Alexander made his position clear yesterday as he addressed concerns surrounding a video clip of two inmates at the Golden Grove Prison fighting in one of the prison’s corridors as other inmates recorded the incident on cellphones.

Alexander said the incident was being investigated and the two prisoners involved in the fracas have already been identified.

“That video is being investigated as we speak. The inmates identified are being interviewed with a view to determining how they got the weapon and relative to their conduct, because there were some obscenities and some threats.” Alexander said the Prison Service, though challenged, remains committed to ensuring the safety of both inmates and security personnel. He said the service will also be implementing more stringent security measures to combat the trafficking of weapons and other contraband from outside the prison.

“Officers who do not display the right or appropriate behaviour also have a hand in moving contraband. We would also want to ask that the courts reduce the time for adjudicating these matters when we arrest these officers. Sometimes its ten to twelve years before these matters are dealt with. We want their matters to be expedited also so they can be dismissed from the Prison Service.” Newsday also spoke to Prison Officers Association president Ceron Richards who is calling on the Prison Service and the Ministry of National Security to investigate the video.

Last month, Richards and members of the Oilfield Workers Trade Union staged a demonstration on the grounds of the Golden Grove facility to protest, what they described as, substandard working conditions. Richards says the video represents a major breach in security as it highlights a number of different safety concerns prison officers face while carrying out daily tasks.

“The issues here are the cellphones, the weapon and the cell gates open and also the fact that there isn’t an officer in sight during this incident. The Prison Officers Association looked in horror as that video unfolded with what appeared to be some serious security breaches in a division of the Maximum Security Prison.”

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley announced the appointment of the new board during an early morning news conference at Piarco International Airport on September 1 as he left the country for a week-long vacation and medical checkup in California, USA.

Rowley said achieving this turnaround will call for “a certain amount of resolution, a certain amount of robust examination and a certain amount of acceptance that the situation is very serious.” He said that Petrotrin had run up huge debts, “significant liabilities which the company cannot now discharge” and those liabilities have to be paid by the Minister of Finance even while the minister is struggling to pay other expenses of the country.

He said the first of those debts is a single payment of US$850 million which comes due in 2019, with a similar but smaller payment to be paid shortly afterwards. While the company is carrying these huge debts, Rowley pointed out that its oil production has been falling considerably and its infrastructure is old and poses concerns, including safety issues and the risk of oil leaks into the Gulf of Paria which could pollute the Venezuelan coastline with “huge consequences.” Rowley said the cost of cleaning up an oil spill of such magnitude could bankrupt the country.

He said the company’s refinery was also a cause for concern, because at current oil prices, it was refining oil at a loss. He said it was questionable whether the current arrangement under which the State has to give Petrotrin money to buy oil to refine and lose money doing so was sustainable.

He described them as serious issues, adding if they are not addressed promptly and creatively they can threaten the country’s financial arrangements and result in the downgrade of Trinidad and Tobago as a whole, which in turn would increase the cost of borrowing when the country needs to borrow.

Rowley said that Petrotrin needs to begin drilling for oil almost immediately.

“Oil is in the ground and if you don’t drill you don’t get it. Petrotrin has not been drilling, has not been able to drill largely because of its serious financial constraints, and if you don’t treat with those financial constraints your very existence is to be questioned because if you cannot drill…an oil company that cannot execute a drilling programme and bring oil onto the market is on the wrong track.” He said “significant” sums of money would have to be spent to upgrade Petrotrin’s infrastructure, beginning with the parts which are of greatest priority and is one of the earliest matters the board will have to deal with.

He named Reynold Ajodhasingh as vice chairman. Other Board members are: Joel Harding; Nigel Edwards; Anthony Chan Tack; Linda Rajpaul; Eustace Nancis; Randhir Rampersad and Selwyn Lashley Rowley said these men and one woman had been carefully selected for their business experience and expertise in their chosen fields. It was not a clean sweep, as the prime minister admitted that two members of the previous board had been re-appointed. “We were looking for a particular skillset and in looking at the skillset we brought in new people and we kept some people.” He said in the Cabinet discussions it had been decided to rotate the board members so that the entire board is not changed at the same time. He added that it wasn’t possible to do it this time but in the future “a certain number of persons would come off the board and a certain number would stay so that at any given point in time you would have continuity on the board.” Reached by Business Day for comment, Espinet said the board had not been appointed nor sworn in as yet and so he could not speculate as to what their priorities would be. He said that upon being sworn into office he imagined the Government would give directions on its objectives for the company. He declined to discuss the operational requirements, saying they all seem pressing. Nevertheless, Espinet said it was clear that Petrotrin is not viable in its current form and the first thing the board will have to do is establish credibility so that it could bring governance to the process of managing the company.

He said the committee set up by the government to study the company was very clear that nobody could come in from the outside, read a few reports and come up with a solution for Petrotrin.

He added that Petrotrin is very big and complex, and the committee was very clear that a system and structure of proper governance is what is required. The question is how to give the company’s stakeholders the comfort that what is going to be done is going to be done properly.

According to Espinet, the board will have to get clear in its mind what are the company’s objectives because there was confusion over Petrotrin’s objectives. However, he said when they get their instruments of appointment they will be given clarity on what are the objectives of the company and then the directors will have to respond, “first and foremost to the company.”

Wilfred Espinet Wilfred Espinet, named by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley as the new chairman of the Board of Petrotrin, has extensive international experience in manufacturing, shipping and retail in several countries. He is currently chairman of Trinidad Cement Limited; Aeromarine International Logistics company; Mayfair Trinidad Limited; Caribbean Express Limited; and Towers Marina Limited. He was executive director/ vice president of Associated Brands Company Limited from 1974 – 1993.

Reynold Adjodhasingh Petrotrin’s new vice chairman, Reynold Adjodhasingh has 34 years of experience in the oil and gas industry in Trinidad and Tobago; Egypt and Azerbaijan. He has worked with Texaco; Amoco and BP and says his experience is mainly in finance, accounting, control, systems implementation and ethics and compliance.

“I have held executive leadership positions at BP in Trinidad and Tobago and Azerbaijan, managing large teams in diverse cultural settings, building talent, driving change and efficiency, delivering results with high standards of ethics, compliance and integrity.” He holds a BSc in Industrial Management with Honours from the University of the West Indies; was BP’s Regional head of Control and Financial operations for its Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey region from 2010-2016 and from 2001 to 2010 was head of Control and Financial Operations at BP Trinidad and Tobago.

Joel Harding Joel Harding has been an international Commercial/Contract and Procurement manager with over 30 years in commercial management of projects in energy, commercial, mixed-use and residential markets in Trinidad and Tobago for British Gas and served in Dubai and Azerbaijan for Mace International. In Dubai, he was senior procurement specialist on the construction of the Dubai World Trade Centre and was responsible for all Mace International’s procurement in Azerbaijan. He served as Contracts and Procurement manager with British Gas Trinidad and Tobago from 2004-2007.

Nigel Edwards Nigel Edwards has been vice president, Finance, of the Trinidad and Tobago Unit Trust Corporation since 2013. He has held positions of chief executive officer at TATIL Life Assurance Limited; executive director – Investments at TATIL Life Assurance; and Finance director at ANSA Merchant Bank. He is a member of the Association of Chartered, Certified Accountants (ACCA), holds an MSc in Finance from the London Business School and a BSc in Management Studies with Second Class Honours from the University of the West Indies.

Selwyn Lashley Selwyn Lashley is Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Energy and Energy Affairs.
A lawyer, he also holds an MSc in Natural Gas Engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago and a BSc in Chemical Engineering from the University of the West Indies.

Linda Rajpaul Linda Rajpaul is an attorney with the law firm B.D. Hewitt and Company and holds certifications in Pension Administration, Alternative Dispute Resolution and Procurement. She has served as legal consultant specialising in corporate, succession and land law; provided legal consultancy services to the Port of Spain City Corporation; the Housing Development Corporation; the Vehicle Maintenance Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (VMCOTT). Among other things, she also served on a team to negotiate and make recommendations for the upgrade of Petrotrin’s Pointe a Pierre refinery.

Anthony Peter Chan Tac k Anthony Peter Chan Tack is a chemical engineer who has served as chief executive officer at TITAN Methanol Company; managing director of Methanex Trinidad Unlimited and president of Atlas Methanol Unlimited. In his resume, he cites four years of experience in project management and plant management of world scale methanol plants; and 34 years of experience in process and project engineering. He served as a director of Petrotrin from 2002 – 2008 and held various senior and executive management positions for some 26 years.

Eustac e Nancis Entrepreneur Eustace Nancis describes himself as a strategic thinker and planner with outstanding leadership and team building strengths which generates optimum productivity and performance.

He is “committed to accomplishing corporate objectives with a proven history of delivering exceptional profit results,” he says in his resume. He started his first business, a welding shop, in 1980, then established the Arima Door Centre in 1984.

In 1994, he formed Arima Door Centre Holding Company Limited as a real estate development company; then in 1999 he formed General Farms Limited to supply poultry products and in 2001 he established Polyplas (2002) Limited to manufacture plastic water tanks. In 2007, he founded the Savannah Greens Development Company, a land development company.

Randhir Rampersad Randhir Rampersad is a mechanical engineer with a BSc in Mechanical Engineering from Florida Institute of Technology. He is operations manager at Industrial Engineering Specialists Limited; Import Sales manager at Heavy Equipment Imports and Logistics Limited.

The flooding along with several landslides and a major power outage in Cedros and Rancho Quemado and environs led to scores of families becoming marooned inside their homes yesterday morning.

Classes at the Cedros Secondary and Cedros Government Primary schools were suspended for the day because of the flood in Bonasse Village. Damages to household appliances and personal belongings could run into the thousands of dollars.

Affected residents have laid the blame for their dilemma squarely on the shoulders of the councillors at the Siparia Regional Corporation (SRC) who they accused of fighting inside the council instead of taking care of the needs of their burgesses.

According to the distressed residents in Rancho Quemado, all their complaints over the last few months have fallen on deaf ears.

At around 3 pm yesterday, councillor for the area Arlene Ramdeo toured the flooded region. She too blamed internal bickering in the SRC for the failure to complete dredging of rivers and drains in the area.

Among the families affected in Rancho Quemado were Laurencia Garcia, 30, her husband Darren Garcia, 32, their five-year-old daughter Delicia along with neighbour/ proprietor Sherry Mohammed, 36, and her family which includes her one-year-old daughter Abigail and husband Alban Coutou.

Mohammed told Newsday her mini-mart, on the ground floor of her home became flooded during the heavy rains.

“There is nowhere for the water to run off and it keep backing up into people’s homes,” the upset woman told Newsday. “|The drains need dredging but nothing is being done about it.

“This is not the first time and we are fed up.” Rains had been pounding since eight o’clock on Tuesday night.

According to Mohammed, the river overflowed its banks and water began entering her business place/home.

“Everything in my cupboards just floating around,” Mohammed said. She said her family was forced to stay in the water as their home’s upstairs apartment was being renovated.

Ramdeo told Newsday: “There is a lot of flooding in Rancho (Quemado) the rivers need to be dredged. We tried it with the small excavators in the regional corporation but they couldn’t do the work.

“We are now in the process of contracting big excavators to clean the rivers.” Ramdeo said because of the high absenteeism of councillors, the corporation was unable to get monies passed to contract the excavators.

Up to 3 pm yesterday, crews from T&TEC along with equipment from the Ministry of Works and Siparia Regional Corporation were kept busy in Cedros and environs as they restored power and removed five mud slides from along the Southern Main Road, Cedros, which made the roadway impassable.

The clean-up was monitored by Cedros councillor Shankar Teelucksingh who expressed satisfaction with the work carried out by the authorities.

Police said, at about 1.30 pm yesterday, two men walked in to Block 11 sports bar at SS Erin Road. The business is divided into two sections – one houses gaming machines and the other a bar. The men first entered the gaming section where each pulled out a gun.

They ordered the female attendant to hand over cash.

They went to the other section where they tied up the owner and robbed her of cash before running off. PCs Morris, Aguilera, Ramkhelawan, Cyrus and other members of the South-Western Division Task Force visited the scene and searched the area for the men.

The release extended condolences to the Broadbridge family during their time of grief and said the murder has left the association deeply shaken and called on citizens to do their part in taking back TT.

“Many members in our Association are traumatised and greatly disturbed not only about this murder but also the many murders and heinous crimes that occur daily in our twin island republic.

It has now reached a point where we as citizens of this nation need to make every effort to take back our country.” The release added that rampant crime rates threaten the growth and the future of the tourist industry citing an increase in violent crimes could hamper tourist arrivals during economically turbulent times.

“As a major tourism stakeholder, TTITOA is pleading with the relevant authorities to move swiftly and sift out all the criminal elements in each community and at the various strata of our society.

This is not auguring well for ‘tourism’ to move forward in Trinidad and Tobago as we are already way behind our regional neighbours and in the embryonic stage of development of the industry.” In a separate release issued yesterday, the TT Coalition of Service Industries (TTCSI) also extended their condolences to Broadbridge’s family adding that her death marked a cultural loss to the nation and noting her dedication in preserving TT’s cultural legacy.

The coalition also urged authorities to take the necessary action in arresting the crime situation. “In light of this, the TTCSI recognises the need for urgent conversation and affirmative action as it relates to the escalating crime situation in Trinidad and Tobago.” Broadbridge was killed at her St Ann’s home on Saturday afternoon by unknown assailants. It is believed that her throat was slit and the killers set fire to part of the house before fleeing the scene.

Her murder has sparked an outcry within the local art and cultural communities who have condemned the murder.

According to a report, Sheldon Jason, 31, an offshore worker was returning home in company with a female relative when he was accosted by a man with a hooded jersey and dark coloured pants.

Jason and the man began struggling and several loud explosions were later heard. Jason felt a burning sensation to both his legs and he screamed out to his female relative to seek assistance.

Officers from the St James Police Station were contacted and Jason was rushed to the St James Infirmary where he was treated and transferred to the Port-of- Spain General Hospital. Yesterday, he was listed in serious but stable condition.

Investigators told Newsday there is an ongoing gang war between rival gangs in the Cocorite area.

They added that several murders and shootings have taken place as a result of the warring factions.

Jason was not known to be a member of any gang and police believe he was targeted because of his attendance at the wake.

Police said some suspects are expected to be deta

As he signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) at the ACS Secretariat, Sweet Briar Road, St Clair, on Monday during the formal opening of the 25th meeting of the ACS’ Special Committee for Disaster Risk Reduction, two days before the Hurricane barrelled across islands in the northern Caribbean, Anthony said one of the strengths of the CCRIF was its ability to make payments within 14 days to territories hit by natural disasters.

Anthony said that the facility was established in 2007 and seven years later it was restructured to facilitate its expansion into new products and geographic areas. He said it is the world’s first regional fund using parametric insurance, a type of insurance in which payout is triggered when specific conditions, or parameters, are met.

Because the parameters are already specified, experts say no loss adjusters are needed, allowing for speedy payments, and Anthony said the CCRIF has consistently provided payments within 14 days of an event.

Since 2007, Anthony said, CCRIF has made 22 payouts to ten member governments totalling US$70 million. Following the passage of hurricane Matthew last year, CCRIF paid US$29.2 million to four member countries affected by that hurricane: Haiti, Barbados, St Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines. He said the majority of the payment – US$23.4 million – went to Haiti under its Tropical Cyclone policy which surge and its Excess Rainfall policy Over the years, the facility has entered into MOUs with eight organisations, including the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA); the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS); the University of the West Indies (The UWI); the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the UWI Seismic Research Centre.

Anthony added that immediate access to liquidity is critical for governments following a disaster, for, while the international community provides relief, those funds are often slow to be released, taking as many as six to 12 months.

Government borrowing and reallocation of funds in their budgets also takes time and smaller governments such as those in the Caribbean and most of the Small Island Developing States (SIDS), with their high debt burdens, can no longer afford to self-finance disaster risk. He said the facility is an excellent financing option for the region in which countries can invest in national catastrophic risk insurance to assist in covering the cost of recovery from natural disasters, noting that the CCRIF operates as a not-for-profit mutual organisation and all the residual profits made by the facility goes back to members.

Signing for the ACS was its Secretary General Dr June Soomer, who welcomed the initiative, saying that the ACS works closely with all its partners.

During the meeting, the ACS’ director of Transport and Disaster Risk Reduction, Arturo Lopez-Portillo, presented a report on the various projects being undertaken by the ACS in Trinidad and Tobago and the region to improve the readiness of various institutions to deal with natural disasters, as well as the organisation’s work programme for 2017-2018 and beyond.

However, Soomer said that while the ACS is involved in several projects to help the region build capacity to prepare for storms and hurricanes, “We think that we can do a little more because our aim is to help countries rebuild better and if we are able to move into these countries very quickly when they are rebuilding (we can) show them what standards they should use.” She hastened to add that because of the number of hurricanes which have hit the region over the years, the countries have very good systems in place. “But we want to see fewer lives lost. We have countries where people are still dying during a storm and one of the things we want to insure is that we give them the information, we help them to build the capacity to make sure that we have that impact on the ground during a storm.” She said the ACS works very closely with the civil defence system in Cuba which she said was very good, reflecting that she could not remember the last time someone died in a storm in Cuba because of the methods that they use. She said the ACS wanted to share some of those techniques with its member states. The people of the greater Caribbean are right now living through the torrential rainfall brought by hurricanes, tropical storms and tropical depressions, she noted.

Muhammad’s clothing label is called Ayana Ife, and that’s the name she uses on PR16.

Ife, 27, who resides in Salt Lake City, Utah, was born in Brooklyn, New York and grew up with her parents and siblings in upstate New York.

Her parents raised six of their 11 children in TT before migrating. The other five siblings were born in the US.

“Because I have such a huge family it was very eventful. Never a dull moment. We all grew up together then moved once we became adults, for work or school. My siblings are all spread out over the US, in Alaska, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, LA, Utah,” Ife revealed in an online interview.

Ife was home-schooled by her mother. She then attained a Bachelor of Science degree in Apparel Design from Middle Tennessee State University.

To date, she has been awarded the Outstanding Senior award for her designs and work ethic in the university’s Fashion Design Department.

Ife first set her eyes on designing long before her teenage years and began by jazzing-up her siblings’ clothes which she inherited.

“I learned to sew at age six. When I turned ten I knew it was what I wanted to do. Designing was always something I felt very strongly about.

It started as a necessity….I have three brothers and seven sisters. I am the eighth child, so I would up-cycle and redesign my hand-me-downs …” And indeed, by fifth grade Ife sold her first freelance garment to a classmate.

She soon discovered that her designing ability and fashion perspective could grow into a livelihood both fulfilling and lucrative. She plunged herself into the fashion world, doing research, attending workshops, summer courses, volunteering, sewing for neighbours, giving styling advice, shadowing professionals, outfitting men, women, children and building a clientele of loyal customers.

Was there another profession she would have considered instead of designing? “I was originally expected to attend nursing school, (but) when I was taking prerequisites, I felt very unfulfilled. Like I was leaving a special part of myself behind. In that moment, I knew it was time to follow my calling. So I decided to put my all into designing,” and that was in the summer of 2013. Ife said by fall she was enrolled in a fashion programme at Middle Tennessee State University, where she was living at that time, and subsequently transferred credits from the college she attended in upstate NY, as well as a couple prerequisite courses for nursing, and graduated in two years. She said triumphantly: “I continued moving forward with my dreams and here I am today.” On being a Muslim designer she said: “The experience has been incredible!” Her feelings as a contestant on PR16? “The Project Runway experience is the most surreal experience of my existence.” Ife applied to Project Runway four times and auditioned twice before she was selected. Her family and friends are extremely supportive and encouraging, and she has made so many friends on the show.

“I design trendy, modest fashion.

I am inspired by the ‘need’…because I am my target market. I start with pieces I know are tricky to find. I put my own modest design spin on classic pieces like blazers and button ups.

“I hope the exposure from Project Runway will help me get picked up by an acclaimed designer working heavily in the fashion world who wants to mentor me and essentially show me the ropes,” she said. Her ultimate goal is to create a very successful clothing label which caters to the modest market.

Trendy, easily accessible looks.

“I want to be such a force, that I am internationally acclaimed and respected for my inventive approach to modest fashion. I want my modest fashion lovers, my sisters to feel influential, fearless, and elegant! I want to create a fashion empire.” PR16 can be seen on Lifetime every Thursday at 8.30 pm.

Chairman of the NLCB, Marvin Johncilla said, “The sport of cycling has tremendously grown over the last few years.

NLCB is happy to support these two organisations who have contributed to the development of the sport and who have brought international exposure to cycling in Trinidad and Tobago.

One of NLCB’s corporate social responsibility pillars is sport and therefore we believe it is important to support our local athletes and sporting organisations who help build this competence and enhance national pride.” The 2017 Elite Pan American Cycling Championship, hosted by the Trinidad and Tobago Cycling Federation (TT CF), saw the largest ever Trinidad and Tobago contingent as well as some of the best riders from North, South, Central America and the Caribbean region.

This was the second year that NLCB supported the Championship which took place between August 30 and September 3 and held at the National Cycling Centre in Couva.

The Trinidad and Tobago International Cycling Classic takes place in Tobago from September 25 to October 1. This year’s event will also see cyclists from around the world convene to battle. The organisers will once again partner with sports channel ESP N to internationally broadcast the races.

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I have played no role in procurement of any vessel.” The minister also said contrary to claims made by certain people, no charter party agreement for any vessel was signed before Cabinet approval. Responding to questions from JSC chairman Stephen Creese and Opposition Senator Wade Mark on this issue, Sinanan said the documents the committee were seeing were ratifications of the approval he alluded to. He said the ministry would provide the JSC with further clarity if necessary.

“The Minister has nothing to do with the signing of any charter party agreement,” he added.

Sinanan said after assuming office last November, it became apparent that the port and ferry service, “were heading for a crisis.” Expressing confidence that the new Port Authority board would address the problems facing the port, Sinanan reminded JSC members that Cabinet appointed a threeman investigative committee to review the operations of the port. He also disclosed that a sea sector expert will soon be engaged to assist in this exercise.

Sinanan said the problems with the TT Spirit and TT Express were the result of poor maintenance over the years. “This is an experience for the country that we need to pay attention to maintenance.” He said in some countries, aluminium hull vessels (like the Spirit and Express) are taken out of service once they pass 15 years. He described the situation with the Super Fast Galicia as as case of “commercial advantage” where the provider threatened to pull the vessel out of service if a certain arrangement was not agreed to.

Sinanan confirmed the former port board chaired by Christine Sahadeo never approved a five-year extension for the Galicia. He also confirmed the request for that extension came from the port’s management.

Sinanan said he was not prepared to commit the country to extending the Galicia’s contract at a cost of over $200 million, “without a tendering process. He also said the Galicia’s abrupt departure in April had to to do with unresolved issues since 2014 under the then People’s Partnership government.

Sinanan referred to a letter from Inter-Continental Shipping Limited, brokers for the Galicia, to support this statement. Sinanan also said the Cabo Star cargo vessel cost less than the Galicia. The Transport Minister said Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley may have more information to support his comment about something being crooked in the procurement of the Ocean Flower 2. He said he awaited the findings of all investigations into this matter. Sinanan supported his Cabinet colleague Fitzgerald Hinds’ defence of Sahadeo.