The UNC questioned whether Rowley acted in “good faith” during the meeting Persad-Bissessar on the issues of the ongoing imbroglio in the Judiciary and the “failing” health care system.

“The UNC questions who is really in charge of governing the country – is it Keith Rowley or his errant Ministers? The party calls on the prime minister to clarify whether his request to meet with the leader of the opposition was aimed at coming to a consensus, or was it simply a public relations exercise to give the country the impression that he is willing to resolve the issues plaguing the country,” public relations officer Anita Haynes said in a media release yesterday.

Haynes said after the meeting, Rowley said the two leaders did not agree on the way forward on some issues. Persad-Bissessar maintained a tribunal should be appointed to examine the handling of the appointment of former chief magistrate Marcia Ayers-Caesar as a judge.

Haynes explained although Rowley conceded, he agreed there was good reasoning on her part and he would seek further advice on her recommendation to trigger Section 137 of the Constitution to establish a tribunal.

“In spite of the prime minister’s statement, just one day later Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi stated plainly that his intention is to proceed with legislative intervention because, according to him, the necessary amendments to the Summary Courts Act and the Preliminary Inquiries Act do not require a special majority,” the release stated.

Haynes predicted Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh would soon follow suit to contradict the prime minister’s statements on the opening of the controversial Couva Children’s Hospital.

After the meeting, Rowley said there was a lack of encouraging responses to the Government’s private/public partnership idea for the operationalisation of the hospital. This together with unsafe conditions of the central block of the Port of Spain General Hospital now means Government may need to change its position and utilise the 200-plus beds in the Couva Hospital.

“However, at press conference at the Ministry of Health, Deyalsingh sought to undermine the consultative spirit of Tuesday’s meeting and state that plans to reconstruct the block have been set in motion with Cabinet approval for a new 500- bed block,” Haynes stated.

Haynes charged that Deyalsingh went on the criticise the Couva hospital which Rowley had already stated would need to be utilised.

“Dr Rowley needs to tell the country whether or not Al- Rawi and Deyalsingh are acting as free agents or was it always the intention of the Cabinet to pursue a predetermined agenda regardless of the meeting with Mrs Persad-Bissessar? Either the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing, which is a sign of pure incompetence, or the meeting was an act of wilful deceit and the Government had no intention of adopting a more open and democratic governing style.”

A spokesman for The Falls at West Mall explained the two-month promotion started in May and ended on July 16. Customers were given an entry form after spending $100 or more at any store at the mall.

“We want to make sure the mall is a leading shopping destination in Trinidad and so we are always trying to generate traffic and business for our tenants.

So we decided to do it this way. A car is always very attractive.” Cumberbatch won after shopping at Nigel R Khan but he was not present for the draw.

A release from the Coast Guard said one of its interceptors was on patrol at about 11.43 pm when it saw a 28-foot white pirogue with two men.

As the interceptor approached, the pirogue sped up and the interceptor chased it.

Coast Guard members managed to catch up with the boat and boarded it.

During a search, they allegedly found 52 packages of marijuana with an estimated street value of $375,000 in two bags.

The men were said to be a Venezuelan who was previously held for brining an undocumented Egyptian into the country, and a Trinidadian.

They were detained and handed over to the Organised Crime Narcotics and Firearms Bureau.

Ramkissoon, a fisherman, told Sunday Newsday yesterday he cannot understand why he is being told to move. “My house was destroyed by Tropical Storm Bret and I am in the process of re-building my home,” Ramkissoon said. He said he went to the National Commission for Self Help and received material to start a new home .

“This is why I question this eviction notice.” He said the notice states he has a container on the property but he is denying it saying he never had a container there .

Ramkissoon visited the city corporation on Friday hoping to meet the city engineer .

He said he was told he needs to return tomorrow at 10.30 am .

“I would like the mayor to come down here at King’s Wharf and see how hard we work and how we struggle to make a living.”

However, beedies have nothing to do with hemp but are tobacco wrapped in tendu or temburni leaf. Hemp, on the other hand, is a variation of the cannabis plant but with an insignificant amount, 0.3 percent or less, of THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) which gives marijuana its intoxicating effects. In fact, one web article on hemp stated, “You’d need to smoke a hemp joint the size of a telephone pole to get high.” When entrepreneur Lorenzo Mendez Stewart, 31, thinks of hemp, however, he thinks of hempcrete, and other useful products made from the plant.

Stewart was considering building his own house so he did some research and realised hempcrete, a material made of hemp which is use for construction and insulation, was the best way for him.

He said his research led him to realise that the cost of building materials was very high, making it very difficult for young people wanting to build their own homes to do so.

Hempcrete, he said, was cheaper, environmentally sustainable, and if made correctly, stronger than concrete.

In addition to hempcrete, a long list of products can be derived from the plant. Its seeds and flowers are used in health foods, organic body care, foodstuff such as bread, cereal, protein powder, as well as lubricants, paints, ink, and cosmetics.

The fibres and stalks are used in clothing, construction materials, paper products, biofuel, and plastic composites, including ethanol, animal bedding, mulch, rope, carpet, fibreboard, concrete, cardboard and filters.

He said Canada, Chile and countries in Africa, Asia, the Pacific, and Europe grow hemp commercially. Unfortunately, it is illegal to import the whole plant or grow it in Trinidad and Tobago, as it is a member of the cannabis family. However, by-products and components of the plant could be imported. “Because of it’s close resemblance to marijuana, it’s a bit of a situation to grow it, but we are trying to present the plant and make the people of Trinidad and Tobago aware of it’s nature and ability.” HEMP USES According to Stewart, one acre of land could produce one tonne of hemp, which could produce two three-bedroom houses. He said because the material is cheap to produce and hempcrete could last for centuries, it is perfect for the construction of Housing Development Corporation (HDC) houses.

The hemp plant is composed of the bark, bast fibre, hurd, and a hollow core.

Hempcrete is made by mixing the hurd, which Stewart imported, with a lime-based binder, and water. The hempcrete, which resembles damp straw, is then poured or cast into a frame, tamped, and left to dry.

The material is mostly used to make walls, but is also used to form floor slabs, ceilings, and roof insulation, although it is not suitable for foundations.

Research on hempcrete revealed that the material is breathable so it absorbs and emits moisture, making it able to regulate internal humidity, as well as avoid trapped moisture and mould growth. It also provides good acoustic insulation, is fireproof and earthquake resistant, and provides thermal insulation so that it regulates internal temperatures.

Stewart said hemp is a billion-dollar industry and many jobs can come out of it, from growing to processing to final products.

“A nation’s power is based on the resources a land and its ability to produce, not it’s consumption power…

We want to break the stigmatisation of this plant. It is not marijuana.

This is what could carry Trinidad and Tobago to a next level of production and change its financial dynamic.” He said he believed youths would be interested in the plant as it was part of the Caribbean culture.

He said people have known about or have heard of marijuana and hemp for decades. Yet, he said there was very little opportunity to research hemp in the country.

“There is so much negative news, very little hopeful items in the media. I am presenting this an alternative way to do simple yet positive things. I want to inspire people to see that positive things can be done.” “We want to get the young people back in a position to work and be productive in a field that interests them.

They can grow it and create things out of this. It is an industrious plant. It would be beneficial to society as well as to the environment.” “One of the main reasons I was drawn to hemp was because it is environmentally friendly and sustainable.

The plant absorbs carbon dioxide, it is a sustainable resource, it’s actually good for the soil, and it’s six times stronger that concrete. In fact, as it absorbs carbon from the atmosphere it turns into stone over a period of time.” He said growing hemp would benefit the country, helping it meet the terms of The Montreal Protocol, which, among other things, requires the country to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

Hemp usually takes 12 to 14 weeks to grow.

It is pest and weed resistant, requires very little fertiliser and less water than the average crop. It also enriches and detoxifies soil, and prevents soil erosion.

Stewart recently registered his company, Hempcrete Ltd, with the intention of importing and selling hemp products including oils, hempcrete, clothing. He plans to take more short courses to educate himself on the plant and its uses, especially in the construction industry.

He also wants to hold a workshop and bring in hemp experts and builders to educate people, and intends to start an NGO to bring awareness to hemp, experiment with the plant, and connect various education, government, and civil engineering agencies to move the study and use of hemp forward in this country. He also hopes to one day help create an eco-community, with 100 to 200 homes made of hempcrete and accessorised with other environmentally friendly products.

Project organiser Elizabeth Sealy, speaking with Sunday Newsday after the “Dialogue on Unemployment and Career Fair” at the Woodbrook Youth Facility, Port of Spain, said the morning session was geared towards having a dialogue between the employers and the union.

She said invitations were sent to umbrella unions Federation of Independent Trade Unions and Non-Governmental Organisations (FITUN), Joint Trade Union Movement (JTUM) and the National Trade Union Centre (NATUC). She said only NATUC said they may not have been able to make it but they did not receive any response from FITUN or JTUM.

Sealy said they were hoping the unions would have attended as Employers Consultative Association (ECA) Chairman Keston Nancoo was in attendance.

“The dialogue on unemployment had to do with sharing information between the parties on the economic situation and addressing employment challenges.

The ECA was there on behalf of employers and they shared their thoughts. It would have been a balanced view if the unions were there and gave thoughts or gave ideas in terms of solutions.” She said about 30 people attended the career fair and they had hoped more would have turned out. She said schools were closed so it would have been difficult for students to have been organised to attend. The organisers were, nonetheless, heartened by the quality of the presentations.

Alexis was shot dead on July 17, 2016 at his car wash off Freedom Street. Customer Kevin Escayg, 43, and another man, Thomas Hamza Sharpe, also died in that shooting.

Sunday Newsday spoke with head of the Crown Trace Mosque Imam Morland Lynch who said since Alexis’ killing there has been a new influx of more brazen criminals in Crown Trace, Enterprise.

“I don’t think everyone has moved on,” Lynch said. “It’s gotten worse and it will continue to get worse before it gets any better. Just last week they killed a businessman by the name of Joey because he refused to pay protection money to some guys who recently moved into the neighbourhood. What these guys are doing is not only killing the residents, they’re also killing the community because a lot of these businesses are forced to close down.” Lynch, who lost his son Akmal to gun violence in 2015, has since lobbied for an end to ongoing violence between warring gangs in the community. Asked what it would take for Enterprise to leave behind it’s history of crime and violence, Lynch said residents should focus on the future and leave the past in the past.

“People need to start healing again. They need to be able to take back their communities from these people that are coming in and doing what they want.

We also need more officers who are above corruption, who can put these guys away once and for all. We won’t be able to see any kind of change unless we get that support from the police.” Sunday Newsday spoke to a longtime Chaguanas resident, who asked only to be identified as Dennis, who claimed he witnessed Alexis’ assassination.

“I saw it from over the road.

One of those fellas had a long machine gun. They stood over his head and fired down at him.

They wanted him dead and they weren’t going to take any chances.” After Alexis’ death, tensions rose as residents feared they would have been caught in the crossfire of gang warfare. They say while the tension has eased slightly, the threat of violence is never far as many refuse to venture out after dark.

On December 4, 2016, Alexis’ brother Mervyn, 46, was shot dead along Railway Road in Enterprise.

On March 24 this year, another sibling, Sylvan Alexis, 60, was shot and killed at Francois Street.

“Here is not like it used to be,” one resident said. “Back in the day you could have gone out to a movie, but I wouldn’t take the chance now. Too many young fellas with a short fuse out here.” Sunday Newsday spoke with ASP Richard Smith, supervising officer of Operation Enterprise — a community-based initiative of the Police Service in Enterprise, who confirmed while there has been a recent upsurge in reprisal killings in the community and environs, the police, through a variety of community outreach programmes and more routine patrols, have arrested the crime rate.

“Before we (the TTPS) stepped up operations in the community there was an upsurge in reprisal killings especially in March where we had about ten murders for that month alone,” Smith said. “But since we went into the area and began our operations we’ve seen a dramatic reduction in the incidence of crime.” Smith credits the reduction in the incidence of violent crime not only to “hard” tactics, but also to more inclusive, community- based approaches.

“We’ve established the Enterprise community council, we also have a youth camp at the Enterprise Government Primary School. Since we’ve occupied the community, we’ve only had one murder and that was outside our area of operations. And since then, we’ve extended our reach to other areas in order to increase and improve our capacities.” While crime and violence in Enterprise appears to have remained stagnant for now, many residents are still unconvinced the changes are permanent as one elder explained, the violence is seasonal.

“It comes and goes like the wet season. Right now we haven’t seen much of it but who knows in the next few months that will change. We haven’t seen the last of it.”

Exams will always be there.

They are part of the education system at all levels.

SE A is just the current process to place children in secondary schools of their choice, with everyone given the same opportunity.

Whether we like it or not, exams are always stressful. And we all face exams at some stage.

SE A does not discard any children as efforts are made to place all students, despite their marks.

So I cannot agree that “SE A is doing violence to children.” It is the best method presently and until something better comes along we need to continue.

ARNOLD GOPEESINGH via email

“The Islamic Front would not stand idly by in the face of an act which is bound to erode public trust in our security forces, Abdullah said.

“This approach to battling the challenges of crime and corruption in our nation must be reviewed.

Those responsible for this behaviour must be brought to account and pay a heavy price,” Abdullah said.

Conflicting reports surrounds the shooting death of Martins said to be a member of the Unruly ISIS gang (now referred to as the Masjid of Peace) which is based in Enterprise, Chaguanas. Police said shortly before 4 pm on Friday, Martins opened fire at their members who returned fire at Caroni Savannah Road, Chaguanas, near a car dealership.

However there is a claim that Martins, formerly of Diego Martin, was unarmed and police simply shot and killed him while speaking to a businessman. Martins, police said, was wanted for a series of capital offences including murder. Police investigators said Martins had gone to the businessplace to collect tax (a form of payment businessmen make to criminals to forego being robbed and kidnapped).

However, Martins’ associates claimed he had gone there with over $20,000 to purchase a car.

Yesterday Abdullah said he contacted head of the Police Complaints Authority David West about the issue. In a media release yesterday, he said West is awaiting an official complaint tomorrow.

The Imam called for the immediate suspension of the police involved and added witnesses and video footage would be made available.

“From the information received, we are of the firm belief that officer (name called) and his men should be investigated for the homicide of Jelani Martins and the unaccounted $21,500 which he had on his person. (Name of businessman) was taken into custody.

A story, we understand, is now being concocted to say Jelani went to rob and shoot him.” Abdullah said Martins’ killing is not sitting well with Islamic Front.

“This act by the TTPS (TT Police Service) is going to tarnish and deliver a heavy blow to an already ugly image and will further degrade the public perception of the entire service.” He accused the police of showing its inability to act positively and appropriately to curb the exploding crime rate and the inherent social and economic challenges.

The TTPS seems to be evolving into a “plague with a purpose” to destroy the poor family structure which is the basic building block of society, Abdullah added.

After the shooting on Friday, Martins was taken to the Chaguanas Health Facility where he died.

But tension erupted with relatives and friends expressing anger over the killing. Members of the Defence Force and police had to be called in to quell the angry mob.

Up to yesterday the businessman was assisting police with the investigations.

Efforts to contact Williams yesterday proved futile as calls to his phone went unanswered yesterday

In a letter yesterday, Maharaj said there were reports in the media on Friday that the Judiciary has moved to seal all the documents filed.

“It is to be noted that the President under the law can only be sued in the name of the Attorney General. This is made clear by the State Liability and Proceedings Act.” Maharaj said he was contacted by reporters who asked whether it was true the proceedings were sealed since some of them went to the Registry in the Port of Spain High Court to ask about the claim and were told by officials at the counter those proceedings were sealed.

“I informed the media that no application to seal these proceedings were served on me or my law firm and the procedure required to seal the proceedings required an application to be made to a judge.” He said he sent a letter to the Registrar of the Supreme Court on Friday.

“I wanted her to inform me if the proceedings were sealed, and if so, what was the process used for such an order to be have been made.” Maharaj said he has not received any response to his letter.

“It must be presumed therefore that no application was made to a judge for these proceedings to be sealed and no judge has made any order for these proceedings to be sealed.” Maharaj said “sealed” may have been a wrong term used to members of the media in describing restrictions.

“Using the term that the proceedings were sealed could have given the impression that there was a court order with the consequence that the hearing of the proceedings would be conducted in private.

There is a distinction for non-parties to proceedings to be denied access to documents filed in court…