Sabga, Chairman Emeritus of the country’s largest most influential conglomerate, died today. He was 94.

The TTMA says Sabga was an “entrepreneur in the truest sense of the word”, paving the way for one of the largest conglomerates when he ventured out of the family business to begin his legacy with Standard Distributors.

Sabga is also praised as a pioneer in local manufacturing with ANSA Industries, which made refrigerators, cookers and other electrical appliances.

“The TTMA mourns the loss of this great individual and is proud of his immense contribution to the local manufacturing sector of Trinidad and Tobago. Not only was he a great leader, but an icon in the eyes of many. He will be truly missed. Gone but never forgotten.”

Sabga was awarded the nation’s highest honour, the Order of Trinidad and Tobago and holds the Honorary Doctorate of Law by the University of the West Indies.

Sabga arrived in this country a young boy from Syria in 1930 with his mother and siblings. His father had emigrated before and started a small shop on Queen Street, Port-of-Spain.

Sabga spread his enterprise acquiring other companies, among them the well-established Mc Enearney Alstons, which grew into the Ansa McAL Group.

A strong family man, he and his wife Minerva, have three sons and three daughters.

In a statement, his son, A Norman Sabga, Group Chairman and Chief Executive of ANSA McAL says his father was always also concerned about the welfare of the ANSA family. His father will be remembered as a “straightforward, a sincere and passionate leader, devoted friend and mentor to those who needed his assistance.”

“Never having lost his humility, Dr Sabga encountered people of all backgrounds, regardless of race or gender and even at the age of 94 was still able to impart knowledge to those who were around him.”

Over 50 workers of the NOC were transferred to the SSA last August. They experienced problems receiving salaries which resulted in an arrangement being made for them to be paid by the National Helicopter Services Ltd (NHSL) with government in turn reimbursing the latter.

Workers were promised 20 percent of their annual salary, going towards a gratuity.

This was honoured in 2016 by the NHSL but now workers from three departments of the Air Division including Flight Operations Centre, Helicopter Unit and Technical Operations Department are being told that until Colonel George Robinson, the Head of the SSA gives the green light for the gratuity to be paid, there will be no payment.

According to workers, they have been told by a senior official that the gratuity payment will not be honoured and that the SSA is eager to shut down the Air Division.

Workers spoke of instances where contracts expired and on being given a new one, they are now being paid half of what they previously earned.

SSA workers are non-unionised.

They are calling on Minister of National Security Edmund Dillon to intervene so some kind of assurance can be given regarding the outstanding gratuity and their tenure as contracts will soon expire.

Efforts to reach Colonel Robinson for a comment proved futile.

In order to terminate this disturbing trend, we must primarily seek to identify the cause of this aggression in our teenage girls, then hastily effect corrective measures.

While some ascribe blame on lack of parental training, others are adamant that those girls themselves were the victims of abuse.

Apart from Olympic preparation, sport and exercise have been associated with a host of psychological benefits. Research shows, however, that as children become adolescents their perceptions of gender roles become more rigid.

Adolescent girls may be more likely than they were as younger children to view sport as a male activity. Research with girls has also highlighted that many girls worry that being physically active would ruin their appearance because it may mean getting sweaty and messing up their make-up and their hair.

Persuasion by parents and guardians of teenage girls should be employed if needs be to get their girls active. The views of psychologists both local and foreign are hereby expressed: “Physical activity leads to higher self-esteem especially among younger adolescent girls and girls who are overweight. “Self-esteem is important for psychological well-being, positive body image, increased self-efficacy and leadership skills, and having self-esteem protects against depression, anxiety, loneliness, aggression problems, and high-risk behaviours like smoking and substance abuse.

“Thus helping our girls to be physically active can help them stay healthy physically, psychologically and emotionally.” The following constitutes the basis on which the psychologists’ professional opinions were formed: “Sport and exercise have been shown to improve functioning in the prefrontal cortex of the brain which is often referred to as the CEO of the brain. This is because the prefrontal cortex is responsible for our executive functions which are cognitive control skills like the ability to focus our attention, be creative and flexible in our thinking, utilise self-control, modulate intense emotions and store and manipulate information in our working memory.

“This means our prefrontal cortex always plays a key role in our ability to problem solve, think in complex and abstract ways and exercise good judgment in challenging situations. The prefrontal cortex is the last area of the brain to mature and therefore is still developing in teenagers.” According to the study, sport not only exercises our bodies but also exercises our executive functions because sport requires sustained attention, working memory and self-discipline. Sport can additionally decrease stress and promote positive mood and social bonding.

It would be to the country’s best interest for Sport and Youth Affairs Minister Darryl Smith and his ministerial team to use sport as the panacea in turning around the lives of those girls who are going along the wrong path.

With professional coaches and trainers on hand and with understanding supporting adults in place to advise our girls as they navigate through their developmental process, these teens would not only make their school teachers proud but their communities as well and the entire country as they transition from school bullies to Olympic champions.

DAVID O’NEAL Chase Village

I wish him the highest commendation and promotion.

CLYDE U PADMORE San Fernando

At a press conference yesterday at Seamen and Waterfront Workers Trade Union headquarters, Wrightson Road, Port-of-Spain Annnisette said the new health plan will not cost the government any additional money as the plan has $17 million surplus and will greatly benefit its members.

“This was negotiated without the government having to pay any money. The government as the employer has to pay part of the premium so this is no additional cost to the government. The increased benefits is not a burden on the treasury. The Ministry of Finance has refused to give the instructions to give the increased benefits,” he said.

He said Government too often gives the impression that trade unions do not care about the country.

“But when the unions set up mechanisms where our members benefit through quality healthcare we are ignored. We have a Minister of Finance that believes whatever he says goes. We are allowing a Government and a Prime Minister to allow that kind of behaviour to continue but he would get a rude awakening because we coming together for this fight and we will take him on,” he said.

Annisette warned that if the plan was not implemented the Government will, “see a struggle.” This issue, he promised, won’t be a nine day wonder. “This is about health and our rights as workers to demand that our benefits be implemented immediately…there can be no justifiable reason from the Ministry of Finance for their failure and their unwillingness to implement s just provision for and on behalf of the workers,” he said. Check out opening times and more information about IKEA on website open4u.co.uk. Ikea Glasgow opening hours, phone, address and more details.

Annisette also raised the issue of outstanding negotiations. He said NATUC has written Imbert as well as Prime Minister Dr Rowley requesting meetings with them to discuss the issue. He said while they received a response from the Office of the Prime Minister, Imbert has not acknowledged receipt of the letters.

Public Service Association (PSA) President Watson Duke told Newsday workers sought answers about the audit announced by Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries Clarence Rambharat, last week.

Duke said workers questioned their Chief Executive Officer, the Human Resource manager and other executive members about the audit but received no answer.

As such, they mounted a protest.

He joined workers in their protest around lunch time on Monday, at the same time the NAMDEVCO board was meeting.

Duke said the PSA was invited to the meeting, but when they entered the room, “they (board members) simply pretended as if they did not invite us and went further to cancel the meeting.” NAMDEVCO Chairman Dennis Ramdeen confirmed there was a monthly board meeting on Monday, but said there was a “disruption” at the meeting ,“coincidentally”, at the same time the board went on a break.

He said the meeting continued as planned after the break. Asked whether the PSA disrupted the board meeting, Duke said there was no disruption. They simply entered the meeting to which they were invited.

“But what is important to us,” said Duke, “is that NAMDEVCO must understand it is a state owned company, that 1.5 million people own NAMDEVCO, and the profitability of NAMDEVCO is something that concerns us and what concerns us most is we have the founder of an advertising company heading a place like NAMDEVCO.

What is Ramdeen’s experience in managing NAMDEVCO,” Duke asked.

Chairman Ramdeen is the founder and according to his biography on the company’s website, the “Chief Inspirer” of advertising agency Pepper Advertising Ltd. Duke said the company was wrong to initiate an audit without involving the PSA which is the recognised majority union.

He said the PSA will be writing a letter to NAMDEVCO asking that the provide information on who is conducting the audit and what it hopes to achieve. “They can’t act willy-nilly and just lick up people.

If the company is failing they must show us where the company is failing.”

An ECLAC report says that while there are still a number of issues to be resolved with the new technology, it could allow Caribbean banks to bypass correspondent banks altogether, in the process reducing transaction costs and increasing efficiency.

De-risking is a term used to describe the practice whereby correspondent banks, large international banking institutions which provide banking services to smaller financial institutions, sever ties with financial institutions.

This happens in cases where they consider the risk of non-compliance with regulations intended to prevent money laundering and financing of terrorism to be too high compared to the returns. De-risking is affecting small and developing economies around the world but the small economies in the Caribbean have been among the ones hardest hit.

According to the report, a blockchain is the implementation of cryptographic technology which enables data to be shared across a network of computers controlled by multiple organisations and individuals.

Cryptography is a method of storing and transmitting data in a secure form so only those for whom the information is intended can receive, read and process it. In its latest report, ECLAC says this new technology may offer an alternative means for financial service institutions to support cross-border transactions.

The report says the technology seems to have the potential to address the problem of de-risking by using an appropriately designed blockchain-based settlement network to offer tools to improve surveillance of transactions, which would enable the detection of illicit financial transfers and thereby decrease risk and associated compliance costs.

The current mindless debate on the naming of a stand at the recently completed Brian Lara Stadium clearly demonstrates this. I firmly believe there ought to be a philosophical underpinning to the naming of public spaces based on a conscious desire to build a deep feeling of pride and identity with this young nation.

A cursory look at publicly named spaces does not support such a position. Unfortunately, our opinion shapers, viz the media, appear to be not up to the task. Unwittingly, they have emphasised every other attribute and in many instances have reduced the debate to race.

On the other hand, we should understand that the act of naming public spaces as well as other initiatives should target building a sense of pride in our being nationals of TT .

There is need to take stock and desist from calls to equate conscription of delinquent youths and equating it with national service or perpetrating falsehoods of Indian and African culture and equating it with multiculturalism.

We should also immediately cease having State participation in religious celebrations of any type simply to respect our Constitution that clearly states that it is indeed so.

I firmly believe our aspiration should simply be to build one nation, one people reflecting a distinct TT culture. With this as a philosophical underpin we will ultimately take pride in our unity.

SAMUEL B HOWARD via emai

Constable Wayne Quintin, 51, of Malabar, who is assigned to the St Joseph Police Station was charged for DUI, using obscene language, resisting arrest and escaping lawful custody. The charges as read out in court allege the offences were committed on April 29 along Grafton Road in Courland.

Quintin will continue bail which was fixed at the Scarborough Police Station and is expected to return to court on May 9. WPC Lennora Clarke laid the charge.

In an unrelated case, Joseph King appeared in the Scarborough Magistrate’s Second Court on Monday to answer to a series of charges, as laid by Police Corporal Campbell.

King, originally from Trinidad, was denied bail by Magistrate Alexander Prince after pleading not guilty to the charges.

In the first matter, it was alleged that on April 24, King broke and entered the home of Dixeann Williams along Shirvan Road, Mt Pleasant with the intent of committing an arrestable offence, namely to steal.

He was also charged for breaking and entering the home of Juliet Bobb along Shirvan Road, Mt Pleasant and stole liquor valued $1,240. He was also charged for breaking into Patino’s Restaurant along Shirvan Road and stealing a number of items collectively valued $819.

Another charge alleged that between April 15- 16, King broke into Ruby’s Kitchen at Buccoo New Road.

Questioned by the magistrate as to if he had any other matters or convictions before the court, King responded in the negative.

However, the prosecution was able to produce records of a number of convictions in King’s name for cases determined in the Trinidad courts. He was ordered to return to court on May 29.

And in another case, a 20-year old unemployed man was on Monday reprimanded and discharged after he appeared in the Scarborough Magistrate’s Second court charged with possession of marijuana.

The court heard that on the weekend, police on mobile patrol along Black Rock Main Road, had cause to stop a car in which Stephen Tyson was the front seat passenger.

Tyson was searched and officers found a white cigarette box containing 1.5 grams of marijuana. Questioned about the find by the officers, the court heard, Tyson replied: “Gimme a bligh nah.’ Tyson told Magistrate Prince that he has been a ganja smoker for the past five years but has intentions of getting his life in order.

He was placed on a good behaviour bond for one year, as the matter was dismissed under section 71.1B.

Magistrate Princes warned that should Tyson breach the bond, he will reappear in court and face sentencing.

In letting off Tyson, Magistrate Prince encouraged him to walk the straight and narrow path and do not come back before the court. WPC Spencer laid the charge in the matter.

The mayor announced earlier in January, during the City Corporation’s first statutory meeting, that there was a move to get the homeless off the streets as some persons viewed them as physical threat on citizens. “We can’t take the homeless off the streets just because we would like to.

There is a process to be followed which involves the Ministry of Social Development, Ministry of Health, Local Government…

We have been having meetings with these institutions and stakeholders to determine how best to deal with it,” he said.

The mayor said he was looking at some of the options that were available to us. We would love to have a home for the homeless so they can find a place where we can look after them and maybe assess them properly.