While CWC must sell its TSTT stake in order prevent a conflict of interest in CWC buying TSTT’s rival telecom firm Flow, Elias said CWC’s inability to get a buyer after 18 months of offering the shares for sale meant the asking-price was too high. He said the price of CWC’s shares is affected by the fact that anyone buying a minority stake in TSTT will be subjected to the majority shareholder National Enterprises Limited (NEL). “That affects the price,” he reasoned. He suggested, “Maybe patriotic citizens could buy it as an investment.” Elias scoffed at a conspiracy theory that Massy would use its $255 million to try to buy the CWC’s stake, saying Massy wants to leave the telecom sector and return to its core business. He nonetheless quipped, “$255 million would be a steal.” Elias used the opportunity to urge listeners to “come home” to TSTT, saying that an anticipated award of a 750 mega hertz licence to TSTT would boost the mobility, speed and geographical accessibility of their services.

“I hope the people saying they have a stake are also our customers and are not running to the competition.

I hope they come home.” Elias defended the company’s $255 million purchase of Massy Communication’s amid TSTT’s planned expenditure of $3.8 billion but was unable to state the company’s debt.

He justified buying Massy Communications by saying that such acquisitions are for TSTT’s growth.

He said TSTT’s Management’s Five Year Strategic Plan was accepted by the board, Cabinet and the bank(s) that had loaned the company $1.9 billion. Elias justified TSTT’s non-disclosure to Cabinet of the Massy deal beforehand by saying that any such disclosure to a single shareholder would be a violation of the Securities Act that could have seen him jailed for seven years and fined $5 million. TSTT was also bound by a non-disclosure agreement signed with Massy.

Further, asked about a duty to notify Cabinet under the State Companies Operations Manual, Elias said TSTT is not a State enterprise, but a company governed by the Companies Act and Securities Act. Asked if Finance Minister Colm Imbert’s nod was needed for the Massy deal, Elias said if such had happened this would have brought allegations of political interference.

Asked about Opposition claims that the Massy deal was $30 million above a $225 million ceiling approved by the board, Elias said , “Management’s judgement was that the business was worth a lot more than $225 million. We think we got an excellent deal.” He said the purchase had included some US$20 million (about $130 million) in fibre- optics laid down by Massy in some areas. Further this acquisition saved TSTT having to find US$20 million in foreign exchange to buy its own fibre optics for installation, in addition to him previously saying it speeded up TSTT’s rollout process.

Further TSTT gains thousands of existing Massy clients. He said the board and management think the Massy buy was “a fantastic deal”.

Elias said TSTT last year had a $300 million net loss, comprised of a combination of a $200 million profit and a $500 million write down of old equipment. “This year will be a profit,” he vowed.

He described TSTT’s debt as healthy, at a debt-servicing obligation of 2.5 percent times its cashflow (known as EBITDA) compared to a telecom rival’s ratio of five times their EDBTDA.

Replying to a phone-in query by activist Harvey Borris, Elias said TSTT has proper documents to show the Massy purchase was a good deal. “Accountability will be provided. We’ll account with auditted accounts, one per year. People will feel good once they understand it.”

Displays were of a high standard and featured many spectacular, high quality plants.

Three TT OS awards of quality were awarded. Awards of Merit were given to Wilmotteara Hamlyn’s Glory “Sara Rehana” 83 points; Dendrobium antennatum “Gran Couva”, 82 points. This plant also captured the Best in Show trophy, Best Cultural Award and a Gold Medal. A Highly Commended Certificate was awarded to Vanda lamellate var boxialli ‘Reza” HCC/TT OS, 79 pts.

The TT OS’s second biannual show will be held in Port-of- Spain in October

Justice Frank Seepersad last month struck out the Federation’s preliminary objection to Williams’ lawsuit, in which Williams is seeking $11.38 million compensation, for “harsh and oppressive” actions against her. He also said that the case was of national importance. Justice Seepersad’s ruling paved the way for Williams’ claim to move to the trial stage.

At yesterday’s hearing, Justice Seepersad issued directions for the filing of witness statements before September 29. A pretrial review will take place on October 3, at which a trial date will be fixed. The judge has, however, indicated that the trial will be heard this year and possible dates are being looked at in November, or early December.

In his ruling last month, Justice Seepersad noted that Williams had alleged that the federation’s former executive members had colluded and conspired amongst themselves to ensure that she was not able to participate in the Rio Olympics. “These are serious complaints that go to the root of the first defendant’s (TTGF’s) method of operation,” the judge said, adding that some aspects of Williams’ lawsuit cannot be adequately addressed by way of dispute resolution.

He also noted Williams’ ‘deep-rooted concerns’ of the dispute resolution process being fair, independent, and impartial given the composition of the disciplinary committee.

“The issues in this matter are of national importance,” he said. She was replaced by Marisa Dick as TT’s representative to the Rio Olympic Games.

The problem has gone on for too long and it is not good for the capital city nor the country as a whole. It is not proper for citizens to be living on the street. Look at the sanitary conditions and how they handle their bathroom issues. If we are confessing care, let us show it.

It is also not fair to citizens living, working, shopping or simply visiting Port-of-Spain to have to encounter this situation everyday. What would visitors to the country think? Let us stop the talk and treat everyone fairly, including the homeless. Please do something about this problem.

ARNOLD GOPEESINGH via email

Gobblin’ is a comical look at greed and corruption in the world today from a Gobblin’ perspective. The Gobblins inhabit a society of calumny and conspiracy, where might is right and the winner takes all and the devil takes the hindmost.

Gobblin’ depicts a mischievous, ugly, dwarf-like creature of folklore, now come to life as a contemporary self-absorbed, self-contemptuous, narcissistic creature of insatiable appetite and unbridled ambition fuelled by ego, insecurity, hyper competitiveness, malice and spite and a gargantuan disdain for humanity.

Lilliput encourages self-confidence and builds strong minds through the challenge of theatre, game play and imagination, sad a media release. With its distinctive approach to instructing dance and drama, the company continues to harnesses the performing arts as a medium to help shape and build character of our youth.

The company is known for staging thought-provoking productions that challenge audiences to visage alternative political, social and cultural views. The young thespians have risen to the challenge of creating and scripting a play from the creative concepts of costume designer, Merylle Mahabir, the release stated. Through this process, creative writing is used to explore sophisticated ideas as an integral part of their writing process. Under the tutelage of the talented Wendell Manwarren, with the support of drama tutors Elisha Efau Bartels and Tonya Evans, Gobblin’ promises to entertain, excite and thrill it’s audience.

The production runs from May 19 to 21 and show times are 7.30 pm on May 19 and 5.30pm on May 20 and 21.

For more info: the Gobblin’ Facebookevent page at https:// www.facebook.com/lilliputchildrenstheatre/ or Twitter @NDLFA or email keishaj.alexander@ hotmail.com Photos Courtesy: Roba Ofil

These were sentiments expressed by Leader of Government Business Franklin Khan, Senate President Christine Kangaloo, Temporary UNC Senator Chrislyn Moore and Independent Senator David Small as they paid tribute to Dumas who died on Sunday.

They extended condolences to his family.

The Senate observed a minute’s of silence in his honour.

Describing Dumas as “a true soldier in the red army” as they would say in PNM style, Khan said that Dumas passing was “very personal” to him as they both became ill at about the same time in December last year.

Immediately after he underwent a by-pass surgery for his heart, Khan said, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley told him that “Stretch suffered a stroke.” Since then he had been getting weekly updates from “Auntie Joan who I call the mother of the PNM,” he said.

Reviewing Dumas nine years of ministerial service under then prime minister Patrick Manning and as a senator, Khan said, Dumas performed creditably in all his functions and had a clear and analytical mind.

When he joined the current PNM Government in 2015 and given the local government and rural development portfolio, he said, Dumas was very instrumental in helping in him carrying out his duties. At the level of the party, he said that Dumas was the voice of the PNM calling for changes to the party’s constitution.

Dumas, he said, played leading roles in the Tobago House of Assembly elections and in the call for Tobago’s autonomy.

In her tribute, Moore said, their relationship was also personal as Dumas and her father were inseparable before her father had a stroke.

“He was one of ours.

He could be found at a village watering hole in Plymouth and across Tobago,” she said.

In his later life, she said, “He (Dumas) suffered great hardship. He appeared to be alone.” However, she said, his true friends and family were there with him to the end.

Small in his tribute said that Dumas served with distinction. When he was ministry of labour, Small said, he was also attached to the ministry and they would meet each other at events.

He described him as one of the most affable ministers, and his demise “Evokes a sense of loss” as he was dedicated to the advancement of Trinidad and Tobago.

Order of TT McArthur Sandy-Lewis (Calypso Rose) and Winston Bailey (Shadow), calypso Earl “Barney” Rodney, pannist, composer, and arranger and Leroy Calliste (Black Stalin), calypso

Chaconia Gold Sonja Dumas, dance; Michelle Lee Ahee and Cleopatra Borel, athletics Neville Jules, pannist and arranger Michael Boothman (guitarist), calypso, jazz, and art Jones P Madeira, Winston Maynard and Eddison Carr, broadcast journalism Winston Peters (Gypsy), calypso, extempo, and public service

Medal of Merit Michael Paul, boxing and community service Edwin Ayoung (Crazy), calypso and parang Francine Edwards (Singing Francine), calypso Winston Henry (Explainer), calypso Daniel Brown (Trinidad Rio), calypso Donrick Williamson (Funny), calypso Sylvester Lockhart (Poser), calypso Learie Joseph and Tommy Joseph, comedy Phillip Murray (Black Sage), calypso and extempo Fortunia Ruiz (trumpeter), music and calypso

These are deserving heroes of TT .

KEITH ANDERSON via email

Marijuana messes with brain areas called the cerebellum and basal ganglia, which regulate balance, posture and reaction time. When these areas are disturbed, the user has a harder time walking and talking correctly, becoming quite clumsy.

It also impacts their ability to drive. This makes it dangerous for someone to properly use the roads and results in increased risk of accidents.

Particularly important for young people to know is the difficulty of sober thinking or problem solving and impairment of memory and learning.

These difficulties can last for as long as six weeks after marijuana use.

Heavy abusers of marijuana were discovered to suffer damage to social life, job or career status and cognitive ability.

Schoolwork and the achievement of goals were also found to deteriorate.

SIMON WRIGHT Chaguanas

The Judiciary plays an indispensable role in this type of political system since an essential pillar of democracy is the rule of law. Political morality can never be aspired to, far less claimed, without regard to the paramount importance of the rule of law.

The legitimacy of the institutions of the legal system in a democratic system of governance is intimately intertwined with the perceived importance of the rule of law.

The latter comprises a number of principles of a formal and procedural character, which addresses the way in which a community is governed (Stanford). If we acknowledge that there are norms to which we must adhere, and which pertain to how society is governed, then the inescapable reality must be that there are commensurate procedural principles that must be adhered to with equal vigour and by which these norms are administered.

These procedural principles, if they are to be followed, require institutions such as courts and an independent judiciary that are perceived at least to be credible.

So, on the one hand, we have a prospective judge plucked out of many others like her, through a process that is as opaque as an aged cataract, by a handful of retirees who seem to have bungled the process.

On the other, those responsible for the process of selection have presented a “matrix of fact” through which they attempt to convince the citizen that it is the “product” that is tainted while the process was impeccable.

Citizens recognise clearly that the process was inherently and patently sloppy and find it difficult to internalise the nature of the defect ascribed to the product. After all, in the specific circumstance, it is akin to being presented with an automobile that has no wheels.

And the Prime Minister, whose quintessential concern ought to be the nurturing of Aristotle’s “good citizen,” shrugs off the debacle with stultifying indifference by simply telling the nation that “the Government will have no probe?” That is the type of arrogance that emanates from a head that knows nothing of governance but everything about power for its sake.

STEVE SMITH via email

According to his grandmother, Dularie Goolcharan, 69, she promised that food would have been ready when Pyke and his girlfriend arrived. He never made it back alive.

“The girlfriend kept calling his phone when he did not arrive at a certain time. Eventually, a police officer answered and told her about the accident.

Everything would have been prepared when he returned,” the elderly woman said. Pyke, an employee with Roopnarine Hardware Ltd, lived with his grandmother at Dularie Street in Felicity.

Police said that at 7.30 am, Pyke was driving on the southbound lane of the highway, when the car swerved and crashed into some metal railings near the Forres park flyover in Claxton Bay. On impact, Pyke was thrown out of his Honda Civic car and landed on the roadway before the car flipped several times. He was the lone occupant.

Pyke’s grandmother told Newsday he left home at 6.45 am and she subsequently went to worship at a nearby temple.

A relative telephoned the grandmother of seven, shortly after she arrived to inform her that Nicholas was involved in an accident. Goolcharan immediately left the temple and on arrival at the San Fernando General Hospital, learnt that he had died.

“I mind that boy from a baby.

Since this thing happened, I cannot eat anything. Everyone loved Nicholas. Only two months now he bought the car and now it write-off. This is really terrible,” Goolcharan said.

Investigations are continuing.