N Touch

TT – historically a lawless nation…

THE EDITOR: Our nation recently celebrated forty years of Independence and the hopes and dreams of those who were alive at the time of this historic event were —“Together We Aspire, Together We Achieve.” 

However, having graduated from ‘youth’ to ‘middle age’, this vision for the nation is further away than it appeared on August 31, 1962. Violent crime continues at an unprecedented level. Blame it on the ‘fresh water yankees’ or home grown talent, the reality is that citizens of Trinidad & Tobago are killing each other.  Were we one of the tourist-based eco-nomies of Caricom, I wonder how much worse it could have been (without our God-given petroleum reserves). At the same time, the absence of real productivity in either the state or private sector is cause for alarm. The cry from every office building is that of ‘underpaid’ or ‘under-valued’, never ‘under-performing’. Yet, a visit to most government offices or large commercial enterprises is a far cry from a customer service success story. The impasse in the Health Sector gives us an opportunity to examine these factors — lawlessness and productivity — in the context of our maturing society. The doctors, in their desire for improved working conditions and the right to free association, have decided that they need MPATT.

Irrespective of the fact that there is a legal process for recognition and certification, we see one of our most learned professions openly flouting the law to achieve their ends. But in doing so, the doctors are not inclined to agree to any conditions that would limit their private practices or cause them to actually put in a day’s work for a day’s pay. For them, the  model set by a former MP is quite acceptable — work two jobs, receive two salaries.
Their hippocratic oath aside, they appear to be simply living off the backs of the poor who must use the Public Health facilities. For those who look on at this troubling situation and wonder how we could have reached here, do not fear — it is simply history repeating itself. In the early 1980’s, the teachers did the very same thing; demanded that teachers represent them to better promote their needs. Some of us can remember the ferocity of the struggle for their share of the pie. A cursory review of the legacy of TTUTA today shows that the teachers have continued to make important and meaningful inroads in the development and recognition of their profession.

Yet, without the introduction of appropriate systems, it is also true that absenteeism, truancy and poor work habits are now critical elements contributing to the wounded education sector and the state of our Secondary schools. Dr Morgan Job has often asked that the ordinary citizen ‘do the math’. By this he means that we must be the ones who determine if the value we receive from the Public (and Private) Sector is acceptable.
And in those cases where the value does not meet expectation then we must protest such situations. Why do we wait for the Minister of Health to ‘bell the cat’? When the doctors received their interim payment in March 2002, a statement was made on a popular talk show that ‘we should now expect a day’s work for the increased day’s pay. The past eight months prove the response to this simple plea.

Interestingly enough, neither the doctors nor the RHAs were prepared to introduce systems to ensure compliance with conditions for hours of work and private practice. In this we see the failure of those elements that should be working to improve the Health Sector, essentially abandoning the patients — who are the entire reason for their existence — to the vagaries of the system. We are all aware of the refrain ‘those who do not learn from history, are doomed to repeat it’.  Yes, a specialised fraternity can be well represented by its own; but not without the necessary expertise in the other areas critical to successful negotiations. At the same time, there is little benefit in emphasising clauses in a contract when no mechanisms exist to monitor compliance and deliver appropriate action.

Louis R Hernandez Diego Martin

NACTA poll under scrutiny

THE EDITOR: The timing and results of the recent NACTA poll are passing strange. Even more uncanny is that various aspects of the poll were published in the three dailies over a period of a week, and not one of the dailies published the poll in its entirety.

Perhaps this is an indication that the media brigade of the unholy alliance are closing ranks and rallying the troops in a final coup d’grace against the political party they hold in disdain, and which is now in opposition. Nevertheless, the so called findings of the poll must have brought cheerful glee into the hearts of many. Once more, they are in a delirium of joy as they were on the night of October 7, 2002. Meanwhile, NACTA has succeeded in throwing a murky mantel of gloom on all UNC followers. NACTA would have us believe that the anti-Panday invectives over the years, intended to besmirch his character, have taken root in the hearts of the most loyal UNC supporters. They have been inculcated by the unholy alliance that the former Prime Minister and his party are the bane of our nation. However, it appears that the weak hearted have become numb because it seems no one can smell the aroma of balisier coffee emanating from the NACTA office.

Was the fickleness of public opinion taken into consideration by NACTA so that a scientific, logical margin of error could be determined? Why did none of the daily newspapers publish the details and intricacies of the poll along with pie charts, graphs, and tables? The integrity of the individuals who interviewed the respondents should also be considered. There must be some assurance that they were not influenced by those who share a common rancour and never miss an opportunity to inveigh against the UNC and its leader. Surely a more appropriate poll should have been conducted on the leadership of the PNM and the quality of governance over the last fourteen months. The PNM now reigns supreme over the present parlous state of national affairs, while our country experiences extreme turbulence daily. NACTA should have done a more relevant poll on Mr Manning, with his veneer of holiness, his gaffes, his arrogance. Instead Mr Bisram chose to focus on the leadership of the UNC which is a non-issue at the moment and which, in any case, will be settled in June by the UNC membership.

Notwithstanding the accuracy of past NACTA polls, this recent one is spurious. It is obviously a fiendish, sinister plot to demoralise the Indo population and break their fragile spirits, while the ultimate, lustful aim is to grind the UNC into the dust of history. This poll deserves the same fate as that loathsome contract the brave doctors so rightly burned last month. It should be drenched in kerosene and put to the match.
WARD (Women Against Racism and Dictatorship) Shivanna Dipnarine, Anna Lisa Basoo, Sharon Zainab, Julie Bickram, Aasha Naphtali, Kavita Ramnarinesingh, and Kassandra Bell.


SHIVANNA DIPNARINE
Vistabella
San Fernando

NFM talks bread

National Flour Mills (NFM) recently hosted the first in a series of Bakers’ Seminars in keeping with the organisation’s thrust to provide baking practitioners with the necessary skills to assist them in their daily functions.

A total of 52 persons representing bakeries and catering operations throughout the country attended the seminar which was held on February 15 and 16, at the NFM Sports Club, Silo House, and the TT Hospitality and Tourism Institute, Chaguaramas. They were educated on the theoretical aspects of baking, as well as the principles of bread making, factors affecting bread making, quality control of wheat and flour, functions of ingredients, effective marketing of finished goods and an overview of the flour milling process. The participants were also treated to a tour of the flour mills.

CEO of NFM Michael Potella welcomed participants, while Chairman of the Bakers’ Association Leon Phillips delivered the feature address. Facilitators at the two-day seminar included a cross functional team of employees of NFM who possess approximately 65 years of experience in flour milling collectively. Participants were presented with Certi-ficates of Partici-pation and commemorative gifts courtesy NFM. The series of seminars will continue in Central and South TT in the near future.

Gellineau leaves for Aruba conference

MICHELLE Gellineau, Events Management Consultant of the Caribbean Confederation of Credit Unions (CCCU) left for Aruba Friday to plan a major conference of the Caribbean body, to be held in that country.

Together with the Chief Executive Officer of the Confederation, Martin Guevara, Gellineau will hold discussions with credit unions and the Ministry responsible for credit unions in Aruba. The 46th annual International Convention of CCCU will be held in Aruba from July 19 to 26. About 700 participants from member countries are expected to take part in this year’s convention, registration for which has already begun. This year’s theme is “Co-operative Expansion through Regional Integration”. Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves is booked to address the convention. The CCCU draws its membership from all Caribbean States, including Trinidad and Tobago. It has a membership of well over a million and is an executive member of the World Council of Credit Unions.

Woman caught with knife in underwear

A 19-YEAR-OLD Tunapuna woman, suspected of being part of a gang of pickpocketers, was allegedly held with a knife in her underwear at the Play Whe Brass Festival at PSA Grounds, St James, on Saturday.
The woman’s 20-year-old boyfriend, of La Horquetta, Arima, was also arrested. They are due to appear before a Port-of-Spain Magistrate today to answer the charges
The couple was arrested after members of the Guard and Emergency Branch (GEB) were called out to investigate a report that Noel Wilson, of Champs Fleurs, was robbed of $120 about 20 feet from the stage.
Wilson reported to the police that he felt a hand in one of his front pants pocket. He looked up and saw a man, who snatched his money and ran away. The man, clad in black pants and white jersey, was in company with a woman who was dressed in a pink and white suit, and two other people.
Wilson said he ran after his attackers and saw the woman putting his money in her shoes.  He made a report to GEB officers.
About eight GEB officers went after the four people.  However, they were only able to hold two of them, while their accomplices fled the scene.
The young woman was taken to an enclosed area and searched by a female officer, who allegedly found the knife in her underwear. Police felt the knife was in their possession in the event of any confrontation.
The woman and her male companion were taken to the St Clair Police Station where the woman was charged with larceny and possession of a dangerous weapon, while her boyfriend was charged with larceny.
Sr Supt Shahid Ali, head of the Port-of-Spain Division, in charge of the police operations at the fete, confirmed the incident and said it was the only one.
Ali thanked the patrons for their good behaviour. 
“All the plans we put in place worked. That was the only instance and we dealt with it expeditiously.”

Aloes, Denyse, and Chalkdust — favourites for monarch title

CALYPSO’S top favourites came through in the first of two rounds last night at the De Luxe Entertainment Centre where TUCO’s National Calypso King and Queen finals drew a large audience.
Reigning king and queen – Sugar Aloes, and Denyse Plummer – seemed set to retain their titles as they rendered two of their top tunes. Aloes sang about “My Only Wish”, while Denyse sang “Honour Thy Mother” with appropriate props. Aloes’ only wish is to get some good news one day, while Denyse sang of the pains a mother goes through in life.
The opening six contestants, including joint Young Kings holder, Skatie, all set the programme at a high level backed up by much good music.
 “The Same Side” sung by Explainer; “How Much” is Enough” by Kelvin “Duke” Pope; “Mr Indian” by Mystic Prowler; “Holding on to T&T” by Marvelous Marva, “Breaking the Deadlock” by Luta, and “One Man, One Man Alone” sung by Skatie, all drew lusty rounds of applause from the audience. but the funniest tune was sung by ‘Bomber’ with his “Once Upon a Time” who had the crowd in stitches of laughter. Another crowd pleaser was Macomere Fifi who sang on the “World Crisis”. From last evening’s show in which each of the 24 contestants sang two tunes nine finalists will be chosen to challenge the reigning monarch on Sunday night at the Dimanche Gras at the Queen’s Park Savannah.

Renegades, Success cop Junior Pan title

By Joan Rampersad


THE bpTT Youth Steel Orchestra and the Success Stars Pan Sounds were declared joint winners of the National Junior Panorama Competition held yesterday at the Queen’s Park Savannah. Renegades Youths performed an Amrit Samaroo arrangement of “Music In We Blood” to the delight of the small crowd at the Savannah, while Success Stars Pan Sounds did Kareem Brown/Ben Jackson’s arrangement of “Trini to The Bone”, an Ian Wiltshire composition.
The show started at 12 noon on a high note, with the Bishop’s Anstey High School playing an upbeat Gerard Boucaud arrangement of Len “Boogsie” Sharpe’s and Anthony Alexis’ “Music In We Blood”. That performance set the tone for the rest of the afternoon.
There were notable performances from Woodbrook Government Secondary, St Augustine Senior Secondary and El Dorado Secondary Comprehensive.
At the end of the actual competition, before the guest performances by soca stars Maximus Dan, Rupee and Bunji Garlin, a large contingent of police officers converged on the venue to reinforce security. Judges at yesterday’s competition were Merle Albino De Coteau, Cuthbert Matthews, Candice Achaiba, Felix Roach and Junior Howell. The competition ended at 4.49 pm but the results were not given until 6.10 pm.


Here are the full results:


1st   Bptt Renegades Youth Steel Orchestra   266
1st   Success Stars Pan Sounds   266
3rd   St. Augustine Senior Secondary   262
4th   Woodbrook Government Secondary   260
5th   El Dorado Senior Comprehensive   257
6th   Bishop’s Anstey High School   255
7th   Golden Hands   252
8th   Point Fortin Combined Schools   250
9th   Katzenjammers Kids   249
10th   Mucurapo Senior Comprehensive   247
11th   San Fernando Secondary   236
12th   Febeau Primary   230
13th   St. Margaret’s Boys   226

Coroner says shooting death was an accident

CHIEF MAGISTRATE Sherman Mc Nicholls has ruled as an accident the death of a 31-year-old fisherman who was shot dead by a police corporal in a bar in Moruga two years ago.
Mc Nicholls gave the ruling at the Princes Town Magistrates’ Court at the end of a coroner’s inquest into the death of Michael Anthony, a father of two, of La Lune Village, Moruga. In giving his decision, the Chief Magistrate said Anthony’s death was accidental, caused by a bullet. He said there was no evidence to suggest that an arrestable offence was committed.
During the inquest, 22 witnesses gave evidence. The coroner heard that around 8.30 pm on September 10, 2000, Corporal Zenus Williams, who was attached to the Tableland Police Station, along with a colleague went to Little Palace Restaurant and Bar at Torib Tabaquite Road, where he met the deceased.
At the time, Williams was armed with a self loading rifle and a revolver. Mc Nicholls heard that the policeman walked up to Anthony who was sitting and his weapon went off, discharging a single shot which struck Anthony on the left side of his neck and exited through his right nostril.
Williams was suspended from police force following the incident and an investigation was launched. ASP Gopiechan Ganga spearheaded investigations and submitted a file to then Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Mark Mohammed who ordered an inquest into the killing.
Mc Nicholls gave his decision after hearing lengthy legal submissions from Faraz Mohammed who appeared on behalf of the family of the deceased and Subhas Panday who represented Cpl Williams.

Man spends four extra years in jail awaiting appeal

By Theron Boodan


A MAN spent over four extra  years in jail awaiting his appeal which was not filed on time, the Court of Appeal heard on Friday. 
When Lennox Jones’ magisterial appeal finally came up before Justice Wendell Kangaloo (President) and Justice Stanley John, his attorney Lennox Sankersingh asked the court to revisit its earlier decision on the late filing of appeals by prisoners. Several late appeals had been filed through no fault of the prisoners because of the way the law is structured. The court ruled that it cannot hear these appeals.
Sankersingh noted that the mere fact that a prisoner had been denied his right of appeal was a grave  injustice, and suggested that the court revisit its ruling and re-address the issue.
Justice Kangaloo explained that the court was  bound by its previous decision and must comply with stare decisis (a binding decision by a higher court). 
The court observed that since Jones had no appeal pending, his sentence had started from date of conviction and as a result, he had more than served his prison term.
The State was represented by Deputy DPP Carla Brown Antoine.
Jones was arrested on December 20, 1995, after the police seized five rounds of ammunition, a teargas grenade and a firearm, at his Caledonia, Morvant home. He was found guilty and sentenced on October 7, 1996,  to 12 months for teargas possession, 18 months for ammunition and 36 months for the firearm, by Magistrate Ramraj Harripersad. These sentences were to run concurrently, so Jones would have to only serve the 36 months, which in prison years would total two calendar years.
Jones was supposed to have been released on October 7, 1998, but because he filed an appeal, he remained in custody until 2003. 
On the date of conviction and sentence, Jones signed the notice of appeal, but it was not taken before the Clerk of the Peace until October 25, 1996.

Young scholar brings honour to Tobago

TODAY’S HEROES of the School System salutes a young man of the sister island of Tobago, who through his academic endeavours has brought recognition and honour to not only himself and his school, but to the entire island as well.
Seventeen-year-old Kristy-Jo Sebro of Bacolet Point, Scarborough, Tobago, is a Form Six student of the illustrious Bishops High School, where incidentally, his father Finbar Sebro is the Acting Principal.
Already a household name in Tobago, Kristy-Jo revealed that he was successful at the Common Entrance Examination, now referred to as the Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA), as he placed second in the exam throughout the island.
Following this, he said he always tried to maintain his grades in high school, and during the CXC Exam, Kristy-Jo had the dubious honour of copping first place in the Caribbean region in the Technical Vocational area.
He explained that he received an award for Technical Vocational subjects which included Electronics, Computer Engineering and Technical Drawing.
A ceremony was held in December of 2002 in St Kitts, and Kristy-Jo said the three day long celebration entailed a tour of the island, and the hot spots which one could visit.
It was concluded by a prize-giving ceremony, in which he was presented with a full scholarship to UWI in whatever area he was desirous of studying.
Kristy-Jo is currently pursuing Physics and Chemistry at A Levels, but expressed high hopes of achieving his life-long ambition of becoming a computer engineer.
Questioned as to how he juggled a demanding workload to achieve academic success, Kristy-Jo stated: “I just try to keep up a regular work schedule, so that when a teacher appoints work to be done, I do it to the best of my ability.
“Keep repeating and doing things which were taught  for the last couple of months, so that it sticks in your brain and you do not forget it.”
Proving the theory that an individual has to balance school with hobbies, Kristy-Jo said outside of school, he was a part-time DJ, playing at small parties and private functions.
He also said he enjoyed inventing and exploring the latest gadgets in music and audio systems.
Hailing from a long line of scholars, Kristy’s Jo’s oldest brother Kirby is a doctor working in Manchester, England, while his sister Tamara is a dentist working right here in Trinidad.
His brothers Ronnie and Stephen are at Harvard University studying for a Ph D and at Bishops High School, respectively, and his sister Candace is completing her final year of Computer Science Studies.
His parents Joan and Finbar Sebro have accepted the responsibility of fostering a learning environment and ensuring that discipline are instilled in students of the Roxborough Secondary Center and Bishops High School, respectively.
Kristy-Jo’s impressive awards collection contains the Amoco 1997 Common Entrance Award for outstanding performance in Tobago; the Graduation Award in 2002 for Most Outstanding Student in Biology, Mathematics, and Information Technology; and the CXC 2002 Award for Most Outstanding student in Technical and Vocational subjects in the Caribbean region.
On another note, Kristy-Jo copped the second prize in the 2002 Prime Minister’s Innovation and Invention Awards, for inventing an alternative and more efficient braking system for motor vehicles.
Kristy-Jo said he was motivated to develop the system because he was traumatised by the carnage on the nation’s roadways, and the number of fatal accidents which claimed the lives of loved ones.
He felt a more efficient, effective braking system would be instrumental in saving lives. Judges at the competition lauded the invention, which they felt would revolutionise the motor vehicle industry.
Kristy-Jo’s father, Finbar, described him as “dedicated to whatever he does”.
“He is a loving, caring person, who is always working on some invention, and loves music with a passion.”
Teachers at the Scarborough Secondary and Bishops High Schools described him as a well-disciplined, well-rounded and organised student who not only thinks of himself, but of others as well.
In the next five years, Kristy-Jo hopes to be established as a computer engineer, and laughingly claimed that he hoped to be working for Microsoft or some other large computer manufacturer.
Asked to advise students writing the CXC examination this year, Kristy-Jo replied “be yourself and be calm, but study early, so that you are relaxed and calm for the exam”.
The above information was researched by the Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers’ Association (TTUTA).