The apparent message from the competition was the very same people who complained about nepotism, cronyism and abuse of power under the People’s Partnership government are now angry that the PNM administration is not doing the same but for PNM supporters.

There seemed to be little or no concern for improved water distribution, upgrading the tourism package, rebuilding our infrastructure, upgrading our healthcare or modernising our education package to meet the demands of a changing world.

The cry emanating from the ground was for more handouts. It seemed that the PNM and especially Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley must now find a way to ignore the law, morality and common sense to ensure that people who traditionally support the PNM get choice jobs, contracts, food cards, houses and grants.

The same people who criticised the way some people were able to rise to positions like Senior Counsel are now crying out for similar action by the PNM, but in their favour.

In the last administration, there were reports that seemed to suggest that some contractors were able to access multimillion-dollar contracts without having the appropriate qualifications. Now the call from the ground is where is the PNM’s version of such action.

It is no wonder that politicians and political parties that are dedicated to equality, nation building, hard work and long-term planning are ignored.

The ground seems more interested in handouts, party, jamming and freeness than aspiring together to achieve development.

The message from our calypsoes seems oblivious to our economic challenges, the state of our agriculture or the growing acceptance of criminal activity as a norm.

When there are no more funds for grants and handouts, no businesses left to rob and our children are so filled with fear that they refuse to go to school, perhaps the lyrics will change to “children go to school and learn well, otherwise in life yuh go ketch real hell.” Steve Alvarez via email

Perfume was a favourite thing of Prophet Muhammad. He liked it because it gives a sense of joy and offers a countenance of cheerfulness.

It gives a joy to others who come in contact with the person who uses it.

Perfume supplies wisdom to the brain if it is constantly used.

It is useful for a man who mixes in society because bad odour is always abominable.

Perfumed oil or otto or extract of juice may be lawfully used but perfume mixed with spirit is abominable.

The perfume of women should be colourless but with colour. Women should not use perfume when they are in congregational prayer.

The Holy Prophet had perfume in his head and beard.

It is good to use perfume because it is a fragrant liquid which gives a pleasant smell, especially to the body.

AHAMAD KHAYYAM Curepe

Previously, after water leaks had been repaired, trucks would come by and remove all the debris (stones, pieces of roadway, mud etc) but that practice has ceased. Presently, when WASA is finished with a job, householders have to clean their entrances as best they could. Is this right?

RAISSA CIPRIANI Bourg Mulatresse

But for reigning ole mas champions De Blue Boys, this is a labour of love that propels them to return year after year to participate in the “Greatest show on Earth.” “We have not been paid for last year as yet.

It’s a struggle. We do it for the fun and to honour those who came before us. We cannot let what belongs to Trinidad die. We have become so Americanised that everything is just disposable and the people have been trained to be lazy,” said bandleader Val Ramsingh.

Ramsingh explained that the J’Ouvert band started in 1982, but the precursor to that was “way back in 1967”, when many members migrated. On their return to Trinidad, the group formed the band which has since been a household name in the southern city.

He reminisced that back in the 1980s, the band would have received $150 for King of the Band or $200 for Band of the Year titles as he emphasised that J’Ouvert bands are not money making businesses.

The presentation for J’Ouvert 2017 is, “Yuh Better Believe it”, and for J’Ouvert morning, masqueraders will be gathering at Smiley’s Bar in San Fernando.

The mas camp opens on Thursday at 38 Donaldson Street in San Fernando and registration fee is $200.

It includes a jersey and fish broth.

“The band came out from downstairs Madame Maharaj’s house.

George and Rooney Maharaj were instrumental along with the Ramsingh brothers (himself and Dave).

Everyone has ideas but the naturally witty Dave, a former teacher at Naparima College, does most of the work.” Ramsingh noted that De Blue Boys prides itself in its portrayal of the mas adding that it is “not jersey mas at all”. Year-round members are monitoring events in the country so as to incorporate in the ole mas.

“We have about 120 characters yearly to play and whoever is in the spotlight, will be getting their share.

Usually we have a minimum of 40 portrayals and all this without racial or political bias.

People come to the mas camp and choose what character they want to play and we give them hints on what props they would need,” Ramsingh told Newsday.

He thanked all sponsors with special mention of Southern Meats of Lady Hailes Avenue in San Fernando saying that yearly “and consistently for over 20 years” they have assisted.

The symposium is a collaborative effort of the Cultural Studies Section of the Department of Literary, Cultural and Communication Studies (UWI), St Augustine and the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and the Arts.

Dr Suzanne Burke, one of the event organisers, said the objective of the symposium is to bring together various Carnival stakeholders including practitioners, policy-makers, researchers and entrepreneurs to examine and discuss the importance of Carnival to national. She said the symposium will serve as a “vehicle” to enhance the voice of the academic community in global discourses on Trinidad Carnival.

The symposium opens with a keynote lecture and discussion on March 2, at the auditorium of Government Campus Plaza, Richmond Street in Port-of-Spain.

It will begin at 6 pm and on that day, features Dr Keith Nurse speaking on “Bacchanalia and the Political Economy of Governance in the TT Carnival.” Dr Nurse is a Senior Fellow at the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies (SALISES ) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) Chair at The University.

An all-day symposium takes place on March 3, at the Daaga Hall Auditorium at the St Augustine campus.

Panel discussions will embrace topics such as Carnival, Politics and Identity; Gender Performativity and Sexuality in Carnival; Pedagogical Approaches to Carnival Arts Performance and Carnival and Memory.

Memories of holding her dead baby.

Baby Simeon was delivered via Caesarian-section on March 1, 2014, at the Mt Hope Women’s Hospital. However, he lived for just five hours before bleeding to death from a laceration to the head during the surgery. Doctors failed to perform surgery to stop the bleeding, despite pleas from the specialist obstetrician who made the laceration to the baby’s head, when he cut too deep into Cottle’s womb, during the c-section procedure.

Gynaecologist/consultant Dr Javed Chinnia, who had performed the surgery, was suspended with pay. A team comprising United Kingdom specialist Dr Melanie Clare Davies, neonatologist Dr Petronella Manning-Alleyne and chaired by retired Justice Mustapha Ibrahim was appointed by attorney general (at the time) Anand Ramlogan to probe baby Simeon’s death.

The Council of the Medical Board of Trinidad and Tobago had cleared Dr Chinnia of any wrongdoing arising out of the baby’s death, something that has caused further grief for Cottle and her family. The Board’s report stated that Chinnia, “did not commit any infamous and/or disgraceful conduct in accordance with Section 24 of the Medical Board Act (1960).” The investigating panel received $1.8 million for its services, while Cottle is still awaiting compensation.

She is being represented by attorney Michael Coppin. Cottle is claiming damages, “for the loss of satisfaction of bringing her pregnancy to a successful conclusion and loss associated with the death of Simeon Cottle.” She is also claiming damages for “pain and suffering including psychological harm and mental distress caused by the joint and several negligence of the first and second defendants in the operation and management of injuries to Simeon Cottle resulting in the death of Simeon Cottle.” She is also seeking damages for the future cost of psychological care, and special damages.

In the suit, Cottle is claiming for “damages for loss of expectation of life, damages for pain and suffering arising out of the joint and several negligence of the first and second defendants in the operation and management of injuries.” In December 2015, Cottle rejected a $215,000 settlement proposed by the North-Central Regional Health Authority (NCRHA), under advisement of her attorney.

Speaking with Newsday, Cottle said that to date — three years after she lost her baby son — she has not received any positive news from the NCRHA under whose jurisdiction, the Mt Hope Women’s Hospital falls. She said the hospital has asked for an extension.

“Every day is a memory. The whole process is not an easy thing for me. I dont have a baby anymore.

I still have friends from hospital when I was there and I look at their babies and I say, ‘they all have their babies, but I don’t have mine’. It still hurts, but life has to go on,” Cottle said.

Cottle’s doctor has ruled her as medically unfit due to untold amount of stress, and therefore she cannot work. She worked as a security guard before she was pregnant. She is now receiving disability from Social Services. Cottle said while the Self Help Commission had promised to assist in helping her complete her humble dwelling in Cumuto, so far she has not received anything.

·You can increase your security by covering the PIN pad with your hand or wallet while you input your PIN number.

You will be chipping in style when you follow these additional tips for staying safe: ·When buying fete tickets or costumes online be sure to use a secure internet connection.

Free public Wi-Fi is unsecured and not recommended to be used when inputting card payment information or conducting online banking.

·Use reputable retailers or the official website of the Carnival bands that you have chosen to play mas with when making purchases. Fake websites posing as popular bands have been created to capture your personal information, credit card numbers and security code.

·Protect your cards, cash and ID while at Carnival events; be on the lookout for criminals looking to take advantage of the busy crowds. Carry only the cards you need with you and keep them in a safe spot that is not easily accessed by others.

The Sunny Group, which consists of businesses and entities in the fields of education, entertainment, restaurants, software development, distribution, security and gaming, took legal action following an alleged allegation by the attorney over unpaid equipment.

In its claim, the Sunny Group said it intended to purchase equipment from a US firm but when its agents went to the manufacturer’s location, the items were not ready.

The group said it received a prolonged manufacturing timeline and subsequently cancelled the order.

The group also noted that the manufacturer made certain admissions regarding the status of the order in an email.

“The attorney representing the US firm has acted in an unprofessional manner by commenting on a pending case that he is counsel of record in, which appears to be a last-ditch effort attempt to get Sherry Persad, chairman, and John Wallis, director, to settle the case before its ultimate dismissal,” Earl Durity, a representative of Sunny Group, said of the US lawsuit.

“The news post that was recently placed on the internet is substantially false, defamatory, and a publicity stunt, and we have no choice but to move forward with a lawsuit,” says Durity.

According to Sunny Group, the fake news post has caused Persad and Wallis to report the attorney’s actions to regulatory agencies and entities, including The Florida Bar Association; The Financial Intelligence Unit; Banking Institutions; and, attorneys in Trinidad and Florida.

The story, “Trying to staunch Trinidad’s flow of young recruits to ISIS” was written by Frances Robles. “President Trump spoke by telephone over the weekend with Prime Minister Keith Rowley of Trinidad and Tobago about terrorism and other security challenges including foreign fighters,” Sarah Huckabee Sanders, a White House spokeswoman, said as was reported in the article.

“American officials worry about having a breeding ground for extremists so close to the United States, fearing that Trinidadian fighters could return from the Middle East and attack American diplomatic and oil installations in Trinidad, or even take a three-and-a-half-hour flight to Miami.” The story quoted Juan S Gonzalez, a former deputy assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs, who said most Islamic State fighters from Latin America are from Trinidad and Tobago.

“As the United States continues to corner ISIS and defeat them, a lot of these guys aren’t going to feel they have safe quarters,” Gonzalez said. “Is the Caribbean, Trinidad and Tobago, the United States, prepared for these guys to return back to their countries? This is a real vulnerability.” The story said that while the US with a population of 240 million, has provided ISIS with 250 recruits, tiny TT with a population of 1.4 million has supplied 130, according to former US ambassador, John Estrada — the highest per capita nation in the Western Hemisphere.

“Trinidadians do very well with ISIL,” Estrada said. “They are high up in the ranks, they are very respected and they are English- speaking. ISIL have used them for propaganda to spread their message through the Caribbean.” Saying much information on the identities of those going abroad comes from US intelligence plus local imams, one was quoted as saying, “I know whole families that went”.

The story referred to the Anti Terrorism (Amendment) Bill 2017 laid in Parliament last week that seeks to criminalise the act of travelling for the purposes of committing a terrorist act, saying at present it is not illegal to join ISIS but this position is under review. The article said some TT nationals who join ISIS then feature heavily in the group’s online presence which then lends them to become targets of the US intelligence and military including being killed in drone strikes, including Shawn Parson, 27, from Enterprise, Chaguanas.

The story cited complaints by certain local Muslim spokesmen who claim to be unfairly treated in the whole affair. Islamic Missionary Guild head, Imtiaz Mohammed, said his US visa and pilot’s licence were revoked, hampering his group’s charitable works overseas. Jamaat al Muslimeen leader, Yasin Abu Bakr, claimed widespread anti-Muslim discrimination in TT.

Muslim leader Umar Abdullah, said he has denounced extremism as it could create a fallout that would put TT’s Muslim community in harm’s way. The article quoted Rio Claro Imam Nazim Mohammed, as denying that he trains recruits for ISIS and said he runs a school and a food aid programme.

“Killing and murdering is not Islamic. Our goal is to help people.

You know how many people have come here for help,” Mohammed said, as reported in the NY Times article.

Creese expressed shock when he was advised that the Praedial Larceny Squad only has 130 officers. He then recalled the ruling People’s National Movement’s (PNM) plans to establish constabularies of 100 officers under each of the 14 local government corporations in Trinidad.

As he noted the plans outlined by the ministry, Caroni Green and Namdevco to boost domestic agricultural production, Creese opined that all of those plans would come to nothing if praedial larceny is not dealt with. “There will be nothing (no food) to pack (for export) if it is all stolen,” he stated.

Acting Namdevco CEO Ayoub Mohammed agreed that praedial larceny is a longstanding problem. He suggested the use of technology such as cameras or drones to bolster security in the agricultural sector.

Mohammed noted a case of a farmer in South Trinidad who took that kind of initiative.

Agriculture Ministry Permanent Secretary Angela Siew described praedial larceny as “a bugbear.” She indicated that provisions are made for security in several of the incentives which the ministry offers to farmers. Siew disclosed that the ministry’s provision for security for farmers, reaches up to a maximum of $30,000.

Namdevco chairman Dennis Ramdeen said the company is looking to improve farmers’ market facilities in Debe, Macoya and Orange Valley. Mayaro MP Rushton Paray expressed dismay that packaging houses built under the former People’s Partnership government in Tabaquite and Couva, were not yet operational. Mohammed replied that efforts are being made to utilises those packing houses through public private partnerships.