reform with or without the Opposition, but blames the belligerence of the UNC for his Government’s inability to act. Morvant, Laventille and Belmont have become the joint crime capitals of the country and the PNM solution is to embrace the criminal element. Mark Guerra had the attention of the Prime Minister, yet desperate workers, facing joblessness and poverty, were ignored by a smug Patrick Manning who quickly entered his car to escape their protest.
Are journalists asleep? Is there no one in our media brave enough to question the PM’s foolish contradictions and point out to him that if he is in control then he is the one to be blamed for failure? More than that, is the media still so unbending in its mission to support the PNM that it cannot tell the Prime Minister that he is speaking out of two sides of his mouth? And that he is sugar coating racist statements in what he thinks is a clever and intelligent manner? Is there no one who would point out to the National Security Minister that he is the man who should sleep the least comfortably at night because of the responsibility he has? Has the country just gone mad?
Is there no one who would question the reason for the PNM pursuing housing programmes in two constituencies where they managed to win by very narrow margins? This when the homes of others in safe Opposition constituencies are being bulldozed. The PNM has even taken to stage-managing a response to the WASA chief executive remuneration scandal. The Prime Minister has gotten involved and the Public Utilities Minister is now saying that he was following the precedent set by the former UNC administration, so if that Government was so corrupt, how the hell can you allow yourself to operate within structures that they operated?
It is clear that the PNM had no real intention to address corruption as they need the freedom to corrupt every process and institution in order to operate the way it wants too. The claims of corruption against the UNC will soon die out, even with the best efforts of PNM faithful in the media. And yet again, the PNM, through its leader, would have foolishly thrown away its opportunity to cement its position in the Government. It is clear that the PNM cares little for what happens in the future. If everything collapses, they would have no problem as long as they are still in charge. I would advise the PM and his ministers that the next time they go abroad, they should take note of those around them, are others smiling with them, or laughing at them?
BF Rambally
Arima
THE EDITOR: For some time now, I have observed with dismay, the continuous fires and deforestation occurring in the surrounding hillsides. The fires have kept the firefighters quite busy (judging from the frequent blaring of sirens) during the day time as well as at night and in fact, pose serious threats to homes, especially where access by the tenders is somewhat restricted. No doubt similar risks are faced by residents in other vicinities across the country.
The existing lack of rainfall upon the land and the resultant heat wave have helped to fuel several fires which to my mind, have been allowed to burn unabated for too long. Whether maliciously, accidentally set or ignited by forces of nature, such uncontrolled fires would produce undesirable hardships or even catastrophic landslides, environmental degeneration and flooding during heavy rainfall.
Another factor of more immediate concern is the health risk presented to young and old alike who are forced to breathe in the sooty air. This continued inhalation of the highly carbonic air, which is spewed from the hillsides and spreads like a giant net suspended from the upper atmosphere, congests the body’s respiratory system, especially in the case of asthmatic patients, etc.
A more serious approach with regards to the igniting and controlling of such fires should be adopted by all citizens, with a view towards preserving life, property and environment. I hereby suggest to the relevant authorities a collaborative effort with regards to introducing aerial fire-fighting as a more effective and preventive approach in such cases. After all, for the sake of our well-being, we must become guardians of our heritage!
ANTHONY JOSEPH
Maraval
