But we create confusion and mayhem by including other things such as the process of acquisition of the Galicia in 2014, which should be another issue on another occasion.

And we must include the MV Tobago, MV Sue, DC9 aircraft, Lockheed Tri-Star aircraft, Trinidad- Tesoro etc.

The records will show that when Parliament, in the absence of the political leaders of the People’s National Movement and the United National Congress, was addressing the issue of corruption in Parliament on July 27, 1990 … Well we know what happened.

And we jamming still. But please remain focused.

PHILIP AYOUNG-CHEE via e-mail

Ragoonanan who is the manager of JMD Transport of Chase Village, Chaguans, read about Ganesh’s plight in Newsday.

He contacted the Newsday offering to help the suffering family.

“I am happy to help Ganesh since he is unable to walk or work in order to take care of his young family,” Ragoonanan said, adding that he hopes that more people can come forward and assist the Ganesh family.

Having been shot twice in the chest by bandits in 2012, Ganesh is now paralysed from his neck down.

Ganesh lives with his wife Karen, 35, and his daughter Emily, 11, at Cashew Gardens, Longdenville, Chaguanas.

At the beginning of September Ganesh was given an eviction notice by the HDC to vacate the unit if he did not pay a monthly rental of $800.

“I have a disability grant of $1,800 in which I must pay utility bills and maintain my wife Karen and daughter Emily,” Ganesh said. Apart from having to pay for groceries and utilities, his disability cheque must also cover the cost for his medication.

Ganesh was handed keys to the house by the HDC in April 2015 under the People’s Partnership.

Today he is unable to make payments because of his condition.

He is pleading with Minister of Housing, Randall Mitchell to look into his matter and allow him tenure on grounds of him suffering a disability through no fault of his.

He noted that he is a victim of crime and as a result he is paralysed.

“Now my family is fighting to survive on what little government assistance we get,” he said.

In 2012, Ganesh was at his home in St Helena when bandits entered. He was shot twice.

KWAYNE SANCHEZ San Fernando

Among those in attendance was World War II veteran Mary Anthony, 91, of Crest Camp, Fyzabad. She worked as an accounts clerk at the Quarter- Master office in the Royal Army Medical Corps, a group responsible for running what was called the British Military Hospital.

“That was located at the back of the Colonial Hospital (now called the San Fernando General Hospital). The local soldiers who would have gotten sick, went to this hospital. We had a kitchen, three cooks and what we called medical orderlies. We had about three to five wards, as far as I remember,” Anthony said.

Anthony recalled that part of her duties included ordering food and medicines, all without the use of money as only the nationals of the United Kingdom “handled cash”.

“While we purchased things, we never used money. What we used were army forms. All the bills, I would list them on army form 22 which were then listed on Army form 56. We would pass those forms to command payment,” Anthony told Newsday.

She joined the service in 1944 and served for three years and seven months. She returned as a civilian to “close up the books”.

National Security Minister Edmund Dillon attended the ceremony yesterday as well as Member of Parliament for the area, Dr Lackram Bodoe.

Dillon noted that one of the most important thing about yesterday’s event is the building of camaraderie and showing respect to those who have served the country.

“Once you bring the family together, you continue to contain the memories of those who severed us. When you see people like Mrs Anthony here, who is still driving her own self, it speaks volume,” Dillon said.

He commended the veterans saying it was important for him to attend, as a former military man himself, to give them the kind of respect and honour and to celebrate with they come together as a family.

“I think this is an effort to strengthen the persons interested in this organisation, to bring them together in an atmosphere of cordiality and fun and games,” Dillon added.

RCEL’s public relations officer Ricardo Manzano estimated that nationwide there are about 30 veterans who are alive, many of whom are ailing.

Chairman of the Royal Air Force Association (REFA) Dennis Oliver, who is also chairman of the Federation of Veterans Association attended the event. He said that more than 350 Trinidadians joined the forces in WW II in which 52 were killed.

“The memorabilia and artefacts are some of the history of those who went to war in WWI and II. We honour them as often as we possibly can. This is a Family Day hosted by the legion of the southern branch. We are just part of the event,” Oliver said.

Members of the Royal Air Force on their return to TT from WWII, formed the organistaion in 1953.

The office is located at Queen’s Park East, Port-of- Spain.

This is an instance where a combination of initiatives which was taken following the publicising of the unpatriotic poaching of the Scarlet Ibis in the Caroni Swamp is working to protect this bird under siege. Foremost among them was the power of social and traditional media which served to highlight the issue and keep it in the public’s glare – effectively a call for action.

Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, Clarence Rambharat successfully mobilised his troops to increase surveillance in the ibises’ habitat and leveraged on strategic alliances. The incorporation of technology (drones) into traditional patrols by his Ministry’s game wardens continues to make an impact with poaching down considerably.

“The threat to the Scarlet Ibis is not only about a protected bird.

It is a change to our national pride, our patriotism and how we see ourselves and our ability to take responsibility,” asserted Minister Rambharat. He added, “The killing of a national bird is unimaginable, The disrespect to our nation is not to be treated lightly.” He cautioned that there must be no let-up in the fight against poachers and in this regard made reference to other initiatives taking place simultaneously, including the declaration of the Scarlet Ibis as an Environmentally Sensitive Species (ESS) by the Environmental Management Authority.

When contacted, President of the Zoological Society (ZSTT), Gupte Lutchmedial said that the Society has a well-established reputation in protecting this country’s biodiversity.

“It is nothing strange for the ZSTT to collaborate in efforts to stem wildlife crimes and in this instance we were able to provide resources to enhance the patrols,” Lutchmedial declared.

He continued, “Public education must be an integral part of a strategy to combat poaching and the ZSTT has used the Emperor Valley Zoo as a platform to effectively communicate its campaign against poaching of the Scarlet Ibis.” Enforcement personnel are acknowledging the support of the communities who live in and around the Caroni Swamp. A senior source at the Forestry Division stated that the role of community members is an important one in protecting the Caroni Swamp and all of its biodiversity.

Given the level of crime, criminality, youth disillusionment and cynicism about the future among large segments of the society, a discerning mind may be prompted to acknowledge this reality as an outcome of an outdated education/human development model.

Notwithstanding the amount of money we have been allocating to education over the last four decades, the percentage of young minds that fail the system remains relatively unchanged. The numbers of young people who reject the school system still remain alarmingly high.

Inadvertently, these are people who come from the lower socio- economic strata, who accept that the cards are stacked against them. They see no hope of success in a high-stakes arrangement designed to exclude. Disillusionment sets into their minds from an early age. This soon turns to total rejection, for they recognise that while they are in school, education is out of their reach.

While the provision of such opportunity comes at significant cost to the State, one wonders at the wisdom of continuing to provide such opportunity without addressing the disadvantaged status of large segments of the student population.

Large segments of the society have lost faith in education as a vehicle for upward social mobility and enhanced well-being. The massive expansion of access to educational opportunity has not yielded the results we expected from this investment.

Many young people question the wisdom of investing in high-stakes educational pursuits and map out alternative pathways to economic and social success.

The prospect of a career in criminality is enhanced by an inefficient, dysfunctional judicial and legal system which has essentially been telling them “crime pays;” it’s quick, easy, and yields high returns.

Why then bother with an education system that would ultimately label them as failures rather than successes? We also know that despite the economic advances made by our country, there is also a widening gap between the rich and poor owing to the unequal distribution of wealth.

This inequity is reflected in our school system and manifests itself in the large number of people who fail the system annually, inadvertently perpetuating inequality. Criminals are also getting younger.

So as the minister and the country ponder on educational investment, the following questions must be addressed. How can the link between education and employment be strengthened? How can the economic and social value of education and training be enhanced in the current context? How can the relevance of education, particularly at the secondary level, be enhanced to make it more responsive to the lives of all young people and to their prospects for employment? Are existing measures sufficient? Can we continue to put people through 12 years of schooling and then certify the majority of them as failures? The quickening pace of scientific and technological development globally has made it extremely difficult to forecast the emergence of new professions and associated skill needs. In some countries this has prompted efforts to establish more responsive education and professional skills development that include greater diversification and flexibility.

This facilitates the adaptation of competencies to rapidly changing needs. It also ensures that individuals are more resilient and can develop and apply career adaptive competencies more effectively. Economic austerity is a terrible thing to waste. Economic prudence in education must be guided by the new global order and our vision for sustainable prosperity.

Meanwhile 27 people have been confirmed dead, 27 confirmed missing, and an additional unconfirmed 18 missing on account of Maria.

The names of the deceased and the missing will be made public, Skerrit said. “We are fortunate to not have hundreds or even thousands dead,” he said. “Thank God for sparing us.” Along with heads of the Dominica Police Force (DPF) and the Regional Security Services (RSS), Skerrit gave an update on the security situation at a press briefing yesterday morning.

They said the looting was brought under control.

“We will not tolerate any lawlessness whatsoever,” Skerrit said adding that the curfew will be lifted on the advice of the police.

At present, regional support on the island include 30 from the RSS, Barbados Defence Force, 27; Royal Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force, six; and St Lucia Police Force, 13.

There is also a 21-member contingent from the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency.

The Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force, which has 25 members of the Coast Guard and 25 regular soldiers, along with a Dutch contingent, are currently providing security at the main port and deepwater harbour. TTDF’s ten airmen are assisting with distribution of supplies. Expected to arrive in the country today is an advance team of a 120-strength contingent from the engineering battalion of the Jamaica Defence Force.

A 15-member team from the St Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force is also expected.

Skerrit said that food and other supplies are reaching the country and every community and street will be getting them.

While he could not give an assessment of the damage to the country in terms of dollars and cents, he said, he has invited the World Bank, Caribbean Development Bank and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean to do independent assessments and to advise on the way forward.

Having visited many communities, he said, the country has lost 100 per cent of its agricultural stock and advised people to start replanting from next week once supplies and temporary shelter is addressed. Seeds and seedlings will be provided.

In terms of shelter, he said, Carnival Cruise Line will be making available 1,000 igloos of which 150 will be made available this week and the remainder in October.

Hurricane Maria completely demolished many homes and left the majority of those still standing without roofs. The Americans were providing some temporary roofing.

On family and friends who wish to send relief supplies to their people in Dominica, Skerrit said, “We are encouraging it.” However, he advised that they should not do so immediately as the infrastructure to receive them were not in place. Customs officers were affected as everyone else and they will have to return to work once the situation begins to normalise.

The immediate focus, he said, was on getting relief supplies out nationally and to get people back on their feet. He does not want relatives and friends to send supplies and then accuse the government of stealing them when they could not be delivered in the current scenario. There is a tremendous amount of food supplies and other forms of relief that came in mainly for the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States and Caribbean Community countries, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, China and the United Arab Emirates and Venezuela among others.

The government has also opened a line of credit in Barbados to keep food supplies going until the situation improves.

In the meantime, he said, a lot is happening to restore the country to some semblance of normalcy.

Even though the hospital was without electricity and the lives of dialysis patients were threatened, he said, Dominica received a donation of solar powered dialysis machines which are in operation.

He was prepared to lose votes, he said, rather than place the nation at the mercy of the IMF.

This is according to a release from the NTAC which said it was one of many pointed statements he made when he addressed NTAC members at the first meeting at the resumption of talks between labour, the private sector and the government at La Lune Conference Room, Eric Williams Financial Complex on September 20.

The talks between the three parties were suspended earlier this year. On his determination to not to end up at the IMF, the release said, Rowley reiterated the harsh realities which the country faces in its development.

The large deficit facing the treasury, $38 billion in revenues as against $51 billion in expenditure, he said, needed little effort in appreciating the harsh economic decisions which have to be made.

He was confident that labour, the private sector and Government have the capacity to measure up to the challenges which confront the nation. With the backing of civil society organisations and the population in general, he said, there was no reason why the nation could not weather the storm without IMF intervention.

He challenged the council of the NTAC to place high on its agenda their role in facilitating Government’s determination to stay far away from the doors of the IMF in resetting its platform.

Given the prevailing circumstances, he said, the decisions which will be made to ensure safe distance from the IMF will not be popular nor painless. However, all all reasonable steps, he said, will be taken to ensure they will be constructive, productive, sensible and bearable with sights set on future developmental outcomes.

Any other consideration, he said, would see the country at the mercy of the IMF, an option which he said would be exponentially worse than current social and economic conditions. Noting that there is not enough employee ownership within the State sector, he said, it was an issue to be addressed.

He was concerned that, in spite of allocations for the delivery of health and national security services rising fivefold or more, the results had not been commensurate with increased expenditure.

He challenged NTAC to also focus on social and economic imbalances to enhance the quality of customer service delivery to the population at large.

The NTAC, he said, needs to address issues relating to the delivery of legal and judicial services which form an integral component of the national development landscape.

Calling for unity during this period of adversity, he said, this was the worse time for Government, labour and private sector to be at war with one another. He assured Government’s commitment to tripartism.

Aboud made the remarks during his address at the renaming ceremony for Miss Universe 1977, Janelle Commissiong at the Government Campus Plaza on Richmond street last Friday. “There has been around us, unthinkable destruction and tragedy in many of our neighbouring islands, scenes of destruction and suffering, transforming entire countries overnight into wastelands of debris, homelessness. Here at home we have our own storms some of them are not related to the other, our trust in authority is being tested and our very faith in the future of our country is strained sometimes.” Without going into further detail, he added that recent developments have caused concern among the public and expressed his distaste for what he described as an undermining of the public’s intelligence. “We are bewildered at the way the roles have been switching between accusers and accused and the extent to which the public sense of intelligence is often taken for granted. What is not in question however, is the timeless beauty of you Janelle Penny Commissiong.”

Category Five hurricane Irma, quickly followed by Maria, roared through the Leeward Islands and Cuba earlier this month, causing many deaths and destroying structures, particularly in Barbuda and Antigua, and Dominica.

President of the Trinidad and Tobago Contractors Association, Ramlogan Roopnarine said the association was approached by the minister of foreign affairs of Antigua & Barbuda to see what work local contractors could do in rebuilding the ravaged islands.

Barbuda was particularly hard hit with the island being declared uninhabitable and its population evacuated to Antigua. Roopnarine said it was too early to say how much work local contractors will get in the rebuilding of the islands but the board of the association had already decided that they will help in any way possible in the reconstruction of the devastated islands. “There is some documentation to be passed to us through the ministry of foreign and caricom affairs.

We can’t just run into an island and start doing things. What we need to do is have the process put in place and have it done properly before we can get in there and start doing things.” Roopnarine said, “they’ve agreed to do an assessment for us to know what’s neceesary.

That’s expected by (last) Friday. Once (that’s) in, we’ll know what’s involved.” He added that it might even be necessary for the association with some of its members to do a site visit to the islands to make sure that they can provide what is needed. Roopnarine said local contractors can supply steel roofs to replace those blown off in the hurricanes and general hurricane proofing for vulnerable structures.

Former President of the association, Mikey Joseph, who remains a board member, said the islands are familiar territory for local contractors.

“In the past we have campaigned there successfully, we’ve done some projects during the heady days of the Caribbean tourist season when they had a lot of projects doing and we’ve gone in sometimes after storms in some of the islands…so now we expect that quite a few local contractors would be seeking opportunities in these islands that have been affected by the hurricanes.” Joseph said there is already a local presence in some islands by contractors who are doing projects, including major contracting firm, NH International which is building a hotel in Dominica, though, he added, “I’m not sure what is the condition of it once the storm has passed.” He said Trinidad and Tobago contractors will be looking to increase their presence in those islands. “We believe once our members are out there and they perform credibly, they will find work.” In the case of Dominica, which has been savaged by Hurricane Maria, Joseph said the TTCA has a relationship with the Contractors’ Association of Dominica but the local association had been trying unsuccessfully to contact them to find out if they needed help. He said the contractors would not be looking to work with individual homeowners because many of the islands have their own skilled tradesmen who would attend to the needs of owners whose roofs had been blown off, adding that, “I dare say that in many of these islands the skills levels are far superior to ours and these people are going to be looking after the interests of the private homeowner to get themselves back on their feet. Where you have opportunities is where you have institutions requiring professional services and organized contractors because in some of these islands some of the contractors, or the people who are in the contracting business, may not have the resources to take on a contract or a project for E.C $300,000 – E.C $400,000 or to E.C $1 million and this is where the Trinidadian contractor, who has experience in money management and all those things, would be able to get in and get work but it would be for the businesses and the State and things like that.”