2 Sunday, January 21, 2024

guardian.co.tt

3 Sunday, January 21, 2024
guardian.co.tt
The
News
Digest
Today’s stories
in capsule
OPINION
Crime and the
Constitution
L ast week there was a
collision between crime
and the Constitution. On
Monday, the UNC held a
public crime consultation
at which time a call was
made by Dr Indira Ramp-
ersad, head of the Depart-
ment of Political Science at
UWI, for a state of emer-
gency as a policy tool to
fight the level of crime and
violence in the society.
This was immediately
endorsed by Opposition
Leader Kamla Persad-Bis-
sessar, while coalition
partner and leader of the
NTA Gary Griffith felt that
it should only be used as a
last resort.
Prof Hamid Ghany
— Page 18
Gypsy to public on crime concerns:
Help make Carnival Village safe
PETER CHRISTOPHER
peter.christopher@guardian.co.tt
Amid growing concerns about
crime around the country, the
National Carnival Commission
(NCC) chairman has called on the
public to help make the Carnival
Village a safe space.
NCC chairman Winston
“Gypsy” Peters made the plea
at the opening of the John Cupid
Carnival Village on Friday at the
Queen’s Park Savannah.
“To keep Carnival City safe, we
are asking your support to help in
making this happen. Ladies and
gentlemen, our motto is if you
see something, say something,”
said Peters during his speech at
the event which was attended
by United States Ambassador
Candace Bond as well as Port-of-
Spain Mayor Chinua Alleyne.
Tourism Minister Randall
Mitchell stressed the importance
of the village in terms of an edu-
cational standpoint, as he stated
there will be days for dedicated
visits by primary and secondary
school children.
He also explained there are
special plans to bring cruise ship
tourists to the village.
LEAD STORY
Survivor, families
want Paria to feel
full extent of the law
The lone survivor in the Paria
diving tragedy Christopher
Boodram and Vanessa Kussie,
the wife of one of the divers who
was killed, are calling for Paria
Fuel Trading Company officials
to face the full brunt of the law.
While Boodram called for
them to be fired, Kussie said
they should be jailed for their
actions.
They made their
recommendations yesterday
following the Commission of
Enquiry (CoE) report into the
Paria incident that claimed the
lives of four divers almost two
—Pages 6-7
years ago.
NEWS
‘Not enough money
for Carnival’
The chairman of the National
Carnival Commission (NCC) is
complaining about insufficient
money allocated by Government
to host the 2024 edition of the
annual event. The NCC has been
allocated $141 million to manage
this year’s Carnival. This figure
represents $6 million less than
what the NCC received in 2023.
NCC’s chairman Winston “Gypsy”
Peters disclosed the commission’s
2024 subventions which he
described as “inadequate” and
“worrying” in an interview
with the Sunday Guardian on
Wednesday. —Page 9
Harmony Farrell waves the T&T flag in front of moko jumbies from the Junior Bisnath School of Arts during John
Cupid’s Carnival Village launch at Queen’s Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain, on Friday. PICTURE EDISON BOODOOSINGH
“As the cruise ship season ad-
vances, special days have been
tailored to cater to cruise ship
NEWS
Man killed, friend
wounded in Tacarigua
A 40-year-old man was
murdered and his friend
wounded in a shooting in
Tacarigua on Friday night.
According to reports, around
8 pm, Rommel Nepaul, of
Dinsley Village, Tacarigua, and
Anil Ramnarace, also 40, of El
Dorado, were standing outside
a popular fast food restaurant
along the Eastern Main Road in
Tacarigua.
They were approached by
a man who shot them several
times before he returned to
an awaiting vehicle and drove
away.
—Page 5
REC
The Caribbean’s
Calypso Queen
Terri Lyons’ immense talent
has once again earned her the
Queen of Queens crown at the
Caribbean Regional Female
Calypso competition which was
held at Carnival City, Little Bay,
Montserrat, on December 30,
2023.
It is the second time she has
won the competition. She was
also crowned the Queen of
Queens Regional Female Calypso
in 2022.
In addition to these accolades,
she was the Calypso Queen of
T&T in 2020. —Page 29
visitors, encompassing historical
Carnival storytelling and cultural
displays to enhance our visitors’
INSIDE YOUR GUARDIAN
33
WEATHER
SUNNY
Sunny and
breezy
despite the
odd, brisk
shower. Fair
night with
a gentle
breeze.
Winds may gust near showers.
Piarco Max 31°C Min 22°C
Crown Point Max 31°C Min 24°C
YESTERDAY’S RESULTS
Port-of-Spain:
22–24 St Vincent Street, 10.30 am: 6 (Belly)
(PO Box 122) 1 pm: 33 (Spider)
Telephone: 4 pm: 5 (Parson Man)
235-5668 Exts 5133,
7 pm: 1 (Centipede)
5135, 5116,
5174, 5113, 5115 10.30 am: 20, 6
San Fernando Bureau: 1 pm: 24, 30
235-5668 Exts 5224, 4 pm: 21, 3
5225, 5226
7pm: 6, 15
Quote of the Day 10.30 am: 4, 3, 3, 4
1 pm: 7, 8, 9,7
4 pm: 2, 7, 2, 8
“Gratitude is not only 7 pm: 2, 7, 4, 5
the greatest of virtues,
4, 7, 10, 13, 20 M: 3
but the parent of all
the others.” 7, 17, 19, 26, 34
— Marcus Tullius Cicero PB: 2 M: 3
The NCC chairman stressed
that more emphasis was placed
on the marketplace to ensure
that it properly allowed for a di-
verse selection and showcase of
T&T’s products and culture.
“We are investing even more
into making the village a profit-
able marketplace that stimulates
the economy and adds value
to our national and cultural
growth,” said Peters.
Earlier this month, bpTT ini-
tially dialled back plans to have
live steelband performances in
the Savannah.
However, after meeting with
the NCC and being updated on
security measures, the company
confirmed that the space previ-
ously planned for performances
understanding and appreciation
opposite bpTT’s head office was
of our distinctive heritage,” said
relocated to the Carnival Village.
Mitchell.
4 Sunday, January 21, 2024
guardian.co.tt

PROPERTIES FOR SALE BY MORTGAGEE

DESCRIPTION / ADDRESS OF PROPERTY EXT. NO. DESCRIPTION / ADDRESS OF PROPERTY EXT. NO.
6 LOTS TOTALING 46,350 Sq. Ft. FREEHOLD LAND, REALIZE ROAD, OFF
LP NO. 1-41 MAX STREET, MT PLEASANT ROAD, ARIMA. Flat Concrete
ST. CROIX ROAD, PRINCES TOWN. Single Story Structure - 2 Bedrooms, 2 69761
Structure, Comprising Three Bedrooms, One Toilet and Bath, Living and 69752
Bathrooms.
Dining Room on 555.6 Sq. M. Freehold Land.
LOT NO. 259, HOUSE NO. 22 FELDSPAR CRESCENT, UNION HALL
HOUSING DEVELOPMENT, UNION HALL, SAN FERNANDO. Single Story 69761 LOT NO 2 PASCALL VILLAGE ST. AUCHENSKEOCH ESTATE LAMBEAU,
Residence Comprising 2 Bedrooms and 2 Bathrooms Comp 4,930 Sq. Ft. TOBAGO. 2 storey residential apt / resort bldg with 10 bedrooms & 10 69772
bathrooms, on 1,709 Sq M land

NO. 23 BUSHE VILLAGE, FYZABAD. 806.0 Sq. M. Freehold Land. 69757 LOT NO 1 PASCALL VILLAGE ST. AUCHENSKEOCH ESTATE LAMBEAU,
69772
TOBAGO 478.8 Sq M land
LOT 2, KNOWN AS 1084, SAN FERNANDO-SIPARIA-ERIN ROAD, PALO
#90 DE GANNES VILLAGE, SIPARIA. 2 Storey Residential / Commercial
SECO. Single Storey Residence Comprising 3 Bedrooms and a Bathroom on 69767
Structure with a basement, comprising 7 bedrooms on 6,092 Sq Ft. Free- 69752
930.9 Sq. M. Land.
hold Land
LOT #14 HYDRAULIC TRACE, KELLY VILLAGE, CARONI. Single Storey LOT NO. 12 CARONI SAVANNAH ROAD, CHARLIEVILLE, CHAGUANAS.
Residential Structure Comprising Three Bedrooms, Two Bathrooms, One 69752 Single Storey Residence Comprising Five Bedrooms and Two Bathrooms on 69772
Kitchen and One Living / Dining Room on 480.0 Sq. M. Freehold Land. 4,730 Sq .Ft. Freehold Land.

LOT #192 MAHOGONY AVENUE, GASPARILLO. 4,999 Sq. Ft. Vacant Land. 69752 NO. 7 (LOT 41) ST. HELENA VILLAGE, PIARCO. Two Storey Residential /
69772
Commercial Bldg on 5,230 Sq. Ft. Freehold Land.
LOT AT CORNER AMOW STREET & SOUTHERN MAIN ROAD ENTER-
69772
PRISE. Comp. 4,716 Sq. Ft. Freehold Land Only. NO. 28 BETSY STREET , LA ROMAIN. Two Storey Building with Nine
69772
NO. 14 CHURCH ROAD, MAYARO. Comprising 5,005 Sq. Ft. Freehold Land Apartments on 1,073.1 Sq. M. Freehold Land.
69772
Only.
NO. 7 BOBB STREET LA ROMAIN. Townhouse UNIT DB7 - Three Bedrooms, NO. 59 TUMPUNA GARDENS, TUMPUNA, ARIMA. Two Level Residence
69772
Three Bathrooms Comprising 134.9 Sq. M. Townhouse UNIT DB8 - Three 69772 on 5,450 Sq. Ft. Leasehold Land.
Bedrooms, Three Bathrooms Comprising 134.7 Sq. M.
LOT J ROAD RESERVE, LAPARK DEVELOPMENT, RAMGOOLIE STREET,
CUNUPIA. Single Storey Residence Comprising Three Bedrooms / Two 69772
NO. 913 MOHAMMED DRIVE, GULF VIEW, LA ROMAIN. Two Storey
69772 Bathrooms on 5,979 Sq. Ft. Land.
Residential /Commercial Bldg on 5,100 Sq. Ft. Leasehold Land
APT. 17 BUILDING 2C, THE HUTTONS, NO. 2 HUTTON ROAD, ST.ANNS.
LOT NO. 51, LP 50, ORCHID AVENUE, ARENA GARDENS, FREEPORT. 69772
69767 Leasehold Apartment Unit Comprising 137.0 Sq. M.
Comp. 465.0 Sq. M. Freehold Land Only
NO. 32 WAVELL STREET, STE MADELEINE, SAN FERNANDO. Two Storey NO. 5 NOBBEE BERTRAND ROAD, GRANTS ROAD, ROUSILLAC. 2 storey
69767
Residential Building on 10,781 Sq. Ft. Freehold Land residential structure with separate family dwellings on each level, on 6,224 69772
Sq Ft freehold land
LOT 10 KESKIDEE CRESCENT, BON AIR GARDENS, AROUCA. Single Sto-
69767
rey Residential Building on 303.5 Sq. M. Leasehold Land LP 337 (LOT 4) SS ERIN ROAD, QUARRY VILLAGE, SIPARIA. 5,484 Sq Ft land 69772

No. 44 FOURTH STREET, BARATARIA. 2 Single Storey Residential Buildings

69767 LOT 332 CEDAR HILL ROAD, SUM SUM HILL, CLAXTON BAY
and 1 Two Storey Apartment Building
Two Storey Commercial Building comprising floor space of 5,174 Sq.ft. On 69751
LOT NO. 128 PLOVER AVENUE, MALONEY HOUSING PROJECT, 5,000 Sq. Ft. of Freehold Land.
MALONEY. Single Story Residence Comprising 3 Bedrooms and 1 69761
Bathroom Comp 3,199 Sq. Ft. 306 FIR TREE CRESCENT, LANGE PARK, CHAGUANAS
69767
Two Storey Building on 7,725 Sq. Ft. Land
LOT NO. 1 DOOKIESINGH STREET, MOORANG VILLAGE, ST. AUGUSTINE.
NO. 21 ORMIDALE AVENUE, COCOYEA VILLAGE, SAN FERNANDO.
2 Story Residence Comprising 2 Bedrooms and 2 1/2 Bathrooms Comp 69761
Two Storey Concrete Structure comprising of three bedrooms and three 69767
17,158 Sq. Ft.
bathrooms on 4849 sq. ft. Land
NO. 1 WHITE STREET, WOODBROOK. Two Storey Commercial Bldg on LOT NOS 7&9 BEHARRY TRACE EXTENSION, LA RESOURCE SOUTH,
69772 69767
3,927 Sq. Ft. Leasehold Land D’ABADIE. Comp. 685.31 and 680.20 Sq. M. Freehold Land

NO. 129 PLAISANCE PARK, POINTE A PIERRE Building 1: 2 storey with 9
bedrooms, 5 bathrooms. Building 2: 3 storey with 12 bedrooms, 5 bath- 69752
rooms
LOT NO. 4 SEEMUNGAL BRANCH TRACE, OFF SEEMUNGAL TRACE, PE-
69752
NAL ROAD, PENAL (LAND ONLY). 43,615 Sq. Ft. Freehold Land.
LOT NO. 45A DATTOO AVENUE, PABLITO TRACE, GRANTS ROAD,
ROUSILLAC. Single Storey Residential Property Comprising Two Bedrooms, 69752
One Bathroom, One Living Room on 526.6 Sq. M. Freehold Land.
LAND ONLY AT LOT 5B1 CRUSEO DRIVE, CROWN POINT, TOBAGO 69761
LOT NO. 78, BATTOO AVENUE, MARABELLA. Single Storey Ware-
house-Type Commercial Structure comprising of a Large Service Bay, Two
69767
Restrooms, Sitting Room, Two Utility Rooms, Reception Area and an Office
on 5,650 sq. ft. Freehold Land.
NO. 247 CIPERO ROAD, GOLCONDA VILLAGE. Two Storey Concrete
Structure comprising of Three Bedrooms and Three Bathrooms on 5,000 sq. 69767
ft. Freehold Land.
LOT 51 KNOWN AS NO. 39, NEW CITY AVENUE, MARABELLA. Two storey
residential / commercial structure with a bar on the ground floor / house on 69752
the 1st floor on 5,000 Sq. Ft. Freehold Land

Kindly forward offers in writing to:

THE CREDIT MANAGER
“RE: OFFERS FOR SALE”
P.O BOX 1153, PORT OF SPAIN
or E-MAIL: offersforsale@rfhl.com

For further information kindly call 625-4411 followed by the above extension.
The Mortgagee does not bind itself to accept the highest or any offer.
Unsuitable offers would not be acknowledged.
Please submit offers by February 7th, 2024
Sunday, January 21, 2024
guardian.co.tt
After bandit attack in 2018 ...
Businessman dies
after being beaten
in home invasion
Wife, economist Marla Dukharan, returns home
In early 2018, businessman
Richard Ramkissoon had a
brush with death when he was
shot during a botched robbery.
The incident had a profound
impact on Ramkissoon’s wife,
re gional economi st Marla
Dukharan, who migrated to Bar-
bados.
On Friday, six years later,
the family’s worst fears ma-
terialised when Ramkissoon,
who stayed behind to run his
wholesale store, Superstore, in
Arima, died after being beaten
during a home invasion at Cres-
cent Drive, Mausica, D’Abadie.
According to reports, the
home invasion took place
around 3 am on Friday.
Six men armed with cutlasses
and guns, reportedly poisoned
the family’s two pitbulls before
scaling the nine-foot wall with
barbed wire surrounding the
property.
They then used a ladder
to gain access through a sec-
ond-storey window.
The men beat Ramkissoon as
they demanded that he hand
over cash, jewelry and other
valuables.
They also tied up Ram-
kissoon’s son and daughter (who
were vacationing with him), and
his female companion.
After the intruders left with
the items they stole, Ram-
kissoon’s children and his
companion checked on the
46-year-old businessman.
Ramkissoon, who had been
badly beaten, was taken to Med-
ical Associates Hospital in St
Joseph, where he died while un-
dergoing emergency treatment.
In July 2020, Barbados-based
newspaper columnist BC Pires
featured Dukharan in his weekly
column in the T&T Newsday.
In the interview, Dukharan re-
vealed details of the first attack
and how it impacted her deci-
sion to migrate.
Dukharan admitted that she
was paranoid since the first at-
tack on her husband.
She stated that around 4.30
pm on February 20, 2018, her
husband was driving out of his
compound when a car blocked
his.
She claimed that the men
were after the cash deposit for
his business, which he did not
have on him at the time.
The men shot him at point-
Richard Ramkissoon
blank range with the bullet en-
tering his left side, going across
his abdomen before remaining
lodged in his hip.
At the time, Dukharan stated
that the bullet had not been re-
moved.
She credited her husband’s
cousin, Dr Faisal Daniel, and
surgeon, Prof Vijay Narayns-
ingh, for saving her husband’s
life.
“Vijay Naraynsingh had to
take my husband’s intestines
completely out of his body and
go through 22 feet of intestines,
inch by inch, holding them up
to the light, to make sure there
was no perforation,” she said.
She suggested that the coun-
try’s homicide rate was deter-
mined by two factors—the level
of violent crime and the level of
healthcare afforded to the vic-
tims.
Economist
Marla Dukharan
“With poor healthcare, you
have a greater chance of vio-
lent crime ending up as a homi-
cide statistic,” she said.
“The sad thing about T&T is
that the majority of people who
get shot would not have the care
and attention Richard got,” she
added.
She admitted that when she
returned to Trinidad periodi-
cally, she had to take medica-
tion to help her sleep.
“I lie in bed and, every noise,
I feel somebody is coming to get
me,” she said.
“I don’t think about these
things in Barbados,” she added.
Dukharan also revealed the
impact of the first attack on her
son and daughter.
“My children now recognise
T&T as a broken place (that let)
something like this happens to
their father and no one be held
to account,” she said.
“They associated Trinidad
with pain, insecurity and fear,”
she added.
The children were discharged
from the hospital but remain
traumatised.
Guardian Media reached out
to Dukharan via WhatsApp
yesterday and she responded,
“Sorry, no comment.”
Relatives, who spoke with
Guardian Media, indicated that
Dukharan was expected to ar-
rive in Trinidad yesterday.
Investigations are continuing.
—With reporting by
Ralph Banwarie
news 5
Man killed, friend
wounded in Tacarigua
DEREK ACHONG along the Eastern Main Road in
Senior Reporter Tacarigua.
derek.achong@guardian.co.tt They were approached by
a man who shot them several
A 40-year-old man was mur- times before he returned to an
dered and his friend wounded
in a shooting in Tacarigua on
awaiting vehicle and drove away.
Nepaul died on the scene,
Friday night. while Ramnarace survived and
According to reports, around was taken to the Eric Williams
8 pm, Rommel Nepaul, of Din- Medical Sciences Complex in Mt
sley Village, Tacarigua, and Hope for treatment.
Anil Ramnarace, also 40, of El He remained warded in a sta-
Dorado, were standing outside ble condition up to late yester-
a popular fast food restaurant day.
16 year old hurt in drive-by
shooting in San Juan
Meanwhile, police are investi- occupants shot at them before
gating a drive-by shooting in San driving away.
Juan which left three people in- Bristol was shot in his leg,
cluding a 16-year-old wounded while Simpson was shot in his
yesterday. foot. The teen was shot in his
Police reports indicated that hip.
around 2 am, 35-year-old Chris- All three men were taken for
topher Bristol, 23-year-old Fa- medical treatment and were
bian Simpson and the teen were warded in a stable condition up
liming along Shende Street in to late yesterday.
San Juan. Investigators had not deter-
A white Toyota Axio report- mined a motive for either shoot-
edly stopped near them and the ing up to late yesterday.
Man, 46, charged for
Las Lomas teen’s murder
RHONDOR DOWLAT
Senior Reporter
rhondor.dowlat@guardian.co.tt
A 46-year-old man is expected
to appear in court virtually to-
morrow, after he was charged
with murder.
Sunil Ramjattan, of Savory
Road, Las Lomas, was charged
with the death of Isabella
Teelucksingh and the wound-
ing of another woman, which
occurred on January 14. The ac-
cused was charged with murder,
wounding with intent, posses-
sion of a firearm and possession
of ammunition following advice
from the Office of the Director
of Prosecutions.
About 7.35 pm last Sunday,
police officers responded to a
report of loud explosions heard
at Savary Road, Las Lomas No 1.
On arrival, it was reported that
a group of people were standing Isabella Teelucksingh, 15, who was
shot on Sunday, at Savory Road,
along the road when an armed
Las Lomas No 1.
assailant approached, shot at
the group and fled the scene.
to the Eric Williams Medical
Isabella Teelucksingh and an-
Sciences Complex.
other woman were taken to the
However, Teelucksingh suc-
Chaguanas Health Facility for
cumbed to her injuries at 10.54
treatment of gunshot wounds,
am on January 15.
and they were later transferred
 6 news
Survivor, families want Paria to feel full extent of the law
Widow: Somebody has to make jail
SASCHA WILSON
Senior Reporter
sascha.wilson@guardian.co.tt
The lone survivor in the Paria
diving tragedy Christopher Boo-
dram and Vanessa Kussie, the
wife of one of the divers who was
killed, are calling for Paria Fuel
Trading Company officials to face
the full brunt of the law.
While Boodram called for them
to be fired and charged, Kussie
said they should be jailed for
their actions.
They made their recommen-
dations yesterday following the
Commission of Enquiry (CoE) re-
port into the Paria incident that
claimed the lives of four divers
almost two years ago.
The report was laid by Energy
Minister Stuart Young on Friday
and has since been forwarded to
Director of Public Prosecutions
Roger Gaspard following a recom-
mendation that Paria be charged
with corporate manslaughter.
Legal experts told Guardian
Media, however, that the charge
of corporate manslaughter is
against a company, not an indi-
vidual, and the penalty is a fine.
The CoE was launched follow-
ing the deaths of divers Rishi
Nagassar, Kazim Ali Jr, Fyzal
Kurban, and Yusuf Henry in the
incident on February 25, 2022.
Boodram was the only one who
survived.
The five divers, all LMCS em-
ployees, were sucked into a 30-
inch underwater pipeline while
conducting maintenance works
at Berth No 6 in the Pointe-a-
Pierre harbour.
In an interview at her Couva
home yesterday, Kussie, the
councillor for Couva West/
Roystonia, could not hold back
the tears.
She said it was unfair that the
divers’ families have to wait so
long to get justice. “It sad that it
has to reach so far, almost two
years we have to wait, it is sad. It
says a lot.”
Applauding CoE chairman Je-
rome Lynch, KC, on the report,
Kussie was hopeful that the
DPP would give the families jus-
tice. “I saw that the report had
stated that manslaughter and I
think that it’s true, they should
be charged with murder. I was
there from the beginning and I
saw Paria do nothing, absolutely
nothing to help save our hus-
bands. They just left them there
to die. They had the coastguard
pointing guns at the other divers
who were willing to go down and
rescue them. A lot more could
have been done.”
Hoping that the DPP would give
his decision in a month, she said:
“I really do expect that whoever
is responsible is held accountable
for their actions. Somebody has
Christopher Boodram at his
Claxton Bay home yesterday.
Vanessa Kussie, wife of Rishi Nagassar, who died during the Paria tragedy,
speaks at her Couva home yesterday.
to make jail.”
She added that neither the
Government nor Paria did any-
thing to help the families. “They
turned their back on us. We got
nothing. It is a struggle we had
to face to pay bills, every single
thing; to go to the grocery, to go
to the market. It was a big strug-
gle for me,” she lamented.
Boodram, his wife and two
children were preparing for a
prayer service at their Claxton
Bay home when Guardian Media
visited them.
While he believes the report
was fair and justified, Boodram
said his former boss LMCS owner
Kazim Ali Snr should not be pun-
ished.
The commissioners had noted
that there was sufficient evidence
for the prosecution of Paria Fuel
Trading Company’s Operations
manager Colin Piper and Ali for
a number of offences under the
OSH Act.
Boodram said: “Because Mr
Energy Chamber welcomes CoE report
JESSE RAMDEO
Senior Reporter
jesse.ramdeo@cnc3.co.tt
The Energy Chamber is wel-
coming the findings from the
Commission of Enquiry into the
Paria diving tragedy which has
been made public. According to
a statement from the chamber
yesterday, the detailed findings
will be studied in the days and
Pastor John Arjoon praying for the Boodram family at their Claxton Bay
home yesterday.
Kazim Ali Snr has been through
a lot with losing his son also, and
for the record, yesterday was
his birthday. I believe that he
had suffered enough and went
through a lot in terms of physi-
cally and mentally, so my heart
still goes out to his whole family.”
Following the incident, he said
Paria management should have
been suspended, but he is now
calling on them to be fired.
“I think they should lose their
jobs, at least. At least the people
who made the decision of not
sending or prohibiting dive res-
cue, they should lose their job
immediately,” said Boodram.
Agreeing with the commis-
sioners’ recommendation for the
introduction of compulsory reg-
ulation of all commercial diving
operations, he said: “That is most
needed in the marine and subsea
industry. After skimming through
the report, I believe Paria in going
forward needs to implement the
things that were recommended,
not only Paria, all industries.”
He was also pleased that the
commissioners mentioned put-
ting in place an immediate al-
lowance to assist families who
lose loved ones in tragic circum-
stances. “It is very important be-
weeks to come.
The chamber added that
“sharing the lessons gathered
from the incident is critical for
the prevention of similar events
in the future”.
The report laid in Parliament
on Friday recommended that
Paria Fuel Trading Company
Limited should be charged with
corporate manslaughter. It also
made over 50 recommendations
Sunday, January 21, 2024
guardian.co.tt
PICTURES VASHTI SINGH
cause the struggle is real. In two
years, it has been tough for me,”
he said.
Meanwhile, Henry’s mother,
Nicole Grennidge, said the re-
port was bitter-sweet because
the offences mentioned in the
report were not jailable of-
fences, and the families were no
closer to getting any financial
assistance.
“I don’t have confidence that
things will really work out in the
family’s favour unless we have
the money to take the matter
after from the DPP to further this
issue in court to get some kind of
justice. I think they are making
it very complicated and hard for
the family,” she lamented.
She said the families have been
“literally dragging” as they lost
their breadwinners, and it has
also been difficult for her since
she has been helping Henry’s
children. While compensation
will not take away their hurt, she
said it would assist in support-
ing the families. “I would like to
see the families get some kind of
compensation, at least that way
they could move on,” she said.
When Guardian Media visited
the homes of Kurban and Ali Snr,
they did not meet anyone.
and also criticised Paria for its
treatment of the families.
LMCS divers Fyzal Kurban,
Yusuf Henry, Rishi Nagassar and
Kazim Ali Jr, perished inside Par-
ia’s Sealine No 36 in the Pointe-
a-Pierre harbour, after a Delta
P event sucked them inside on
February 25, 2022. One diver,
Christopher Boodram, swam to
the top of the pipe, where other
divers rescued him. See page 7.
Sunday, January 21, 2024
guardian.co.tt
Paria mum on CoE report
Ramadhar: Only DPP can decide whether to lay charges
SASCHA WILSON
Senior Reporter
sascha.wilson@guardian.co.tt
While there are calls for those
found culpable in the Commis-
sion of Enquiry report into the
Paria pipeline tragedy to be
charged and jailed, legal experts
say the offence of corporate man-
slaughter only carries a fine.
However, one of the attorneys
representing the families, Prakash
Ramadhar, said the charge does
not carry a custodial sentence.
One of 52 recommendations
from the 380-page report pro-
duced by Jerome Lynch, KC,
chairman of the Commission of
Enquiry (CoE) into the deaths of
four divers on February 25, 2022,
was that Paria Fuel Trading Com-
pany Limited be charged with
corporate manslaughter.
Recommendation 40 stated:
“We recommend to the Director
of Public Prosecutions that on
the evidence before this tribunal,
we find that there are sufficient
grounds to conclude that Paria’s
negligence could be character-
ised as gross negligence and con-
sequently criminal. We do not
conclude that the same is true of
LMCS as we are of the view that
they were effectively prevented
from pursuing a rescue by Paria.”
The report that was laid in Par-
liament by Energy Minister Stuart
Young on Friday has been sent to
Director of Public Prosecutions
Roger Gaspard, but Paria was
mum on the report yesterday.
“Paria will not be issuing a
statement at the time,” said Com-
munications Lead Nerissa Feveck.
Ramadhar explained that cor-
porate manslaughter could only
be preferred against a company,
not an individual, and it does not
carry a custodial sentence.
Explaining that corporate man-
slaughter carries a substantial
fine, Ramadhar said: “In relation
to corporate manslaughter, it is
against the company itself and
there is no jail term for anyone.
It is a fine, at most, if there is a
conviction.
“It is important, however, that
the recommendation in its own
way is necessary so that compa-
nies in this country will know that
they cannot flagrantly abuse their
powers and deny the protection
of workers and expect to walk
away scot-free, that there can be
charges against the company it-
self. These fines can be substan-
tial fines. It is up to the court, of
course, to determine the culpa-
bility and what fine it would im-
pose,” he said.
The commissioners also found
that there was enough evidence
for the prosecution of Paria Fuel
Trading Company’s operations
manager Colin Piper and LMCS’s
Ali Senior individually, and Paria
Minister of Energy and Energy Industries Stuart Young lays the report of the Commission of Enquiry into the Paria
diving tragedy in Parliament on Friday.
From left, divers Christopher Boodram, Kazim Ali Jr, Yusuf Henry,
Rishi Nagassar and Fyzal Kurban before tragedy struck in February 2022.
and LMCS as employers, for a
number of offences under the
OSH Act.
Despite the commissioners’ rec-
ommendation, however, he said
only the DPP can decide whether
to prefer charges. He added that
the DPP might also require fur-
ther investigations and infor-
mation to properly determine
whether corporate manslaughter
can be laid against the company.
“It is also open to the DPP to
seek any other offence against an-
yone if the evidence supports it to
lay a charge,” he added.
The CoE, which cost $15.5 mil-
lion, was launched following the
deaths of divers Rishi Nagassar,
Kazim Ali Jr, Fyzal Kurban, Yusuf
Henry, and Christopher Bood-
ram. The LMCS employees were
PICTURE SHIRLEY BAHADUR
Corporate
manslaughter
The law, which came into effect in
the UK in April 2008, makes Section
1 of the Corporate Manslaughter
and Corporate Homicide Act an
offence where a government entity
or company is found to have caused
the death of someone through
negligence.
According to the Crown
Prosecution Service, the UK’s DPP
office, corporate manslaughter
is an offence that was “created
to overcome the limitations
of the common law offence of
gross negligence manslaughter
as applied to companies and
other incorporated bodies. Under
the common law, in order for
a company to be guilty of the
offence, it was necessary for a
senior individual who could be
said to embody the company (also
known as ‘the controlling mind’) to
be guilty of gross negligence.”
Under the new law, the
controlling minds, the board, of the
company, or government agency
can be held criminally liable.
sucked into a 30-inch underwater
pipeline while they were doing
maintenance work at Berth No 6
in the Pointe-a-Pierre harbour.
In an interview with Guard-
ian Media yesterday, Nagassar’s
widow, Vanessa Kussie, called
for those responsible for her
husband’s death to be jailed.
Meanwhile, lone survivor Chris-
topher Boodram believes that
Paria officials who prevented
rescuers from trying to save his
colleague’s lives should be fired
and charged.
news 7
Man sentenced
to three years
for having sex
with a minor
DEREK ACHONG
Senior Reporter
derek.achong@guardian.co.tt
A 22-year-old man has been sen-
tenced to three years in prison
after he admitted to sexually
penetrating an 11-year-old when
he was a teenager.
Ravi Balraj, of Rousillac, was
sentenced by High Court Judge
Nalini Singh on Friday.
Justice Singh began with a
starting sentence of nine years
for the offence.
She then applied for a one-
third discount based on his
guilty plea.
The sentence was reduced
to three years based on the fact
that he spared the victim the
trauma of testifying in a trial and
he had a clean disciplinary re-
cord while on remand awaiting
a trial.
Balraj was not immediately
ordered to serve the sentence
as Justice Singh noted he had
served more than that time on
remand.
According to the agreed facts
in the case, Balraj met the victim
in January 2018 while attending
her 11th birthday party at her
home.
He continued to frequently
visit the girl at her home until
he eventually had sex with her
several months later. He was 17
at the time.
Her mother found out and re-
ported Balraj to the police.
Balraj was charged with sex-
ual penetration of a child under
the Children’s Act.
In presenting a mitigation
plea on Balraj’s behalf, his law-
yer, from the Public Defenders’
Department (PDD), noted that
the victim initiated the sexual
activity and participated will-
ingly despite not being able to
lawfully give consent.
As part of her sentence, Jus-
tice Singh considered adding
Balraj to the sex offenders’ reg-
istry.
However, she decided against
it after Ramdass pointed out
that such was not possible as he
was essentially a minor when he
committed the offence.
During the sentencing, Justice
Singh was informed that Balraj
had three other similar charges
pending in the Magistrate’s
Court stemming from other oc-
casions he had sex with the girl
before being prosecuted.
Prosecutors agreed to discon-
tinue the charges based on the
outcome of the case before Jus-
tice Singh.
The Office of the Director of
Public Prosecutions (DPP) was
represented by Kezia Gray-Bir-
kette, Rebecca Trim-Wright, and
Bisram Ramdatt.
 8 news
Loquan leaves his mark at NGC
... bows out as president of energy company
Last Thursday, the National Gas Company (NGC) announced that president Mark Loquan would
step away from the company when his contract comes to an end on August 31.
The NGC said that Loquan will not renew his contract with NGC and his appointment as
director on the NGC board and its affiliates will also cease. The news took the industry by
surprise given the company’s stability and profitability. In this exclusive interview with the
Sunday Guardian, Loquan explains why the time was right to step aside.
ASHA JAVEED
Lead Editor Investigations
asha.javeed@guardian.co.tt
Mark Loquan was clear that he could not
present at tomorrow’s Energy Conference
on behalf of the National Gas Company
(NGC) and its future knowing he won’t be
a part of it.
So he opted to break the news before the
conference to keep the integrity of his pres-
entation intact.
But why, after eight years, is he stepping
away?
He jokingly replied that he had already
retired (he is 63), so he was just ending his
present contract.
He felt it was time.
When he started the NGC in 2016, it was
in turbulent times—claims and curtailments
were affecting the company’s perception,
profitability and purpose with the view
that it was just a pipeline business.
The NGC Group was on a mission to in-
ternationalise its business footprint, seek-
ing opportunities to enter new markets and
broker new partnerships across the world.
In his eight years, Loquan has dealt with
claims from the downstreamers, manage
curtailments, reduced liabilities to the
company to “almost zero”, posted a $2
billion loss for investments before his time
and then last year rebounded to a $2 bil-
lion profit, saw the NGC grow into an in-
tegrated energy company, made strategic
investments—NGC now has a bigger stake
in Atlantic LNG and sought to make the
company sustainable—through its newest
subsidiary, the NGC Green has 30 per cent
stake in the country’s first solar park, and
expanded regionally and internationally.
NGC came under negative scrutiny by the
media and the Opposition for some of their
investments—particularly, the decision to
spend millions to maintain and then idle
Atlanctic’s Train 1 when it was a minority
shareholder.
“I’m only human, right, and I didn’t have
to do this job, as you know, I am retired,
I was retired. I would say that there have
been many times when during that turbu-
lence I would ask myself, what am I really
doing here? Why am I doing this?” he ob-
served.
He explained that if he had opted to leave
at the time, not only would it have affected
NGC but the entire energy sector.
“The only thing that brought me
back was that the country would
have probably been a lot worse
off, if I really decided for myself, to
just take care of me. In hindsight, I
am happy I didn’t do that because
there was a lot that had to be ac-
complished, which I think the or-
ganisation has now done. We have
a foundation that we can build on,
there is a lot more hope than when
we started. Yes, we still have to do a
lot of hard work to get things across
the line, Dragon still has to be built
and so on,” he said.
“There was always a higher pur-
pose, which is value for the people
of T&T, and we hadn’t finished what
we really set out to do. And yeah, I
think it felt incomplete to me. So
much better this way to leave when
things are done right.”
Working for a private multina-
“ There was always a higher
purpose, which is value for the
people of T&T, and we hadn’t
finished what we really set out to
do. And yeah, I think it felt
incomplete to me. So much
better this way to leave when
things are done right.”
NGC president Mark Loquan listens to a presentation
during the launch of NGC’s Green Company at the
Hyatt Regency, Port-of-Spain, on Wednesday.
PICTURE SHIRLEY BAHADUR
Sunday, January 21, 2024
guardian.co.tt
tional for most of his career, Loquan was we waste energy, and we have a long way
not accustomed to public scrutiny. to go when it comes to making sure every
“I am not used to that. I have always household, every school child, every adult
played a technical role and been in a pro- starts to think in a manner that says, you
fessional environment that didn’t subject know, I better think twice before I do this.”
me to all of those kinds of things. I have to He observed that rate changes tend to
accept that in T&T, some of these things do alter those behaviours but it does require
happen and it depends on election seasons tough decisions.
or all kinds of things going on. I tried, per- “That’s not an NGC decision as really the
sonally, to remain focused on what we had Cabinet makes those kinds of decisions.
to do, the big picture—we knew we needed But that would go a long way,” he said.
to get Atlantic restructuring, we knew we On the whole, the sector is “not where
needed to get Dragon, we knew we needed we’re supposed to be.”
to get contracts in the Estate done for con- However, he posited that the activities
tinuity, claims removed. Without those being done and collaboration between the
things, NGC probably will not be surviving energy majors were being worked through.
and this is such a central, I will say, cog “What drives investment in upstream is
in the wheel, for the whole economy,” he also taking away some of the uncertainties.
said. Like with the Atlantic restructuring–up-
stream has decided to put money in the up-
Challenges ahead stream so they could feed the LNG trains.
The Atlantic restructuring now gives you
He’s cognisant that the industry still a long-term predictability with a license,
faces challenges–the energy business is it gives you a simplified operating owner-
vulnerable to volumes, there should be a ship train. NGC has a bigger part in it. It
greater gravity to green and hard decisions also gives you a doorway for external gas
need to be taken with regard to electricity. outside of the shareholders. So it means,
He noted that natural gas volumes would deeper water gas can now be part of that
still be down for some time until Manatee arrangement. So I will say the vehicle is
and Dragon are complete. there, you have to drive it and make sure
As for prices, T&T has been the benefi- it gets to the right place, where we weren’t
ciary of wars and the cyclical prices associ- before,” he said.
ated with global instability. As for the energy transition, Loquan be-
“When it comes to the prices ... where lieves T&T needs to move a lot quicker, and
we don’t have control of prices, but at least we need to be much more prepared not
we could prepare ourselves by having a only as a company but as a country.
strong institution,” he said.
“We do keep plants alive. We do keep Possibilities
plants running. Yes, sometimes we have to
shut down plants because it gets very un- In his view, he has stabilised the com-
stable. But if NGC wasn’t doing that, well pany, created a stronger institution and
what would happen? What would happen prepared it for the future with respect to
with the power supply? At the same time, the energy transition.
thee power supply is an integral part of • Continues
Cont
Co tinu
inues
es on
o pag
pagee 11
11
yourur molecules. So we do have to keep the
power
wer company running and this ma makes
akes
sure e the power is also driving plants a and
nd all
of these things too. So it’s all integrated,”
integ egrated,””
he explained.
In
n his view, if T&T is nott e efficient
fficient nt with
w
wiith h
the molecules, the country
counttry will
wililll bee ““more
m re
mor
mo e
and d more challenged o over the
ver thhe years.”
yeaears.”
s.”
Loquan added: “The “There
There is a n iinefficient
an neeffi
fficie
cie
entnt
usee of gas when yo you put ut it
it in
n electricity
electr
ele ctriici
ctr city
ty y
and d you need to get the the return
re urn n value u in
value
ue i
the Petchem a and
nd LNLNG.
NG. S So
o ththe more
e mo ore we e
usee in that space
sp (electricity
(el
electtricit y generation)
ity ge
generratiation)
n)
it’s not good
ood for us
goo us.
“So
So if you look
ook at
loo at
the demand
e dem m and side,
s ide,,
Sunday, January 21, 2024
guardian.co.tt news 9

‘Not enough Medium bands perform

in the preliminary round
money for
Carnival’
NCC gets $6M less than last year
Winston “Gypsy” Peters
performs Ungrateful on the
opening night of the Kaiso
House Calypso Tent, Queen’s
Park East, Port-of-Spain, on
Thursday. PICTURE ANISTO ALVES

SHALIZA HASSANALI in the country. In 2022, Peters said T&T generated

Senior Investigative Reporter
shaliza.hasanali@guardian.co.tt
The chairman of the National Carnival Commission
(NCC) is complaining about insufficient money al-
located by the Government to host the 2024 edi-
tion of the annual event.
The NCC has been allocated $141 million to man-
age this year’s Carnival. This figure represents $6
million less than what the NCC received in 2023.
NCC’s chairman Winston “Gypsy” Peters dis-
closed the commission’s 2024 subventions which
he described as “inadequate” and “worrying”
in an interview with the Sunday Guardian on
Wednesday.
Peters felt $200 million would have been enough
to host a successful 2023 Carnival, but they got
$147 million last year—a shortfall of $53 million.
Peters said every year the Government has been
slashing NCC’s funding.
What was allocated this year, he said, was “to-
tally insufficient”. NCC would have to do a juggling
act to be able to pay contractors, host Carnival-re-
lated events, distribute prize money and pay its
workers.
“If that is what the Government could afford,
that is what we will have to work with. That is why
we can’t even entertain the 2024 Soca Monarch
competition and a couple of other things that we
want to do. We want to do it, but we can’t. The
money is not there.”
Soca Monarch, which has been a fixture among
Carnival events and competitions for the past three
decades, will not be held this year.
Peters promised to do all within his power later
this year to ensure Soca Monarch is held in 2025.
“We cannot leave the soca artistes in this coun-
try out in the rain because they are essential to
our Carnival, and they are essential to the year-
round cultural activities that take place around
the world.”
$1.3 billion in revenue from Carnival events.
He was optimistic that the revenue earned in
2023 would have been far more significant.
“Yes, I am sure that it increased last year, and I
am sure that it will increase this year too.”
Last year, slow releases of funding by the Finance
Members of the San City Steel Symphony play DNA by Mical Teja for the judges
Ministry led to complaints by regional bodies.
during the Pan Trinbago Medium Conventional Streelband Preliminaries at the
In the first tranche, the ministry released $83 panyard on Carib Street, San Fernando, on Thursday.
million.
Questioned if this problem may reoccur this Car-
nival, Peters said: “There is always a deficit in terms
of the release and the timeliness of it. You have to
remember, we have to work with the economy
of the country. There was a time when we spent
much more money on Carnival, but the country
had much more money then.”
Will crime have an impact on the two days of fes-
tivities and revelry?
Peters said while citizens are concerned about
escalating crime, many countries across the globe
have been battling criminal elements.
“Yes, we all have to be concerned about crime in
T&T. I know we have a problem in dealing with it
in a certain way. But you may have noticed that for
Carnival time we have less crime.”
He said the Constitution that protects citizens
also “gives criminals the same rights as other per-
sons, you know, because we live in a democracy.
Criminals have the same rights as you”.
Members of the Pan Elders Steel Orchestra perform Come Out to Play by Benjai
for the judges during the Pan Trinbago Medium Conventional Steelband
Preliminaries at the Carib Street, San Fernando panyard on Thursday night.
PICTURES RISHI RAGOONATH

Contractors still owed for

services in 2022 and 2023
Asked if the slash in NCC’s budget would result in
a smaller Carnival, Peters said no.
“It would not translate into a smaller Carnival,
it would translate into us owing more people after
Carnival.”
NCC, he said, still owed contractors for services
supplied in the 2022 and 2023 Carnivals.
“We would use this year’s money to pay off last
year’s debt with our suppliers. The suppliers are
totally aware that we are willing to pay and want to
pay them. They do get paid, albeit late.”
Peters could not say how much their suppliers
were owed, stating that he did not have the figures
before him.
Despite the cut in funding, Peters is promising a
bumper Carnival.
He said Carnival was essential for a lot of people
10 Sunday, January 21, 2024
guardian.co.tt
Sunday, January 21, 2024
guardian.co.tt
Loquan: Time for fresh
energy to take us forward
• From page 8
“I can’t help certain things
like having the molecule (nat-
ural gas) increasing, for ex-
ample. So we are still going
to be short for some time, but
hopefully, the activities that
we have done now will yield
some fruit in some years,” he
said.
Loquan said when he
started at NGC, he believed
the best value for the
people of the country
was along the gas value
chain.
“We had some forces
that were driving us to
do things out of neces-
sity because of the lack
of gas and you have
an industry to main-
tain. While we tried to
be more efficient, the
world was changing in
:+(5(
a way that we needed to
prepare ourselves also,
to get involved in the
whole not only the gas
value chain, but the re-
newables and the green
energy chain so I would
say that is that is part of
:+(1 Wednesday 24th January, 2024
the evolution. The cul-
ture that was needed to
get that done was really :+<
around sustainability,”
he said.
In his 40th year in
the energy business,
Loquan is of the view
that it’s time “for a fresh
batch of energy to come
in and take this for-
ward.”
In his time, he fo-
cused on building the
institution and strate-
gic direction of what an
integrated energy com-
pany entails.
“We have a direction,
we know where we are
going. Do I have to be
the one doing that?
Probably not. Yeah, we
have a good team that
has been built and so
on. I think I’ve done my
part,” he said.
As for the future?
He’s open to possibil-
ities.
He pointed out that
he was recently ap-
pointed to the board of
Republic Bank Finan-
cials Holdings (RFHL)
board which is a new
but interesting sector
for him.
“You might see me
transitioning into other
sectors, but I’m still
there to provide more
indirect support,” he
said.
Asked about whether
the timing of his an-
nouncement was too
early, he explained
that it would take a few
news 11
months to source the ideal
candidate and then have them
transition into the job.
He noted that he’s present-
ing at the Energy Conference
on the NGC being an inte-
grated company along the gas
value chain and he wanted
to keep the integrity of the
presentation knowing that he
will not be there to finish the
plan he first envisioned for the
Mark Loquan is stepping down as NGC
company. head.
6RUU\IRUWKH
,17(55837,21
The Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission advises that the supply of
electricity will be interrupted in the following areas of North Trinidad:
&$5(1$*(
From the Carenage Fish Market to the Carenage
Substation, including Amowsville Street, Big Yard,
L’anse Mitan Road, Seaview Gardens, Aquaview
Terrace, Bain’s Land, School Street, Haig Street, Abbe
Poujade and all associated side streets.
9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
To upgrade and maintain the overhead line system in these areas.
www.ttec.co.tt
The Commission regrets the inconvenience
Follow us on our WhatsApp Channel
to get interruption and important which may be caused by this interruption.
notices as well as some helpful tips! www.ttec.co.tt
NAVIGATIONAL WARNING 013/24
TRINIDAD – GULF OF PARIA
CHART BA 474
NW 175/23 rescinded
Masters and operators of all marine craft are hereby advised that Dredger Costa
La Luz will be conducting dredging activities for a period of forty (40) days from
20th January 2024 to 28th February 2024 at the Sea Lots Channel and Turning
Basin along the following positions:
1. Lat. 10 – 37.71 N 2. Lat. 10 – 38.34 N
Long. 061 – 31.86 W Long. 061 – 30.21 W
3. Lat. 10 – 38.43 N 4. Lat. 10 – 38.34 N
Long. 061 – 30.00 W Long. 061 – 30.00 W
5. Lat. 10 – 38.34 N 6. Lat. 10 – 38.48 N
Long. 061 – 29.88 W Long. 061 – 29.88 W
The dredged spoil will be disposed within the area bounded by the following
coordinates:
1. Lat. 10 – 37.50 N 2. Lat. 10 – 37.50 N
Long. 061 – 39.50 W Long. 061 – 39.00 W
3. Lat. 10 – 37.00 N 4. Lat. 10 – 35.50 N
Long. 061 – 39.50 W Long. 061 – 39.00 W
A wide berth and extreme caution are advised.
DATUM WGS 84
18th January 2024 Signed
Ronald Alfred
Director of Maritime Services
Maritime Services Division
Ministry of Works and Transport
For further enquiries on the Dredging Operations, please contact:
868-710-1493, 868-303-1232, 346-6447.
Sunday, January 21, 2024
guardian.co.tt 13
 14 Sunday, January 21, 2024
guardian.co.tt

Guardian
St François Girls’ College student
Aisa Graham portrays a pierrot
grenade princess during
Carnival on the Pavers at the

opinion
Ministry of Education, St Vincent
Street, Port-of-Spain, on Friday.
PICTURE NICOLE DRAYTON

Established 1917

Crime, shame and games

The public response to crime waves has been consistent,
regardless of which political party has been the Government.
It is emotive, characterised by fear, anger, outrage, impatience
and helplessness translated into calls for immediate action and
results or a saviour to rescue the country from the scourge of
crime. No saviour has emerged, though a few have attempted to
play the role of prophets.
Politicians have also been consistent. The techniques used
have been to shift blame and responsibility to the society,
agencies and institutions which comprise the criminal justice
system, the media and other political opponents. There have
been crime plans, the purchase of military and technological
assets, joint patrols, a state of emergency, and catchily named
social programmes, none of which have worked. New laws
have also been introduced, new agencies formed, and foreign
assistance obtained in addition to the usual rhetoric and
recrimination. There have been task force reports, local and
Useless inventions, culture,
regional talk shops and gun talk. However, acceptance of
responsibility has been limited.
The criminal elements, though they lack the resources of the
and Constitutional Reform
C
alypsonian Devon Seal’s
State (manpower, equipment, technology, legal authority and
latest ditty “Useless Inven-
money) and public support, have managed to thrive and grow.
tions”, sums up the status
Though their numbers are said to be limited, their outreach and
ability to penetrate, if not infiltrate, public and law enforcement
agencies cannot be denied.
quo nicely: “Where smuggling is
fought/Guns passing in grappe,
to jack up crime/Is not dey slack
Helen Drayton
Crime did not escalate overnight. Therefore, notwithstanding or customs soft/But behind dey
the public indignation and recrimination, it cannot be solved back some turn it off/So despite
immediately, nor with one or two emergency measures. There The Police Service disciplinary stitution will not be a panacea for
reports and the best intentions/ process, like similar systems in the severe challenges we must
is no quick fix. Missing is a comprehensive, all-of-government Scanners on de port are a useless
approach that is non-partisan and focused on measurable the public service, is cumbersome overcome. Without an overar-
invention.” and obsolete. Suspended officers ching purpose and clear goals,
results, sector by sector, institution by institution. The Read between the calypso lines, are on leave for years with pay. political culture will undermine
recommendations of the Chief Justice, the DPP, and the various and one sees governance issues, The promotions system is still progress.
Commissions of Enquiry reports lie unimplemented. Are these poor management, unhindered archaic. The Police Service Com- Politicians need a paradigm
being addressed? employee violations, poor work mission (PSC) should consider shift first. Any legislative agenda
Whatever is preventing a comprehensive approach to ethic, deficient recruitment and reviewing the recruitment policy for constitutional change must
addressing the weaknesses of the criminal justice system must performance management, low for commissioners and deputies be citizens-centred—their safety,
be identified and corrected. That means ensuring that the entire crime detection rate, and lack of with the objective of improve- prosperity, and happiness. A
system of justice must be streamlined or reformed to make it accountability. ment and recommend changes constitution is not an instrument
fit for purpose. The social issues must also be addressed. The Think about the inability to as appropriate. The existing one of political power but one that
political one-upmanship displayed by both political parties in achieve a 40-year-old diversifi- leaves little opportunity to nomi- promotes orderliness and the
dealing with the crime situation threatens to make both political cation goal, an education system nate the best T&T expertise from common good. Regardless of cir-
parties irrelevant. Parliamentarians from both sides walk the that still expects differently tal- local, regional, and international cumstances and who is at fault, if
constituencies and know the community leaders. They are not ented and intelligent children to talent pools. It ensures that the citizens believe that the Govern-
ignorant of the facts on the ground. scale linear barriers to education. PSC can virtually only consider ment and Opposition can’t meet
The Prime Minister rightly chose to avoid a state of emergency The Teaching Service Commis- applicants who have contributed to discuss the terminal disease of
as an emergency measure. However, the announcement of $100 sion can’t do psychometric test- to shaping the Police Service cul- crime, the Constitution can’t cure
million to fund the Defence Force to act in communities affected ing for potential teacher recruits, ture. The low compensation af- that.
by crime is a knee-jerk response to public pressure. Army risking the employment of peo- fects the recruitment of suitable
personnel are not police and do not have the legal authority ple with psychological baggage,
to make the interventions announced by the Prime Minister— addictions, perverts, and pae-
external candidates. By no means
does this suggest that the current
Crime talks
interventions for which they have neither the capacity nor dophiles to teach our children. leadership team members are not
Why? Budget. Yet, every year, we However, given the apparent
training. The announcement is an absurdity born of political suitable; after all, they inherited
squander millions. The Constitu- hostile relationships, a structured
desperation. years of rust and setbacks arising
tion is not a cure for that. parliamentary approach to such
The latest wave of murders coincides with desperate pleas from political expediency, among
If the police officers fear retalia- discussion will best serve the
from the Contractors Association, Amcham and other voices in other reasons, including instabil-
tion from gangsters, the Constitu- public’s interest. Frankly, I don’t
the business community to address a protection racket which ity at the helm. We have changed
tion can’t cure that. Expecting the believe the Opposition Leader
is widespread and gang-related. Recruiting more police or five commissioners (acting and
Police Service to re-engineer itself and the Prime Minister need to
army personnel, or buying new equipment will not give even a permanent) in 11 years.
from within is Anansi’s thinking, be initially involved. Parliament—
temporary respite. Nor will a new commissioner, prime minister the people’s place—can establish
and the Constitution can’t cure
or government save us. The instruments to deal with crime rests
that. External help is needed to Constitutional an ad hoc committee on crime
on community action and in the institutions tasked with the
responsibilities for prevention, detection and conviction. It is
bring fresh blood into the man- Reform—No panacea involving the leaders chosen par-
liamentary members.
agement and leadership ranks. It
urgent and critical that these institutions be fixed and made fit • Continues on page 16
must rid itself of corrupt officers. Evidently, overhauling the Con-
for purpose.
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Sunday, January 21, 2024
guardian.co.tt
I didn’t care for much of his poli-
tics and sometimes I wrote vigor-
ously against it, but I liked Basdeo
Panday’s personality and some-
times got a good laugh out of his
expression of it, especially his imp-
ish sense of humour. I felt safe, and
happy even, in his company when,
as president of the Credit Union
League, I visited his offices as oppo-
sition leader to present information
and views for the debate on the an-
nual budget exercise, and when
he accepted, on one occasion, to
be the main guest at our annual
awards ceremony and dinner.
(I found his acceptance to be
amazing, for prime ministers do
not attend credit union dinners.)
But our lives, especially our polit-
ical foci, ran in different directions;
and as a political analyst, I found
myself writing vigorously about his
actions, policies, and statements—
in brief, his politics.
In the first column, entitled
Deconstructing Panday—and
published on October 7, 2000, I
called him a political tyrant, al-
beit a benevolent one, and a po-
litical dinosaur. And I developed
the claim in part as follows:
“Let’s go back a bit in history to
see. He took his Indo-dominated
ULF constituency out of the NAR
when he forced Robinson to fire
him after he could not exercise the
dominance he felt he should have
in the wake of the 1986 elections;
he killed the NAR (and, in particu-
lar, the Cabinet influence of Ken
Gordon’s CCN) with the move. He
forced ex-NARite and independent
Pam Nicholson out of his Cabinet
and kicked NAR’s Nathaniel Moore
T he IMF has predicted weaker
world economic growth be-
cause of China’s sluggishness in
the East and the higher interest
rate policies adopted to contain
inflation in Western economies.
On January 10, 2024, the US En-
ergy Information Administration
(EIA) forecasted that “average an-
nual crude oil prices in 2024 and
2025 will remain near their 2023
average because we expect that
global supply and demand for pe-
troleum liquids will be relatively
balanced over the next two years.”
The EIA also noted on January
4 that record-high natural gas
production, flat consumption,
and rising natural gas inventories
contributed to lower natural gas
prices in 2023 compared with
2022.
The 2024 outlook for LNG is
no better. According to a report
by Wood Mackenzie (Global Gas
and LNG: Five things to look out
for in 2024), the market sentiment
for gas and liquefied natural gas
(LNG) will remain bearish (weak)
into 2024 with European prices
having fallen by 45 per cent to
US$10 per million British thermal
units (mmbtu) in the past three
months.
This is due to mild weather
conditions in the northern hemi-
sphere as well as the growth out-
look. Many big risks can yet affect
the world’s economic growth, es-
pecially geopolitical risks.
T&T’s economic growth is highly
dependent on the performance of
Deconstructing Panday, Part 3
Dr Winford James
and Agnes Williams out of the Sen-
ate after Robinson had given him
the government in 1995; he did so
secure in the parliamentary major-
ity provided by Vincent Lasse and
Rupert Griffith, two PNM “nee-
makharams” whom he had bought
over. He appointed a drove of los-
ing UNC candidates, especially the
Afro ones, in the last elections as
senators and some of them as jun-
ior ministers; he also appointed
Griffith, one of the losers, as House
Speaker.
“He has had relative newcomers
to the UNC, eg, Daphne Phillips,
Kamla Persad-Bissessar, and Lind-
say Gillette, act as prime minister
in preference to stalwarts and sen-
ior members of the party and the
Government. And most recently,
he has not respected the results of
the UNC executive elections and,
in particular, has acted and spoken
since those elections in usurpa-
tion of the functions of the newly
elected executive as if the political
leader was still lord and governor
of the party and not subject to its
constitution. Indeed, he has had
his supporters, and sycophants all,
support him in these violations.
Export-led growth: Killing two birds with one stone?
Mariano Browne
natural gas exports and its petro-
chemical derivatives. The depres-
sion of 2015-2020 is due to the
poor performance of these sec-
tors. The rebound in 2021 was due
solely to the escalation in energy
and petrochemical prices which
lifted the T&T economy.
Therefore, the 2024 economic
outlook for T&T is much weaker
due to the depressed forecast for
energy prices provided by both the
EIA and Wood McKenzie in their
reports. Further, natural gas pro-
duction will not increase to offset
the decline in prices as the level of
exploration activity is low relative
to the industry’s past efforts.
Because the energy and petro-
chemical sectors are expected to
be weaker for the foreseeable fu-
ture, other exporting sectors must
generate the foreign exchange
earnings required to maintain the
country’s standard of living.
The foregoing perhaps explains
the optimism and enthusiasm of
the several business organisations
which greeted the opening of the
Phoenix Park Industrial Estate.
“In the crisis that has engulfed his
party and his government … there
is no allowance whatsoever that
(Ramesh) Maharaj and company
may have justifiable grievances,
no concession that he may have
resiled from foundational party
understandings and principles,
no acceptance of the charge that
he has been insensitive in some of
his appointments, no compromise
on the position of not instituting a
commission of inquiry into charges
of corruption. …
“In the face of a rending resist-
ance at the highest levels of both
his party and his government … he
holds firm to the decadent reflex of
maximum leadership as bestowed
upon him by national constitution
and ethnic sycophancy.”
The second column, pub-
lished on March 9, 2001, contin-
ues in the same vein. I argue in
part:
“Perhaps the most indicative
action of the persona described is
his refusal to acknowledge Patrick
Manning as the legally appointed
prime minister of Trinidad and
Tobago. President Robinson in-
terpreted the Constitution—and
Perhaps, the opening of the park
can achieve multiple objectives;
diversifying the production base,
creating jobs and generating more
foreign exchange. Building the
park is only the first step.
Many preconditions are required
to make the park achieve the ob-
jectives of increasing investment,
exports and jobs. A developed ge-
ographical space is only one part
of the puzzle. What will make the
park more attractive than other
parks being developed elsewhere
in Latin America and other places?
It also requires the right enabling
environment, legal arrangements,
fiscal incentives, logistics and
friendly business conditions to
facilitate exports as well as a ded-
icated labour force with relevant
skills and aptitudes.
Low-tech investments mean low-
skill operations and therefore weak
forex earnings. Perhaps proximity
to the US market may make T&T
attractive to Chinese investors anx-
ious to avoid US tariffs. Businesses
compete on some comparative ad-
vantage, price, product, quality or
Panday himself too, initially in the
infamous Crowne Plaza accord—to
give the president the power to
appoint a prime minister in the
context of a tie, but Panday later
disagreed with that interpretation
to the extent of refusing both to
abide by his agreement with Man-
ning to elect Prof Max Richards as
speaker and to accept the office of
opposition leader. He favours the
view … that the legally correct thing
would have been for Mr Robinson
to re-elect him as prime minister. It
is in this sense that Manning’s ap-
pointment is held to be illegal and
illegitimate.
“Further, Panday fancies him-
self as king and governor who
can’t be wrong, his perspective
corrupted, no doubt, by his recent
taste of power and by the ethnic
sycophancy of thousands of his
supporters. Which is why he could
say, in the matter of his call for
civil disobedience, ‘As you know, I
never back down.’ That statement,
I think, is the most indicative of
his persona that I have heard from
him.
“And now he is not backing down
from his position that Manning’s
prime ministership is illegal and il-
legitimate and that there should be
executive power sharing between
the PNM and the UNC on the basis
of the tie, or else an early return to
the polls.
“In all of this, it does not matter
whether either his sycophants or
his detractors or those on neutral
service. What is the basis of viabil-
ity for firms operating in this park
and long-term sustainability?
A feature of the modern world
economy has been the spread of
technology and know-how to the
developing world.
The developing regions of the
world that have had the fastest eco-
nomic growth have been East and
Southeast Asia which also have a
fast-growing population.
The Asian tigers have matched
technological know-how to the
development of local industry and
have been the most adept at adopt-
ing and domesticating technology.
By contrast, trying to establish
a rig-building capacity in T&T to
serve the infrastructure needs of
the energy sector has been prob-
lematic.
The local firm TOFCO is strug-
gling to survive and compete with
Mexico and the US and was not
helped by an unfriendly labour
union environment. In one labour
dispute, the comment by the union
leader “to take your rig and go” al-
lowed bpTT to do just that. A key
issue is the development of human
capital.
Foreign direct investment in the
petrochemical energy sector has
led to significant export growth and
some technical capacity in those
areas. They have not translated to
other sectors and persons trained
in the energy sector have generally
opinion 15
ground understand him; it is suffi-
cient that he holds whatever posi-
tions and understandings that he
does as king and governor of a large
tribe in the country.
“It is not a question of logic or ra-
tionality, but of political possibility
and convenience.
I close Part 3 of my deconstruc-
tion of Panday with two of his great-
est triumphs:
1. In the attempt to form “the
party of parties” to dislodge the
PNM in the mid-80s, the sacrifice of
the advantage of the clear majority
of his party (the ULF) to the wishes
of the other leaders (Robinson,
Hudson Phillips, Best) in the inter-
est of unity, and thus the infusion of
life into the NAR.
2. Facilitating the efforts of Ho-
choy (Charles) to get the Dispute
Resolution Commission up and
running.
3. Collaboration with Hochoy on
Act 40 of 1996.
Bas Panday has gone on from the
strife of T&T and, as Obama said of
the passing of Mandela, he now be-
longs to the ages.
Dr Winford James is a retired
UWI lecturer who has been
analysing issues in education,
language, development, and
politics in Trinidad and Tobago
and the wider Caribbean on
radio and TV since the 1970s.
He also has written thousands
of columns for all the major
newspapers in the country.
He can be reached at
jaywinster@gmail.com
sought to emigrate when economic
conditions become tighter. What
will make an industrial park more
connected to the development of
this human capital? The argument
has always been that T&T and the
rest of the Caribbean have a highly
literate and educated population.
The reality is that the certifica-
tion and training have not led to
the creation of a workforce that
meets the demands of an industrial
climate.
The success of the Asian tigers is
associated with a painstaking pro-
cess of cumulative technological
learning that in turn depended on
fundamental aspects of a society
such as entrepreneurship, social
incentives, institutions and values
which define a society and how
these translate to indigenous learn-
ing. They have a service culture.
A key objective should not sim-
ply be to attract foreign firms but
to create a dynamic economic
environment in which local firms
and businessmen learn from the
presence of foreign firms. What is
the institutional framework that
will govern and complement this
industrial park to facilitate this ob-
jective?
Mariano Browne is the Chief
Executive Officer of the Arthur
Lok Jack Global School of
Business. ALJGSB is a
not-for-profit corporation.
 16 commentary
• From page 14
For good order, the Parliament
officials can facilitate in-camera,
round-table discussions and, at the
conclusion, publish a report of the
proceedings, including any deci-
sions. The leaders can sit in any-
time. The report will be publicly
available, and Parliament will dis-
solve the committee.
From all public expressions, cit-
izens want the Government and
Opposition to meet on crime. They
elected them, and politicians have
an obligation to them. It is why a
paradigm shift is needed, as lead-
ers should be able to find a way to
bridge the chasm, even temporarily,
Shift the paradigm
out of respect for citizens who are
living in fear. We can twist and shape
a new Constitution to be the best in
the world, but without a change in
mindsets and political maturity, it’s
ditto to “useless inventions”.
Constitution Reform
Electoral Reform is a separate
matter, so if I had to select two
areas for constitutional change, they
would be 1) the Justice Sector and
independent institutions’ human re-
source administration functions and
Helen Drayton
2) Service Commissions. Times
have changed since 1962, and
with the complexities of local
and international forces impact-
ing us, changing how Govern-
ment and State institutions do
business is long overdue.
Empowering
independent
institutions
Technology and the growing
sophistication of crime are driv-
ing rapid transformation. AI
will soon bring radical change
to how we dispense justice, and
the Government should con-
sider implementing steps to free
the justice sector from a mori-
bund human resources admin-
istration system enshrined in
the Constitution under Service
Commissions. Independent in-
stitutions need a relevant, pro-
gressive, and efficient corporate
model that empowers them to
serve the public interest. They
must have the requisite human
resource capacity and not rely
on a behemoth Service Com-
mission model that hinders
decision-making, recruitment,
succession planning, and per-
formance management. The
Police Service Commission re-
quires separate consideration.
As the Chief Justice, the Hon
Ivor Archie, said at the opening
of the 2023 Law Term, “The size
and complexity of State opera-
tions has outgrown the capac-
ity and resident expertise of a
centralised human resource de-
partment.” He referred to “the
current disconnects when a Ju-
diciary proposal was shut down
because it was said to conflict
with the policy on utilisation
of contract employment estab-
lished in a Public Service Circu-
lar in 1992.”
Protecting employees
But one shouldn’t lose sight
of the reasons for the Service
Commissions’ existence that
remain as valid today as they
were back in 1962. The aim was
“to insulate them from political
influence in the recruitment,
promotion, transfer, and dis-
cipline of public servants and
guarantee the commissions’ au-
tonomous status in exercising
these critical human resource
functions. They must be neutral
and free from the undesirable
effects of discrimination, nepo-
tism, and injustice”. Reflect on
recent human resource events
at the Integrity Commission of
all institutions.
We must protect employees
from devious political miscre-
ants. It is no secret that people
will trample upon the common
good. However, we should
transform over-centralised co-
lossuses, creaking at the hinges,
into institutions that exact ac-
countability and efficiency and
follow the principles of good
governance.
Decentralising
the HR function
The significant problem is
over-centralisation, and the
commissions may better serve as
regulatory bodies with a strong
auditing arm, using well-estab-
lished and reputable independ-
ent auditors. An option is to
Sunday, January 21, 2024
guardian.co.tt
decentralise the human resource
administrative function so that
independent State institutions,
such as those in the Justice sec-
tor, the Integrity Commission,
the Financial Institutions Unit,
the Ombudsman, and the Office
of the Director of Public Prose-
cutions. They require a hybrid
corporate governance structure
that allows them to recruit and
manage their human resources
and initiate disciplinary action.
Electoral Reform
The first-past-the-post ballot
system, stated in the Constitu-
tion, has been criticised by many
who advocate for proportional
representation. That needs care-
ful, impartial consideration, as
in a highly polarised, small soci-
ety, such a system can engender
shaky coalition governments,
a fragmented party system, in-
ternecine horse trading and
legislative gridlock, resulting in
compromised legislation and in-
stability. It has strong merits; it
improves the representation of
the people and reduces the like-
lihood of political extremism. We
have had more than a glimpse
of the survivability of coalition
parties. However, there are hy-
brid models of proportional rep-
resentation that may mitigate the
risks.
We are in threatening and
complex times; science and
technology render systems and
processes obsolete as we blink.
Values have changed, and so
too have public expectations.
Successive governments have
said they needed a special ma-
jority to achieve constitutional
change. Once there is a need for
legislative changes, including
the Constitution, it is incumbent
upon a government to conduct
public consultations and bring
forward the bill to Parliament.
That should be an ongoing pro-
cess. If legislation that citizens
want fails, the people will speak
at the ballot box. Shift the para-
digm and get rid of the archaic
“useless inventions”.
Sunday, January 21, 2024
guardian.co.tt
T
he possibility of Basdeo
Panday making his greatest
contribution to the political-con-
stitutional evolution of T&T may
be addressed now that he is no
longer in sight. Not being around
to attract the kind of ambivalent
attention he did in his always con-
troversial, getting-under-the-skin
kind of persona, can make it possi-
ble for a focus on the suggestion of
constitutional change with positive
intensity.
Among his major justifications
for calling for change was to the ef-
fect that the 1976 Republican Con-
stitution contributed to racism in
the body politic. Dr Terrence Far-
rell, economist/attorney may have
kicked off the possibility for a flow
of responses with his technical
contributions which he considers
central to the changes needed in
the Constitution.
It is well-known that the existing
document has the imprimatur of
the country’s first prime minister
Dr Eric Williams. Having received
the draft put forward by the consti-
tution commission he established,
headed by Sir Hugh Wooding,
Prime Minister Williams inter-
preted it as being a dagger aimed
at the heart of the PNM to reduce
the party’s majorities.
Williams commissioned a re-
drafting to satisfy his political pur-
poses; it resulted in the present
Republican Constitution.
The absence of serious com-
mitment to a constitution which
focuses on the needs of the polity
and society, as opposed to one
which is inclined to the narrow
desires of the party in power, has
been the major retarding factor to
the embrace of the need for seri-
E
ven after discounting a fair
amount of exploitation of the
theme for political gains, it is no
surprise that T&T’s worryingly
high crime levels are dominating
the discussions in the country.
With that, lots of questions are
also being asked about the T&T Po-
lice Service and its ability to do its
part in fighting crime, especially
when faced with strong criminal
organisations and gangs, financed
by drug trade routes that use the
Caribbean as passage to markets in
North America and Europe.
Consequently, serious questions
are also being asked regarding
the ability of its leader, the Com-
missioner of Police, Erla Hare-
wood-Christopher, to respond
accordingly to the threats we are
facing as citizens.
To be fair to Ms Harewood-Chris-
topher, some of the recent criti-
cism she has faced seems to come
with a high level of misogyny at-
tached (and possibly some quiet
campaigning from some of her po-
lice officers), perhaps not surpris-
ing given she is the first woman to
run a service traditionally domi-
nated by men.
But, irrespective of who is run-
ning the TTPS, it is difficult to see
how the service can rise to the
challenge of reducing crime in
T&T given its glaring management
flaws, becoming a regular in the
news for the wrong administrative
reasons.
Just a few days ago, the TTPS
Political parties will not suggest
meaningful constitutional change
Tony Rakhal-Fraser
tfrasertt@gmail.com
ous change. Government after
government has talked in a fac-
ile manner about constitutional
change. However, like with the re-
action of PM Williams to the Wood-
ing draft, the focus has been on
what is in the interest of the party
in power.
When Prime Minister ANR
Robinson fell immediately into
difficulties with the power of the
President to make appointments
to the public service commissions,
he established the Sir Isaac Hyatali
Constitution Commission. Upon
the presentation of the proposals
for change, the moment of anger
had passed. PM Robinson then
completely ignored the recom-
mendations of the team and the
minority report of Prof John La
Guerre.
Prime Minister Manning had no-
tions of presidential office and so
he commissioned Sir Ellis Clarke,
who had drafted the Independ-
ence Constitution, and a team to
A police force unfit to fight?
was trying the patience of High
Court Judge Frank Seepersad by
failing to produce information on
senior police officers whose used
leave was “bought out” over the
past two decades.
The demand is part of a lawsuit
instigated by acting Assistant Com-
missioner Wendell Lucas following
his dissatisfaction with how the
TTPS handled a request he made
under the Freedom of Information
Act in the first place.
To cut a long story short, despite
assurances by the TTPS that the
information would be provided by
December last year, it is yet to be
shared, forcing the judge to give
them a new deadline to do so.
Assuming there is no wilful at-
tempt by the TTPS to obfuscate
the matter, it is simply unbelieva-
ble that such a simple request can
be so hard to collate—this is basic
HR and accounting information
any half-decently run organisation
should be able to produce without
major effort.
The TTPS is also facing ques-
tions over the way it has been han-
dling promotions, with attorneys
representing 93 police officers for-
mally requesting the Police Service
Commission to act over the alleged
mishandling of promotions for
over 2,000 police constables going
back to 2009.
put forward new ideas for reform.
Mr Manning’s central focus was
having the President of the Repub-
lic be the leader of the party which
won the election. That individual
would give up the elected position
and transfer to the nearby presi-
dential mansion; the proposal re-
ceived few takers.
The focus of the commission
established at the last moment be-
fore an election by Prime Minister
Kamla Persad-Bissessar (Prakash
Ramadhar in the chair) was on the
electoral process, ie, on what basis
parties should be elected to office,
something along the lines of a ver-
sion of Proportional Representa-
tion with a run-off election in the
instance of none of the parties
receiving 50 per cent-plus of the
votes cast. That had little chance
of succeeding as it was obviously
designed to have the UNC stay in
office.
Over the period of the present,
on two occasions leading to elec-
And the case highlights one of
the main problems at the TTPS: its
administrative mess is not new.
Much is said about the need
to increase the size of the police
force, something the Government
promised to do by upping the
number of new police recruits this
year.
And much is also said about
the need to give the TTPS the
right equipment and conditions
to tackle the gangs and organised
crime that seem to be plaguing the
country.
But not much is said about
whether the TTPS is fit for purpose
given the messy state it seems to
be forever in.
As the current CoP, Ms Hare-
wood-Christopher must ensure
the TTPS deals with the matters
being raised, but she must not be
singled out for these issues as they
have been running through the
service for years and under other
commentary 17
tions, the PNM promised constitu-
tional reform; absolutely nothing
has been done to fulfil that prom-
ise. Now PM Rowley has just come
alive with a stated intention to
engage in discussion on change.
Based on previous ignoring of
promises, it is certain that the in-
tention will follow the previous
pattern–elect my party to office,
and we can then talk about consti-
tution reform.
Regarding Mr Panday’s efforts
at reform of the Constitution, one
he adopted after his active politi-
cal career was over, that thrust
came after the fact. He is on the
record having said when in power,
that only minor changes were re-
quired.
Along the way, there have been
several proposals and documents
put forward by private individuals
and groups for reform of the Con-
stitution. Among them, the Prin-
ciples of Fairness inspired by Ken
Gordon, one which came from the
independent senators, an effort by
economist Dennis Pantin, and sev-
eral other individual partial pro-
posals on changes which should
be made.
What remains stark out of all
the attempts or non-attempts by
the politicians and their political
parties, is self-interest: constitu-
tional change which will suit the
party in office to benefit from the
commissioners (even if she may
have played some part in them as
a career police officer who held
many senior roles before taking
over as CoP).
She should consider a root and
branch investigation into how the
TTPS manages itself, to identify
the issues and the gaps that need
sorting out for it to be run profes-
sionally and efficiently.
This means a ruthless look at
its HR operations, as well as its
employment policies, to ensure
they are the right ones for a police
force in the 21st century, but also,
as importantly, to make sure these
policies are adhered to.
And the starting point is a good
one–our police have more power
over its internal HR management
than many other government ser-
vices, as management responsi-
bilities rest on the commissioner
rather than having to be executed
through a Service Commission.
Such a move is bound to make
the TTPS better and more efficient,
potentially releasing much-needed
resources to actual crime fighting
instead of wasting them fighting
its own ineptitude ( just imagine
the time and money wasted by the
TTPS in this High Court case due
to its inability to provide the infor-
mation required).
Effective policing, with a clear
obvious inadequacies of the pres-
ent Constitution, “yes”. While
in office, the leaders and parties
exploit the deficiencies of the ex-
isting document but do nothing
of consequence to facilitate “root
and branch transformation.”
As to the changes required, it
is certain that among all the doc-
uments put forward, the major
absolute deficiencies of the Con-
stitution have been touched upon
and recommendations made to
develop a post-independence
Constitution to fit the sociological,
political, economic and adminis-
trative needs of a new T&T.
It’s illogical in theory and
demonstrated in practice that the
political parties and their leaders
will yield to meaningful change
which will remove the advantages
they exploit while in office.
The impetus and power for
change must come from among
the electorate; the players in a
game cannot decide on the rules
to be followed.
Tony Rakhal-Fraser is a freelance
journalist, former reporter and
current affairs host at TTT, news
Director of CNMG and AVM
Television, correspondent to
the BBC Caribbean Service, the
Associated Press and current
columnist for the Sunday
Guardian.
strategic plan, also requires stabil-
ity and coherent senior leadership.
Another issue the TTPS must
sort out is its apparent inability to
recruit or promote people for sen-
ior positions without relying on
acting roles. If there is a vacancy,
fill that post properly with some-
one capable of doing the job, from
within or from outside.
The force will never provide the
level of stability and trust in the
public when it seems to be run on
an ad-hoc basis—it is telling that
one of the longest serving CoP,
Stephen Williams, did so between
2012 and 2018 in an acting capac-
ity, with the PSC and the Govern-
ment unwilling or unable to get
someone to do the job on a per-
manent basis.
Even now, with Ms Har-
wood-Christopher past the ser-
vice’s retirement age and having
to rely on short-term contract
renewals, the current situation
doesn’t help her when it comes to
the authority to act and develop a
longer-term plan to run the TTPS
effectively and make our country
safer. Criminals certainly know
our TTPS is dysfunctional and do
exploit its weaknesses.
If we are to be successful, we
need to be tough on crime and
the criminals. But we must also be
tough on how the TTPS is run, es-
pecially when it comes to its staff
management—from the newly re-
cruited to those at the very top of
the organisation.
 18 commentary
Crime and the Constitution
Last week there was a collision
between crime and the Constitu-
tion. On Monday, the UNC held
a public crime consultation at
which time a call was made by
Dr Indira Rampersad, head of the
Department of Political Science at
UWI, for a state of emergency as
a policy tool to fight the level of
crime and violence in the society.
This was immediately endorsed
by Opposition Leader Kamla
Persad-Bissessar, while coalition
partner and leader of the NTA
Gary Griffith felt that it should
only be used as a last resort.
Needless to say, the use of a
state of emergency for any even-
tuality is a major constitutional
exercise. It was used in 2011 and
there was a reduction of criminal
activity during the period Au-
gust-November 2011. However,
after it was over the crime levels
increased.
During the period of the COVID-
19 lockdown between May and
November 2021, there was also
a reduction in criminal activity
and afterwards, there was an in-
crease. The common denomina-
tor between the two was the use
of a curfew to restrain movement,
particularly at night.
The use of a state of emergency
to fight crime would perhaps be
for a temporary period of stabili-
sation to put systems in place to
deal with the wider problems of
AI overturns historical untruthfulness
AI cannot think or understand.
But with LiDAR it can see. Using
LiDAR flown on an aircraft over
the lush forest canopy in the
shadow of a volcano, a lost valley
of cities built about 2,500 years
ago was just discovered in the Am-
azon rainforest. The valley of cit-
ies was built and occupied by the
Upano people between 500 BC
and AD 300 to 600 in the foothills
of the Andes, a period that makes
them contemporaneous with the
Roman Empire in Europe. This
overturns our Eurocentric belief
about the Amazon.
It uproots every belief we ever
cherished about what is culture
and civilisation. The LiDAR tech-
nology unmasked 6,000 rec-
tangular platforms measuring
roughly 20m by 10m and 2-3m
high. The platforms were or-
dered in groups of three to six
units around a plaza with a single
central platform. These sites and
buried roads were noticed two
decades ago. However, archaeolo-
gists could not connect the parts.
Using laser sensor technology
and AI we now understand that
the separate sites form a dense
network of settlements and con-
necting roadways.
AI is unmasking historical incor-
rectness. LiDAR generates pulses
of light that are interpreted by the
AI-generated pulse-made maps.
Using AI for over 12 months, 70
confirmed archaeological sites
were identified in Madagascar
Prof Hamid Ghany
hamid.ghany@sta.uwi.edu
violent behaviour and banditry
before returning to regular life-
styles with reduced levels of vi-
olence and stricter enforcement
and surveillance to control crim-
inal activity which does not now
exist.
By Thursday, Prime Minister
Rowley announced his opposition
to a state of emergency. However,
he did announce the formation
of a seven-person committee to
develop terms of reference and a
working paper for a National Con-
sultation on constitution reform
to be held in June.
This confluence of crime and
the Constitution presents an op-
portunity to address some issues
that have cross-over value in the
current circumstances.
The constitutional amend-
ments made in 2006 to change
the operation of the Police Ser-
vice Commission will require at-
tention. The philosophical intent
was to create a situation whereby
Dr Fazal Ali
fazalalitsc@gmail.com
across an area of over 1,000 sq km.
We understand the Incan cit-
adel Machu Picchu above the
Urubamba River, and we have
propagated an outlook of people
living nomadically in the Amazon
rainforest. But this lost valley of
cities, discovered by LiDAR and
AI in the Upano area of eastern
Ecuador, alters our outlook of
civilisation, and the societies that
welcomed Columbus into the
New World.
The site is older than any
known site in the Amazon. The
houses and plazas in Upano were
connected by a multifaceted net-
work of roads and canals. The
road network has right angles and
extends vast distances. The roads
run in straight lines not following
the contours of the landscape.
One road extends 25 km.
Some of the roads are 10m wide
and connect agricultural pastures
with drainage canals. The cause-
ways have dykes on either side
to manage the abundant water of
the rainforest. Other dykes block
entrances to settlements. The
the President would nominate a
commissioner and deputy com-
missioners of police and send
those nominations to the House
of Representatives for ratification
or rejection. This was designed to
replace the prime ministerial veto
over these appointments with the
votes of elected MPs to confirm
them.
This system has not worked
properly and a review is required.
As regards presidential nomi-
nations for members of the Police
Service Commission, the consul-
tation by the President with the
Prime Minister and the Leader of
the Opposition had an additional
process included by subjecting
the fruit of presidential consulta-
tion to an approval or rejection by
the House of Representatives.
In both instances, these reforms
go to the heart of presidential
powers and they have ensnared
the presidency in controversy as
well as the Police Service Com-
complexity of this Amazon soci-
ety suggests that it may be com-
parable to the well-known Mayan
societies of Mexico. The findings
are novel for South America. The
cities in the valley were intercon-
nected with long sunken roads.
Pits and hearts along with jars and
grinding stones were found using
LiDAR, coupled with ground exca-
vations of a 300 sq km area.
In the sunken city of Baiae in
the Gulf of Naples, AI is support-
ing a network of acoustic modems
and underwater wireless sensors
to capture and transmit environ-
mental data in real time. Baiae
is one of the world’s few under-
water archaeological parks that
spans 435 acres. AI monitors the
site for damage caused by divers
and environmental factors.
The Baiae model depends on AI
algorithms to constantly alter the
network protocol. When ocean
conditions change, the algorithms
modify the information path from
one node to the other, allowing
the signal to travel up to two kilo-
metres, using sensors fastened to
mission. On the one hand, there
is the issue of presidential nom-
ination and parliamentary rati-
fication and on the other hand,
there is the issue of presidential
consultation being subjected to
parliamentary ratification.
The country has had acting
commissioners of police for inor-
dinately long periods, while some
nominees for appointment to the
Police Service Commission have
had their nominations lodged
with the Clerk of the House of
Representatives awaiting a deci-
sion by the Leader of Government
Business on the placement of
those nominations on the Order
Paper for eventual consideration
by the House subject to when the
Government decides to move for-
ward with them.
These are the challenges of
creating hybrid systems of con-
stitutional methods. When our
parliamentary culture, process
and tradition are blended with an
executive presidential operating
style, these issues will arise.
For example, our presidency
is not an executive one, yet the
philosophy adopted for appoint-
ing the commissioner and deputy
commissioners of police is mir-
rored on the US model that has
an executive president, whereas
we have a quasi-ceremonial pres-
ident. Our House of Representa-
tives is not equivalent to the US
the ocean floor. The data array
includes images, and information
on water quality, pressure, tem-
perature, noise, currents, tides,
waves, and chemical and biolog-
ical elements.
AI is now being used with ar-
chaeological and human remains
along with machine learning to
identify genomes in dead organ-
isms to determine how far back
they date. AI can therefore open
new prospects for the 16 ships
resting on the seafloor of Scarbor-
ough Harbour in Tobago. In 1677,
Scarborough Bay was the site of a
major battle between French and
Dutch ships as France fought for
control of Tobago.
The archaeological site is lo-
cated between the Coast Guard
jetty and the new ferry terminal.
AI-powered simulations have the
potential to enhance public en-
gagement using immersive virtual
reality experiences, and interac-
tive applications. With the use of
machine learning, algorithms are
now able to reconstruct cities,
shipwrecks, and buildings. AI is
now using the data from exca-
vated remains, historical texts,
and artistic renderings to gener-
ate 3-D models and visualisations.
The intersection of geospatial
data and AI can overturn past
perspectives by facilitating un-
precedented discoveries and
providing new insights into the
history of Latin America and the
Caribbean. The proliferation of
Sunday, January 21, 2024
guardian.co.tt
Senate as a ratifying body be-
cause our MPs operate under the
threat of the crossing-the-floor
provisions of the Constitution,
whereas US Senators are free to
vote as they see fit because they
are elected differently and have
no fear of having to vacate their
seats if they do not comply with
a party line.
This constitutional thrust by the
Government at this time comes
on the heels of the death of Bas-
deo Panday whose unfulfilled
dream was for constitutional re-
form. However, his ideas were
fundamentally different to the
Williams model insofar as he fa-
voured an executive presidency,
the abolition of the Senate and
the adoption of proportional rep-
resentation for the unicameral
Parliament that would emerge
from the removal of nominated
members in a separate chamber.
The political game has now
been changed.
Prof Hamid Ghany is a Professor
of Constitutional Affairs and Par-
liamentary Studies at The Univer-
sity of the West Indies (UWI). He
was also appointed an Honorary
Professor of The UWI upon his
retirement in October 2021. He
continues his research and publi-
cations and also does some teach-
ing at The UWI.
aerial image data collected by sat-
ellites, planes, and drones is re-
writing histories in parallel with
the futures we are building using
generative AI.
Archaeologists are fascinated
by lost worlds and ancient civili-
sations. Using painstaking exca-
vation, analysis of artefacts, and
the interpretation of historical
records, they piece together the
past. But now they use generative
AI to create new content based on
patterns of data that it has been
trained on.
Generative AI simulators aid in
understanding landscapes and
environments. By analysing geo-
logical data, climate records, and
flora and fauna distribution, AI
is recreating past ecologies and
landscapes. AI-powered simula-
tions which bring ancient civili-
sations to life can allow citizens
to walk along ancient streets in
lost cities, and deepen their un-
derstanding of resource manage-
ment, and the impact of climate
change on past civilisations.
Dr Fazal Ali completed his Mas-
ters in Philosophy at the Univer-
sity of the West Indies, he was
a Commonwealth Scholar who
attended the University of Cam-
bridge, Hughes Hall, provost of
the University of Trinidad and To-
bago and the acting president and
chairman of the Teaching Service
Commission. He is presently a
consultant with the IDB.
Sunday, January 21, 2024
guardian.co.tt
Is T&T’s agri sector prepared
for climate change?
As a university focused on using
research for the upliftment of its
community, the University of the
West Indies (UWI), St Augustine,
the premier tertiary institution
in the region, producing world-
class scholars, believes science
should be accessible to the public.
We offer this media series, UWI
Scientists Speak, where our scien-
tists, three of whom were recently
awarded the highest award of the
nation—the Order of the Republic
of Trinidad and Tobago, will pres-
ent some of their work.
This week, we hear from Dr
Aiden Farrell on the crucial topic
of climate change and its impact
on T&T’s agricultural sector while
highlighting the work of The
UWISTA.
Dr Farrell is a Senior Lecturer
in Plant Physiology, Department
of Life Sciences at The UWISTA.
His research examines the mecha-
nisms plants use to grow and sur-
vive in a changing environment.
—Prof Rose-Marie Belle An-
toine, Principal, UWISTA
DR AIDEN FARRELL
Across the world, climate change
is making life harder for farmers.
In T&T, our farmers face warmer
temperatures and more variable
seasonal patterns in rainfall.
These conditions lead to diffi-
cult decisions: Will the wet season
be too wet for lettuce? Will the dry
season be too dry for tomatoes?
Need for urgent changes to Industrial Relations Act
OZZI WARWICK,
LLB, PG Cert, PG Dip, LLM
As far back as 2009, with the
Workers’ Agenda, the trade union
movement called for the secu-
rity of tenure of Industrial Court
judges. The movement also rec-
ommended that the appointment
of judges for the Industrial Court
like the judges of the Supreme
Court be appointed through the
Judicial and Legal Services Com-
mission.
JTUM has publicly spoken out
about the appointment of Indus-
trial Court judges on several occa-
sions, one of which was captured
in the Trinidad Express dated No-
vember 25, 2014, entitled “Govt
attacking the independence of
Industrial Court”. In this article it
was stated “Roget said if the invis-
ible hand of the State can reach
into the Industrial Court, then
there is no hope for industrial
peace.” In another article writ-
ten by Douglas Mendes, SC and
published in the T&T Guardian on
September 14, 2014, entitled “The
With weather patterns chang-
ing and old certainties becom-
ing new uncertainties, how can
growers adapt their practices to
protect their investments? Farm-
ers can adopt a few methods,
including tools to protect from
drought. These include planting
different crops, planting earlier
to avoid the worst of the dry sea-
son or irrigating high-value crops.
Of course, there will always be
trade-offs that come with such
practices. For example, planting
cassava rather than tomatoes may
avoid losing a crop, but there will
still be a loss in profits. As such,
even farmers who can adapt their
practices will need additional sup-
port.
In The UWI’s Department of
Life Sciences, we have been test-
ing locally grown vegetable varie-
ties to see if they are well suited
to warmer, dryer conditions. Typ-
ically, we find that most varieties
can survive temperatures up to
35°C, although there is little pho-
tosynthetic activity at this heat.
When heat is combined with
drought, there is a risk that the
whole crop is lost due to failures
in pollination and loss of fruit.
LETTER CONTINUES FROM LAST WEEK SUNDAY
Independence of Industrial Court
Judges”, Mendes, SC, stated “The
inherent insecurity of Industrial
Court judges and their apparent
lack of structural independence
has been remarked on practically
on a yearly basis by the president
of the court. Trade unions have
frequently spoken about it and
called for a change in the law to
vest all power of appointment
and re-appointment in the hands
of the Judicial and Legal Service
Commission, which appoints
High Court judges.”
The president of the Republic
at the time of these articles was
former president Carmona so the
professor’s suggestion that the
Law Association has personalised
its criticism of Her Excellency’s
recent decision is one, which
respectfully, strikes me as being
unavailing. It is obvious that Prof
Ghany simply chose to join the
debate without permitting the
comments he expressed to be
informed by basic research. The
argument that there is no need to
question the existing system for
Dr Aiden Farrell
Here, adapting planting practices
can help mitigate this risk. For ex-
ample, cocoa grown under shade
trees has more protection from
the warming climate than those
grown in monoculture settings.
However, trees can still die in the
driest months, and cocoa growers
will increasingly need a supply of
irrigation water to withstand such
events.
As the Caribbean gets warmer
and rainfall patterns are seen to
vary, governments have accepted
that we need to prepare for cli-
mate change (as well as seeking to
reduce its magnitude). Co-ordina-
tion between the Government and
other key institutions is needed if
we are to take advantage of large-
scale options for climate change
OWTU Chief Education and Research
Officer Ozzi Warwick
PICTURE KRISTIAN DE SILVA
the appointment of judges of the
court when it is clearly the accept-
ance of a system that is incongru-
ous with our evolving democracy.
The fact that the executive arm of
the State can and has wielded in-
fluence over the Industrial Court
has to be of grave concern for an-
yone committed to the tenets of
democracy, the rule of law and
the separation of powers.
I must also address two other
matters put forward by Prof
Ghany. Firstly, he contends that
commentary 19
adaptation. These options include
crop insurance, tailored climate
forecasts, improved water supply
and nature-based solutions. Crop
insurance for droughts or excess
rainfall events acts to spread the
risk from an unproductive or un-
profitable crop. Such a system
could be vital in allowing farmers
to respond to climate change, but
it requires State support.
If farmers are not guided or
assisted, we will face a lose-lose
scenario, with underused agricul-
tural land reducing carbon diox-
ide uptake and threatening our
food supply. Across the world,
farmers are abandoning agricul-
tural land due to climate change.
For example, in the Sahel Region
of Africa, climate migrants have
been forced to exit farming as the
weather becomes too harsh or too
variable to sustain farming liveli-
hoods.
T&T already has a shortfall in
local food production, with many
younger citizens choosing to seek
their fortune away from agricul-
ture. Without support, climate
change could become the last
straw for our already underuti-
lised farms.
Globally, there is an increasing
focus on the role of nature-based
solutions in protecting agricul-
tural land from the worst effects
of climate change. There are
calls for more agroforestry, with
crops growing alongside trees,
as seen in our very own shade-
grown cocoa. A well-developed
the trade union movement is
divided with JTUM and NATUC
on one side and the All-Trinidad
Sugar Workers Union on the other
side. I cannot see how a conclu-
sion of division in the trade union
movement was reached. The sub-
stance of the All Trinidad Sugar
Workers Union about the need for
amendments to the Industrial Re-
lations Act is consistent with both
JTUM and NATUC clear historical
position.
There was, however, a clear
division amongst the business
community with the Chambers of
Commerce openly welcoming the
decision of the President whilst
the ECA clearly stated “… the ECA
would like to see greater transpar-
ency in the process of appointing
members to the Industrial Court
and for their security of tenure
equivalent to that of other judges
in courts of superior record.”
The other matter is the pro-
fessor’s suggestion that the Law
Association is leading the charge
in this debate. Indeed, the trade
union movement welcomed the
tree canopy has been shown to
help buffer the severe effects of
drought and heat, making crops
more resilient. Similarly, govern-
ments are encouraged to retain
natural ecosystems close to farms
to protect soil water, nutrients
and biodiversity during climate
extremes.
Natural ecosystems act as res-
ervoirs of biodiversity, protecting
pollinators and insects that con-
trol pests, making the farm land-
scape more resilient to broader
climate impacts. In this regard,
T&T is ahead of the pack, with a
large portion of the country still
having reasonable forest cover.
Tobago sees some of the worst
droughts, but think how much
dryer it would be if the Main Ridge
Forest Reserve was not there to
capture and store the moisture
from the passing clouds.
The UWI is working with the
Government of T&T, the Food and
Agriculture Organisation (FAO)
and several other stakeholders
to maintain the protected areas
network in the face of climate
change. This is so that people,
biodiversity and our agricultural
sector can continue to benefit
from its protecting influence.
This natural capital, combined
with targeted crop research and
improved co-ordination between
the Government and other stake-
holders in assisting farmers to
adapt, offers hope that the sector
can be resilient in a rapidly chang-
ing world.
intervention of the Law Asso-
ciation and believes that they
have highlighted the fundamen-
tal issues surrounding what the
movement regards as the abrupt
dismissal of Mrs Deborah Thomas
Felix and the other more funda-
mental issues surrounding the
system for the appointment of
judges of the court. However, the
actions of the trade union move-
ment having put out three state-
ments and presenting a letter to
the President of the Republic are
not to be dismissed. The need for
urgent and meaningful review
and changes to the Industrial
Relations Act is a matter that the
trade union movement recognises
as its fight and one that it intends
to lead.
Ozzi Warwick is the general secre-
tary of the JTUM and a member of
the Financial Control Committee
and Presidential Council of the
World Federation of Trade Un-
ions (WFTU). He is also the chief
education and research officer
and treasurer of the OWTU.
 20 commentary
Your Pet & You
Kristel-Marie Ramnath
W hile many children now-
adays would have asked
Santa for a PS5, video games, or
the latest model cellphone; there
are still some kids who would
have wanted a puppy for Christ-
mas. Owning a dog is a huge re-
sponsibility that requires years of
care and commitment, but there
are also many benefits.
One of the original roles of
dogs in our homes was as guards.
They provide security by barking
and alerting us to anyone or any-
thing unusual.
Dogs provide companionship
which helps manage loneliness
and reduce depression. They can
satisfy the need for acceptance
and give a sense of purpose.
Dogs also provide owners with
a sense of emotional well-being
thanks to the unconditional love
they give, which is why they are
a great comfort for people who
live alone.
Having a pet adds structure
and routine to the lives of owners
because they require a regular
feeding and exercise schedule. A
consistent routine keeps an ani-
mal balanced and calm, and this
works for humans too.
The bond between dogs and
their owners is linked to several
health benefits, including keep-
ing us fitter because they need to
be walked.
People who regularly perform
aerobic exercise have improved
blood pressure, lower choles-
T
he Lord usually looks for
a man or woman through
whom he can execute his plan. In
1 Samuel chapter 1, we are intro-
duced to Hannah, a woman dou-
bly loved and cherished by her
husband, Elkanah, who remained
childless for a long time. Elkanah
was unable to console her, espe-
cially whenever they made their
pilgrimage to Shiloh to worship at
the Tabernacle.
Strife and conflict characterise
many polygamous families in the
Bible. Unsurprisingly, Hannah
was humiliated by her rival, Pen-
innah, Elkanah’s other wife.
She would taunt and deride
Hannah for her barrenness,
which greatly added to her pain
and despair. Strangely, Peninnah
who displayed such unkindness
was blessed with children.
That yearly outing to the Tab-
ernacle became a heavier burden
each time, and Hannah would be
reduced to tears and could not
even eat. Though she remained
inconsolable, she kept going.
Benefits of owning a dog
terol levels, reduced blood sugar
levels, better-controlled weight,
and a reduced risk of developing
cardiovascular disease.
Activities associated with dog
ownership, such as feeding,
grooming, playing and letting
them outside, all increase phys-
ical activity levels. Physical activ-
ity improves blood flow, induces
muscle contraction and reduces
joint stiffness.
The increased opportunities
to get outdoors and exercise also
provide opportunities to social-
ise, and dogs are well-known for
“breaking the ice”.
Owning a dog has been linked
to better mental health and a
Hannah’s gift
Our year may not have had a happy beginning,
but we await our salvation. There are yet
many chapters in our story to be written.
Like Hannah, we remain focused on God’s
goodness, rather than on our challenges.
Give someone your smile today.
Pastor Julien Cyrus
This time, in her desperation,
Hannah took those bitter and
anguished feelings in prayer to
God vowing that if he would only
answer her prayer and give her a
lower perception of social isola-
tion, which can reduce the risk
of heart attacks and cognitive
issues.
Being socially isolated is a
strong risk factor for worse
health outcomes and premature
death. Dog owners interact more
with other people, such as other
dog owners and people they en-
counter on walks, and are less
likely to experience depression.
Studies have shown that own-
ing a dog can help people live
longer by reducing anxiety and
stress. Stress is a major cause
of cardiovascular problems, so
dogs are quite literally good for
the heart.
son, she would give him unto the
Lord for his entire lifetime (1 Sam-
uel 1:11).
Her fervency in prayer caused
Eli the priest to believe that she
One of the reasons for these
therapeutic effects is that pets
fulfil the basic human need for
touch. Even just petting a dog can
lower heart rate, slow breathing
and relax tense muscles.
Dog owners generally have a
stronger immune system, help-
ing them to stay well and spend
less time getting over sickness
and bugs.
Owning a dog can help people
to recover from personal trauma,
such as bereavement.
Studies exploring the effects
of dogs on seniors have found
positive results. One study found
that pet therapy can improve the
cognitive function of residents
had been drinking. She assured
him that she was just a very des-
perate woman who was pouring
out her heart to the Lord and felt
encouraged as he declared: “May
the God of Israel grant the request
you have asked of him” (1 Samuel
1:17).
There was an immediate change
in Hannah’s countenance as she
received her promise by faith.
The Lord remembered Hannah
and she conceived and in due
time gave birth to a son whom she
named “Samuel”, which means
“heard of God”.
After Samuel was weaned, Han-
nah kept her promise.
She took him to the Tabernacle
and testified to Eli about the an-
swer to prayer that she had re-
ceived: “I asked the Lord to give
me this child, and he has granted
my request,” she gushed.
“Now I am giving him to the
Lord, and he will belong to the
Lord his whole life” (1 Samuel
1:17). Praising God on the day
you give your only son away is
Sunday, January 21, 2024
guardian.co.tt
Studies have shown
that owning a dog
can help people
live longer by
reducing anxiety
and stress. Stress
is a major cause
of cardiovascular
problems, so dogs
are quite literally
good for the heart.
in long-term care with mental
illness.
Another study showed signifi-
cant decreases in agitated behav-
iours in seniors with dementia,
as well as improved social inter-
actions.
Research also shows the ben-
efits of animal-assisted therapy
during rehabilitation for nerv-
ous system conditions, such as
strokes, seizure disorders, brain
trauma and infections.
Dogs can be a valuable part of
cardiac rehabilitation, occupa-
tional therapy and physical ther-
apy programmes.
Finally, dog owners know that
training requires time, effort and
patience—all things that our dogs
teach us and that are useful in
other aspects of our lives.
Copyright © Kristel-Marie
Ramnath 2024
not easy, but it is something God
can relate to, having given us his
only begotten Son, Jesus. Hannah
chose to rejoice in her thanksgiv-
ing to God and every year, she
would return with gifts for Sam-
uel.
Eventually, the Lord rewarded
her with five more children—three
sons and two daughters as the gift
of her first-born son kept giving.
Hannah is a great example of
those who through faith and pa-
tience inherit the promises (He-
brews 6:12).
Her blessings were released
when her focus shifted from what
she did not have, to what she
could give, and Israel was blessed
with one of the greatest biblical
prophets. Our year may not have
had a happy beginning, but we
await our salvation. There are yet
many chapters in our story to be
written.
Like Hannah, we remain fo-
cused on God’s goodness, rather
than on our challenges.
Give someone your smile today.
Sunday, January 21, 2024
guardian.co.tt

5RVH
6LQFODLU
The legacy
Black
of
women’s
craft
Page 24
Page 22
The
Bookshelf
Page 28
 22 we
Lisa
Sarjeant
Using silk as her canvas, each piece usually takes her at least a week to paint, and
the intricacy, complexity and attention to detail that this process requires often has
Sarjeant stooping in the sun for hours each day, painstakingly ensuring that each
fabric matches the high standard that her customers have grown to expect.
Lisa Faye Silks:
$
FAYOLA K J FRASER
rtist. Entrepreneur.
Painter. Mother.
These are some of the
various descriptors of
the incredibly talented Lisa
Sarjeant, owner of the boutique
and brand–Lisa Faye Silks.
Sarjeant has carefully carved
and curated her niche in T&T’s
fashion industry, which births
beautiful, one-of-a-kind pieces,
made for women. The scope of
her art is not limited however
to T&T, as Sarjeant’s brand has
loyal customers throughout
the Caribbean, and as far as
Switzerland and Dubai.
During her earlier years,
Sarjeant moved between T&T
and Canada, eventually settling
in T&T permanently in time for
secondary school. Being aware of
her creative capacity from a very
young age, she was supported in
channelling it during her time at
St Francois Girls’ College by her
then art teacher, Ms Gill, better
remembered by Sarjeant as “the
best art teacher ever.” Setting her
on a path of no return into the
art sphere, she was introduced
to Textiles, eventually pursued
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WREHOLHYLQJLQ
\RXUSDVVLRQV
it for CXC examinations, and is
still doing textiles over 30 years
later. With her training and
foundational understanding of
art and textiles, Sarjeant began
to explore and develop her
technique in painting on silks,
which has ultimately formed the
basis of her career.
“I wanted a technique that
I could flow,” she remembers,
“it required a lot of trial and
error, figuring out how to keep
the colours vibrant, and which
fabrics were best suited to this
vibrancy.”
Before landing on silks, she
experimented with painting on
various types of cotton but found
silks best as the colours do not
fade, making the pieces timeless.
Using silk as her canvas, each
piece usually takes her at least a
week to paint, and the intricacy,
complexity and attention to
detail that this process requires
often has Sarjeant stooping
in the sun for hours each day,
painstakingly ensuring that each
fabric matches the high standard
that her customers have grown
to expect.
Although she now has the
technique down to a science,
Sarjeant believes that in
her artistic pursuit, she is
always learning, changing
and improving. For example,
during the COVID-19 lockdown,
she was compelled to think
outside the box and channel her
innate resourcefulness when
certain ingredients she needed
were in short supply. It is this
commitment to not only the
beauty of the outcome of her
pieces but also the dexterity
and extreme care she takes in
the journey of creating that has
allowed her to see success over
the years.
This success, however, has
not come easily. Sarjeant
began selling her clothing in
her twenties on foot, not in a
boutique or the Normandie.
Remembering the humble
beginnings of “walking from
store to store in town, with
brown cotton pieces that I
painted and sewed, trying to
sell them,” she remains forever
grateful to Brother Resistance
and Karega Mandela, who were
some of the first people to
believe in her. Buying her items
for their store downtown, she
holds the memory dear in her
heart, as they had confidence in
the marketability of her clothing
when many others refused
to give her an opportunity.
This, in turn, engendered her
confidence, as they would call
her every week for more pieces
because people continued to buy
them.
At now 54 years old, she rem-
inisces on some of these earlier,
more difficult times, all of which
have charged her with a formi-
dable spirit and non-exhaustive
self-belief, helping her to believe
in her art, “in a country that
doesn’t believe in artists.”
Sunday, January 21, 2024
guardian.co.tt
After the painful experience
of losing a child on her 45th
birthday, Sarjeant decided to
follow her dreams and open a
boutique. “I decided to treat
my boutique like my baby,”
she says, “and I don’t want
anyone messing with my baby.”
This perspective explains her
meticulousness and strict
attention to detail in her work.
Electing to leave her steady
job in the media was not an easy
decision, and “people thought
I was crazy to leave a full-time
job,” but she acted on faith and
opened her original boutique in
St James. After initially making
her textiles for other designers,
she eventually decided that
“Lisa Faye should only be for
Lisa Faye” and honed in on
exclusively using her fabrics for
her brand.
“This chapter is about peace,”
she says, indicating that she has
no desire to mass produce or
obsess over quantity, but rather
keep the quality of her products
high, all while enjoying her
passions. Many people dream
about the alignment of their
profession and their passion, and
Sarjeant is living in that dream,
refusing to skew her products by
chasing money.
Continued on page 23
Sunday, January 21, 2024
guardian.co.tt we 23

+DQGSDLQWLQJDUWRQWRVLON
From page 22
Describing the difficulty of
being a small business owner, she
continues to strike out in faith
... Sarjeant finds courage
to live her dreams
as she did initially, constantly
investing in herself and her
brand. She remembers how
nerve-racking the investment
was initially, but she remains
rooted in her faith, guided by busy seasons but also in her younger
positive energy and equipped years having a baby, teaching and all
with a healthy sense of humour. still trying to fulfil her passions as an
“What else am I going to do if not artist.
this?” she smiles, knowing that “But staying the course, being
she is living in her destiny. patient, and believing in yourself
As a business owner in the above everything while blocking out
fashion industry, she is forced the noise” have been her keys to
to exercise both chambers of success.
her brain. She is not only the Lisa Faye Sarjeant has and
lead creative but is also the continues to make a statement in the
business manager, social media fashion industry. With a centered
manager, store manager and perspective that “there’s room
communications manager of her for everyone,” she doesn’t seek to
brand. “I come from a time when monopolise the fashion industry in
we didn’t even have a landline in T&T, nor force her designs on anyone,
our house,” she laughs, and now instead believing that all designers
she is in charge of leveraging can not only exist harmoniously but
social media to the benefit of thrive in their uniqueness.
her business, which requires Her clothing, through its elegance
her constant learning and
dedication.
Although she sometimes
receives criticism for the cost
of her items, she stresses that
the production costs are the
reason her silks are not cheap.
The silks go through four ports
before getting to T&T, her
embellishments come from
India and Afghanistan, she has
to import dyes, spend her time
and talent making textiles, and
pay seamstresses fairly for their
work and refuses to undermine
anyone along the way.

Û
Everything is a process ...
But staying the course,
being patient, and
and sophistication, has been
believing in yourself above able to touch many women.
everything while blocking She recalls some of her most
out the noise. poignant moments when she
has had customers who have

Ü
Sarjeant understands that
while not everyone can afford
gone through chemotherapy or
a mastectomy because of cancer,
and her outfits empower them to
the pieces, she aims to provide feel brave and beautiful in their
the best price for the product femininity once again. She feels
that makes her time and honoured when a client tells
effort worthwhile. Aside from her she has saved her money
those common criticisms, she and taken a bus from Toco, just
also continues to face heavy to have one of her pieces. It is
import duty and various other in these special moments, that
challenges with which many every challenging hurdle in her
entrepreneurs and small career feels wholly worthwhile.
business owners in T&T remain What’s next for Lisa Faye Silks?
familiar. What does the future look like?
Sarjeant’s advice to women Laughing at her exhaustion at
is borne out of a testament to being asked those questions, she
her life thus far. “Everything believes wholeheartedly that she
is a process,” she ruminates, is living in “her future”. Merging
and the work of building her her love for art with a profes-
brand has required her to have sional career with a product that
a broad back, to get up when has touched so many women
you fall, and to rise above is her joy, a joy that keeps her
unfair criticisms or pessimism. creating. Wearing Lisa Faye is an
“Nobody sees the late nights,” experience that she has afforded
she says, remembering not to many women, and a living
only her current late nights testament to her dedication and
when she works on her fabrics diligence to elevating the fashion
from 5 am until midnight in the industry in T&T.
 24 we Sunday, January 21, 2024
guardian.co.tt

Û
Most people think that glamour and
designing clothes is the only aspect of
fashion ... but from my year exploring the
industry, I learned that there’s a whole
gamut of jobs.

)
FAYOLA K J FRASER

or the majority of the

population, thoughts
about the origin of the
clothing we wear every
day are fleeting, an often
bypassed consideration. The
terminology “textiles” is a
general concept, encompassing
fibre-based materials, which are
manufactured using methods
such as knitting, weaving or
crocheting.
Textiles, although not at the
forefront of many people’s
minds, speak to the deeply-
rooted origins, intricate
techniques, indigenous culture
and history of a group of people.
Rose Sinclair has spent the
majority of her life devoting
herself to the study of textiles
and displaying the crafts of
Black women throughout the
Caribbean and the diaspora.
A child of migrants from
Jamaica, Sinclair learned to
sew, crochet and knit at four
years old. “Textiles have been
central to my life as far as I can
remember,” she says, as she grew
up around her mother and other
older women who used cloth and
its creation as a way of raising
money for the community. One
of her most poignant memories
is her mother instilling in her the
centrality of cloth and the way
it could be used for gifting back,
specifically explaining to her
the power of the cloth, and how
it should be used for service.
Rose Sinclair The legacy of
%ODFNZRPHQ·VFUDIW
As a member of the church’s
Dorcas Society, her mother was
dedicated to giving back through
providing clothing for the poor.
Thus, with the combination of
mirroring her mother’s devotion
to service, the centrality of cloth
and her passion for art, Sinclair
was fated to pursue the study
of Textiles. From the primary
school level, she studied art, and
throughout secondary school,
with the assistance of two art
and textiles teachers, she easily
fell into the field, pursuing it at a
tertiary level.
Following her BSc (Hons) in
Textile Design, Sinclair began her
first job, a one-year placement
in the textile industry. “Most
people think that glamour and
designing clothes is the only
aspect of fashion,” she says,
“but from my year exploring the
industry, I learned that there’s
a whole gamut of jobs.” She was
able to learn about fabric and
yarn, dyeing fibres, weaving and
knitting, sales and marketing and
all the less prominent aspects of
the industry.
“... textiles are the
bedrock of the
fashion industry, and
textile companies are
required to be well
ahead of the trends, to
create the fabric that
eventually is used for
clothing and put on
the shelves.”
More so, she understood how
her degree could be practically
translated into a career, as she
was employed by the largest
textile company in the United
Kingdom. According to Sinclair,
textiles are the bedrock of the
fashion industry, and textile
companies are required to be
well ahead of the trends, to
create the fabric that eventually
is used for clothing and put on
the shelves.
After four years of work in the
textile space, a downturn began
in the industry, and Sinclair
retrained as a schoolteacher.
Teaching textiles to secondary
school students, she was able to
broaden and widen her existing
skill set, learning to capture
“Working as a
schoolteacher taught
me to pitch in three
minutes, to simplify
and explain concepts
in textiles, and more
than anything, learn to
tell captivating stories.”
This storytelling would
become central in
her work of curating
exhibitions, and telling
the stories of women.”
and maintain young people’s
attention. “Working as a school-
teacher taught me to pitch in
three minutes, to simplify and
explain concepts in textiles, and
more than anything, learn to tell
captivating stories.” This story-
telling would become central in
her work of curating exhibitions,
and telling the stories of women.
Deciding to pursue her MA at
Central Saint Martins in Textiles,
Sinclair left secondary school
teaching to work part-time with
special needs students while
doing her degree.
In the community in which she
taught, “parents were generally
distrustful of the authorities,
so I spent time supporting the
inclusion of all students, and
helping them understand the
value and power of the school
system.” This experience
powerfully centered Sinclair not
only in the skill set of teaching
but in delving into the worlds
of the historically excluded
and figuring out how to centre
narratives of the marginalised.
Continued on page 25
Sunday, January 21, 2024
guardian.co.tt we 25
Textiles ... the bedrock of the fashion industry
From page 24
“It’s all Black people here,”
Sinclair says as she
remembers her first
words when she
stepped off the plane
on her first visit to
Jamaica in 1990.
The sentiment of
feeling at home was so o
strong, and she quickly delved
into the museums and galleries
to enrich her understanding of
design and craft in the region.
“This experience fundamentally
changed me as a designer,”
she says, and felt that her eyes
had been opened to an entire
repository of craft (even her
mother and grandmother’s craft)
that was not in her textbooks.
This learning and indeed,
unlearning, drove her to question
why black women’s craft was not
discussed in the UK, not included
in her books, not displayed at
museums, and how she, as an
academic, could remedy it.
Sinclair started to collect
textiles amidst the background
noise and questioning of people
saying her compilation was of
no use or value. Then she went
a step further and turned her

IMAGE: NICOLA TREE

work of collecting black art and
craft into a PhD. Sinclair used
the Dorcas clubs in the UK as the
lens for her study, to more widely
propel the story of Black women
and their creativity in the UK.
Although not granted funding

Above: Sinclair’s 2022 exhibition, displaying work by Althea McNish.

Caribbean expertise in textiles

for her work, she was motivated
by the understanding that there
was intrinsic value and substance
to be found in these works. One
of her greatest honours was
meeting Trinidadian-born textile
designer Althea McNish.
Althea McNish, an acclaimed
artist who had her first
exhibition at 16, attributed some
of her greatest inspirations
to the work of Trinidadian
legends Sybil Atteck and Boscoe
Holder. McNish was named
“The art of textiles
and crotchet has
reached a whole new
level of fashion.”
by Architectural Digest as one
of “Five Female Designers
Who Changed History” in
2018, featured in a BBC Four
documentary film “Whoever
Heard of a Black Artist?” and
Rose Sinclair
her work was displayed in an
exhibition in 2022 at the William
Morris Gallery by Rose Sinclair.
Sinclair used this exhibition
to display the legacy of Black
women’s craft, and the way it is
often buried unless uncovered in
an archive.
Many people may dismiss the
legacy of crafting, knitting and
crocheting as not suitable for the
modern era. But Sinclair insists
that young designers are taking
up the mantle. One is Jamaican
“Although not granted
funding for her work,
she was motivated by
the understanding that
there was intrinsic
value and substance to
be found in these works.
One of her greatest
honours was meeting
Trinidadian-born
textile designer
Althea McNish.”
Rachel Scott, whose label
Diotima, which was launched in
May 2021 and centered around
artisanal crochet pieces, has
been worn by Rihanna, Doja
Cat, Gabrielle Union and Keke
Palmer. “The art of textiles and
crotchet has reached a whole
new level of fashion,” Sinclair
muses, stressing the importance
of understanding the richness of
the legacy of crochet in the Black
community to appreciate how
far it has come. According to
Sinclair’s study of the Windrush
generation, the Caribbean
people who immigrated through
the 1950s-1970s in the UK to help
build Britain, approximately
225 people came with a craft
background, and her exhibition
‘Dorcas Stories from the Front
Room’ celebrates that legacy of
that has often been buried in
the UK.
Awarded the Member of the
Order of the British Empire
(MBE) in December 2023 for
her work of championing and
making more visible the design
practices of Caribbean women
which have been overlooked for
years, Sinclair can hardly believe
it. “Those things don’t happen to
a Black girl from Handsworth,”
she laughs, remembering the
way that she believed the award
to be a hoax. Sinclair doesn’t
accept this award for herself,
however, she accepts it for her
mother, her grandmother, and all
the Black women whose work in
craft has been ignored. Changing
the narrative, and encouraging
people to not only acknowledge
black-crafted textiles, but the
way that our work has value, is
Sinclair’s life’s devotion. “I stand
on the shoulders of my mom, my
aunt and my grandmother,” she
says, “and my work is to open up
doors for those to come.”
Rose Sinclair MBE, MA (CSM),
PGCE, BSc (Hons), CText ATI,
FRSA is a Senior Lecturer in
Design Education (Textiles)
at Goldsmiths, University of
London Department of Design.
Fayola K J Fraser is a professional
in the international development
arena. She has a BA in International
(Middle Eastern) Studies and an
MSc in International Relations &
Diplomacy from the London School
of Economics.
26 we Sunday, January 21, 2024
guardian.co.tt
Sunday, January 21, 2024
guardian.co.tt
KRISTY RAMNARINE
kristy.ramnarine@cnc3.co.tt
It’s an event on the Carnival calendar
which many women look forward to.
Ladies Night Out returns after a
three-year hiatus due to the pandemic.
Put on by Randy Glasgow
Productions, it is being held at the
National Academy for the Performing
Arts (NAPA) on January 27 from 6 pm
“We felt NAPA was ideal for the
Safety a priority at
GL
/D XWHV
1LJKW 2
ladies,” said Glasgow.
“It’s a controlled and safe venue
where the ladies can park their cars
and walk to the show. The venue is
fully lit and there will be security to
ensure that women do not have any
issues walking to and from their cars.”
Glasgow said the concert for Ladies
Night Out stemmed from a need to
celebrate women in this country.
“Women work every hour of the day.
If there were 25 hours in the day, they
would work 25 hours, too,” he said.
“I wanted to create an event to
show thanks to women, to treat them
special.”
Ladies Night Out has always been an
event where fashion meets soca.
A fitting theme for the 2024 edition–
NAPA In White.
“The ladies will be treated to a red
carpet experience when they enter,”
he added.
“It’s an event where women bring
we 27
...wherehion
fas
meets
soca
out their best–fashion, hair, make-up.
“Women come out with their crews
and have a wonderful time. We want to
ensure this happens.”
Soca star Nadia Batson is carded
to bring a full performance with her
band.
Performers include Mical Teja,
Farmer Nappy, Iwer George, Baron,
Superblue, Crazy, Sekon Sta, Teddyson
John, Terri Lyons, Swappi and Orlando
Octave.
 28 we
Falling Leaves and Flying Butterflies
... human rights lawyer writes a guide
for women with cancer–Part 2
The
oo Shelf
Book
Û
I sometimes did not
know how to receive
that abundance of love.
I did not think myself
worthy. It took time to
love myself enough to
accept the love of others
who would help me and
my family, who were
also suffering. Opening
myself enabled others to
reach capacities of love
they were unaware of.
Ü
IRA MATHUR
Last Sunday, Guardian
Bookshelf featured part 1 of
Rashmin Sagoo’s upcoming
book “Falling Leaves
and Flying Butterflies”,
which she has described
as a gentle, nurturing
companion guide for
women recently diagnosed
with cancer. Sagoo, as
previously published in
this space, is the director
of the International Law
programme at Chatham
House, a century-deep
British think tank based
in London which helps
governments and societies
build a sustainably secure,
prosperous, and just world.
Rashmin Sagoo has advised
the British Red Cross,
International Red Cross and
Red Crescent Movement on
international humanitarian
law, international human
rights law, international
disaster laws, data, and
counterterrorism.
Although Sagoo has an
ongoing high-profile career
as a lawyer, a devastating
cancer diagnosis at the age
of 36 brought about a tsu-
nami of change in her inte-
rior life as she navigated the
fear, sadness, and stigma.
Sagoo used this charged
time to help by writing a
book with prompts that
she hopes will help other
women with a cancer di-
agnosis to find their own
unique inner and outer sup-
port systems as “a gentle
friend quietly holding your
hand.”
This is a second excerpt from
“Falling Leaves and Flying
Butterflies” by Rashmin Sagoo
with the author’s full permission
exclusively for the Sunday
´,
Guardian.
n my past life before
my cancer, I often
tried to do everything
myself. Raised to be
self-sufficient in everything
from cooking to DIY, learning
to be vulnerable and ask for
help took time. Then, I found
my tree. Family, friends, and
even strangers who helped
ease the burden. If you were
to describe your own Tree of
Life, what would it look like?
Cancer can touch every aspect
of your life–who may be able to
support that part of your life?
Sketch below, or maybe ask
a loved one to help you. Add
branches, roots, and leaves
to this tree. Add everyone
you can think of who may be
able to support you over the
coming weeks and months.
Your family, close friends,
colleagues, medical team,
neighbours, delivery drivers,
charities, a recommended
acupuncturist. Who are your
roots, trunk, leaves, and
branches?
Telling family and friends
about my cancer and dealing
with their reactions was one
of the hardest things I had to
face. Many reached out, offer-
ing help and support and, of
course, wanting news on my
treatment and health. I cre-
ated a little WhatsApp group
called my ‘Tree’ to manage the
communication flow. I kept
my posts authentic but positive
positive,
knowing I would receive what
I put out there. What flowed
back was a wave of love in the
form of poems, wisdom, grace,
guidance, prayers, food parcels,
home-cooked freezer food, flow-
ers, cards, recommendations
for books, music, promises of
outings, art, voice messages, and–
knowing my love for them–photos
of trees from around the world.
Honestly, it was overwhelming.
And I realised that I was, in fact,
supported by something like a
tree, with roots deep in love and
branches spreading around the
world.
I sometimes did not know how
to receive that abundance of love.
I did not think myself worthy. It
took time to love myself enough
to accept the love of others who
would help me and my family,
who were also suffering. Opening
myself enabled others to reach
capacities of love they were una-
ware of. It was a big lesson for me
to learn how to ask for help and
receive it. It has helped me ever
since.
This book is what resulted from
those times. It is a collection of
the wisdom and love poured
into me by loved ones and from
within myself. I can’t tell you
what happens next. But I do know
this: There is more to you than
you know. And now is the time to
draw on it.
I gave only limited honest but
positive information to help en-
sure that the messages that came
back were supportive and buoyed
me forward. I used stock phrases
to minimise too much communi-
Rashmin Sagoo
Cover design
copyright Rashmin Sagoo.
cation and to t protect my energy:
No news is good news, but we
will update when we can.
Your prayers are all we need; I
can feel them.
If I don’t answer your mes-
sages, don’t worry–I’m probably
asleep, resting, avoiding my
phone to manage my fatigue, or
trying to be a “normal” mum.
I would love to have a chat or
a visitor. So, if you’re nearby, let
me know–but please don’t be of-
fended if I need to cancel at short
notice.
I’m conserving my energy right
now, so not up for visitors. But
thank you for sending me your
positive energy and prayers; I
feel them.
Grounding–a moment to catch
your breath
I kept a few grounding tech-
niques in my back pocket when
things felt overwhelming. The
more I used them, the more nat-
ural they became. I would use
whichever one felt right for the
situation. Some are rooted in my
yoga practice and Indian herit-
age. Others are gifts from loved
ones around the world.
I discovered my breath as my
friend. The medical process
can involve a lot of waiting.
My energy levels didn’t always
permit me to read. I couldn’t
always listen to music in waiting
rooms in case I missed my name
being called out. So, I used any
“waiting” time as a prompt to
take a deep breath and follow it.
Whether it was waiting for the
train to take me to the hospital,
waiting for a noisy machine to
complete a scan, or waiting anx-
Sunday, January 21, 2024
guardian.co.tt
iously for a doctor to give me my
latest scan results, I trained myself
to focus on my breath.
When I was stripped bare and
had nothing else with me–no tal-
isman, no trinkets, prayer beads,
“keep-safes” from loved ones,
books, earphones, not even the
kara that I’ve worn since birth–I
could always call on my breath. I
could be grateful for each breath.
It became a companion and best
friend whenever I felt anxious or
nervous. Even two or three deep,
intentional breaths would stabilise
me. Gently calming me, quietly
disappearing, reappearing when-
ever I remembered it again. Always
with me. It would transport me to
places. To shores with waves lap-
ping at my feet, up to God, down
to the Earth, into my body and out
of my anxiety-riddled mind.
Focusing on my breath helped
lower my stress and calm my nerv-
ous system. It didn’t stop the trou-
blesome thoughts from popping
up. But I learned to notice them
and gently bring my attention back
to my breath as an anchor. If I got
distracted again, it was okay. I
would just guide myself back to my
breath.
–End of excerpt.
Rashmin Sagoo has advised the
British Red Cross, International
Red Cross and Red Crescent Move-
ment on international humanitar-
ian law, international human rights
law, international disaster laws,
data, and counterterrorism.
Ira Mathur is a Guardian columnist
and winner of the non-fiction OCM
Bocas Prize for Literature 2023
winner. www.irasroom.org.
Email ; irasroom@gmail.com
Sunday, January 21, 2024
guardian.co.tt
KRISTY RAMNARIE
kristy.ramnarine@cnc3.co.tt
She’s dubbed the Caribbean’s Calypso
Queen.
Terri Lyons’ immense talent has once again
earned her the Queen of Queens crown at the
Caribbean Regional Female Calypso compe-
tition which was held at Carnival City, Little
Bay, Montserrat, on December 30, 2023.
It is the second time she has won the com-
petition. She was also crowned the Queen of
Queens Regional Female Calypso in 2022.
In addition to these accolades, she was the
Calypso Queen of T&T in 2020.
“It’s an all-female competition and the
highest placed female in your country or
your island goes to represent in Montserrat
to battle for the Queen of Queens title,” she
told the Sunday Guardian.
“So that’s all the female Monarchs of the
Caribbean—Antigua, St Lucia, Barbados,
Grenada, St Vincent, and the Bahamas were
there.
“I won the crown with a song that Maria
Bhola and myself wrote called House Clean-
ing and another song entitled Calypso. The
crowd loved them, especially Calypso which
had a dance feel to it even though it is an ed-
ucational song.”
Now, back in T&T, Lyons is ready for Car-
nival 2024.
She will be joining the Kalypso Revue tent
this year.
“That tent is Kitchener’s tent which was
taken over by Sugar Aloes. I want to say
thank you to him for welcoming me into the
tent,” she added.
Kalypso Revue, which opened at the Arima
Velodrome on January 19, will also have an
opening night at its home, SWWTU Hall,
Wrightson Road, on January 20 and then at
SAPA, San Fernando, on January 21.
Lyons said she was excited to enter this
year’s Calypso Monarch competition. Judg-
ing for the Kalypso Revue tent will take place
at the SWWTU Hall on January 27.
“I can’t wait because my song this year is
entitled Play Panman which was influenced
by my son, Mathias Lyons Fortune, who at-
tends the Couva Anglican Primary School,”
she said.
“My son is playing with NGC Joylanders,
he got picked to play for Panorama and he is
only ten, so I am so excited.”
On the day the interview with Lyons was
conducted, panyard at NGC Joylanders took
place.
“From this interview, I am going to run up
The Caribbean’s
the road for 7 o’clock to watch them play for
the judges and play like a groupie. I am my
son’s biggest fan,” she said, smiling ear to ear.
“I think he is the next Boogsie Sharpe be-
cause he will get up in the morning to brush
his teeth and go straight to the pan and
start practising the arrangement which they
taught him.
“I want to say thanks to Stefon and Richard
from NGC Joylanders for taking him on. He
is really into the pan. He actually chose that
for himself.”
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree as
Lyons herself always wanted to be an enter-
tainer.
Coming from entertainment royalty–her fa-
ther, Superblue, is one of the top soca
entertainers of his time and
29
her late mother, Dionne Phillips, who died
in 2002, was a member of the late Brother
Resistance’s The Love Band and background
vocals for Spektacular Tent.
“I sang everything, from timetables to
Math formulas because it was easy to re-
member that way,” she said.
“My dad used to pick up his guitar and
sing, my mom was always singing through-
out the house.
“I grew up in a family that had a Baptist
Church behind their house, we were in
church from eight in the morning to two in
the evening singing. I couldn’t get away from
it.
“My mom had me in a lot of other things,
I used to dance with North-West Laventille
and, of course, I used to sing there too when
they had the folk shows.”
Lyons not only loves singing and dancing
but also acting.
In 2010, she won the award for Best Local
Actress for her role as Olivia in the film No
Soca, No Life. Written and directed by Kevin
Adams, the short piece is an inspirational
film about a young woman from a deprived
background.
“It was my first time actually acting in a
movie, I am very good at mimicking,” she
said.
“The funny thing about this is that I
showed up to the people’s awards late be-
cause I did not think I was going to win as it
was my first time acting.
“When I got there someone said, ‘Terri,
you won the Best Local Actress’, and I was
like, yuh lie!”
Director Kevin Adams is now turning the
film into a movie.
“We shot the last piece for that last Fri-
day ( January 12). It was fabulous. Later on
this year, it is going to be released, so I hope
everyone comes out to see it.”
Of course, when in the entertainment in-
dustry, fashion is at the front burner.
Terri released a new line called Fetish
Wear.
“It’s Monday-wear, which can be worn
over your clothing at other events. It is ac-
cessory clothing,” she explained.
“It’s more like a necklace, you can wear it
with jeans, a skirt or over a dress. I like to
make garments that will enhance something
that you may already have.
“You know we have this thing where we
don’t want to wear an outfit more than once.
Allyuh, ease me up. I wanted to create some-
thing that you can use more than once.”
She said the inspiration for the line came
from her late mother.
“Long-time we didn’t have much and my
mum would take her clothing, cut it up and
make pieces for me,” she said.
“She would take her jeans and turn them
into a dress for me, and she would sew with
her hands. That’s the kind of vision I grew
up with.”
And, of course, having Superblue as her
father has been a perk in her life.
“My dad is a normal person to me,” she
said.
“As kids, we don’t see our parents as fa-
mous people. One of my most memorable
experiences was going on tour with him
when I was about nine or ten. At the end of
the day, his road is his legacy and I have
to make my own road.”
30 rec
30-year chapter
on J’Ouvert band
3canal members Wendell
Manwarren, left, and Roger
Roberts at the Black Box
Studio, Murray Street,
Woodbrook, on Wednesday.
PICTURE KERWIN PIERRE
3canal closes
SOYINI GREY
Senior Producer CNC3
soyini.grey@guardian.co.tt
After 30 years of paint, power and bac-
chanal, 3canal is closing the chapter on
their J’Ouvert band. This is not, how-
ever, an end to the music.
The three-member group will no
longer bring out a J’Ouvert band, a de-
cision they have been mulling for some
time. The pandemic shutdown made it
harder logistically to bring out a band
when Carnival resumed and that was a
contributing factor.
Speaking to two of the three mem-
bers of the group at their Woodbrook
base at the Big Black Box last week,
Wendell Manwarren told the Sunday
Guardian, “It was the realisation that it
was 30 years, that’s what made it easy.”
A light dusting of baby powder re-
mained on every surface of the per-
formance space, from Monday’s music
video shoot for Powder, one of their
three songs released for 2024, which
Sunday, January 21, 2024
guardian.co.tt
was written in collaboration with Jason
“Shaft” Bishop.
3canal has produced a generation of
mas, or masqueraders, in those three
decades. “It felt right too because 30
was the pearl anniversary and that was
white,” said Roger Roberts.
“We started with a white band, so
it felt like coming in a complete circle
within that 30-year span.”
The circle began in 1994. 3canal
was originally Roger Roberts, Wendell
Manwarren and the artist Steve Ouditt.
Their first band was called Jocks tuh
Pose–Bring Yuh Drawers and Come.
“We did three bands before we did
Blue,” Manwarren reminds me.
“Under the name Jocks Tuh Pose we
did a white, a black and a red band, na-
tional colours. We didn’t plan it, it just
happened to be that.”
However, things changed in 1997
when bolstered by the addition of
Stanton Kewley and John Isaacs (now
deceased) and they recorded Blue. The
Continues on page 31
Sunday, January 21, 2024
guardian.co.tt
No more paint,
power, bacchanal ...
Band sticks
From page 30
to its music
song and the accompanying music
video upped the ante. The band was
inspired by the impish Blue Devil,
and the public embraced every bit
of the mischievous character.
“It took us the entire morning
to get from the top of the St Ann’s
Roundabout to the QRC Rounda-
bout,” Manwarren said.
“There were people on the road,
and in the Savannah.”
The response was unexpected. If
not 10,000 in real numbers, it cer-
tainly felt like it. The continued rela-
tionship the band has enjoyed with
its fans continues to overwhelm.
They said the decision to end this
chapter was being made with grati-
tude and great humility.
Blue, powered by the Blue Devil,
had a massive impact. This year
3canal is bringing the SS Bad Behav-
iour in Town in honour of the spirit
of the sailor mas bands of yore.
Inspired by the work of the late
Dr Jeff Henry who detailed the
“dutty” sailor mas tradition from
the famed Hell Yard in Port-of-Spain
in his 2008 book Under the Mas:
Resistance and Rebellion in the
Trinidad Masquerade, the band will
rec 31
be assisted in its portrayal by the
actors Marvin Dowrich and Arnold
“Pinny” Goindhan who will serve as
“storytellers” who will help to bring
the history of this mas to life.
“Nature abhors a vacuum,” Rob-
ert responds to the question of
what will happen in 2025, when
3 Canal J’Ouvert
3canal is not taking up space in
PICTURE 3CANAL
Port-of-Spain foreday morning on FACEBO0K
Carnival Monday. But he also ex-
plained that throughout the years
they have always mentored people
who could take up the mantle and
be free to do what they have done, concert which has been held put on a full show, rather than is excited about this Carnival.
which is to put their signature on at The Little Carib Theatre and the fete concert hybrid or ‘fete- The concert, the songs, and
the mas. While other bands would Soundforge in the past is itself cert’ as Manwarren dubbed it. of course the J’Ouvert. The
offer all-inclusive packages, 3canal experiencing a homecoming Led by a trio of songs: The closing of one door for them is
remains ideologically opposed to with its return to Queen’s Hall. Powder, The Jamming, and an entryway into a new begin-
the concept. They are also clear The venue allows the group to The Vibes We Like the group ning.
on their 4 am start and the need to
face the rising sun. These stances
aren’t attractive to all, but have
served to set them apart and in so
doing earned them a fiercely loyal
following.
Another Carnival tradition from
the band is their annual con-
cert which is returning this year
to Queen’s Hall, St Ann’s. The
3canal Jamming Show will be cel-
ebrating its 20th anniversary. Re-
turning on February 4 and 5, the
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32 quik flix Sunday, January 21, 2024
guardian.co.tt

„ TODAY
Ultimate Kidds Experience
Venue: Naparima Bowl
Time: 12 pm
„ FRIDAY, JANUARY 26
National Stickfighting Prelims
Venue: TBA
Time: 7 pm
Carnival Pop-up
Venue: Queen’s Hall Lobby
Time: 3 to 9 pm
„ SATURDAY, JANUARY 27
TUCO National Junior Calypso Monarch
Semifinal “Junior Fiesta”
Venue: To be confirmed
South Market
Venue: C3, San Fernando
Time: 10 am to 6 pm
Curvy Girl pop-up Shop
Venue: Twin Walls,
San Fernando
Time: 10 am
„ SUNDAY, JANUARY 28
National Pan Semis (Medium &
Large)
Venue: Carnival City, QPS
Time: 1 pm
Carnival Brunch
Hosted by Mothers’
Union Children’s Home
Venue: Naparima Bowl
Time: 11 am
The Ultimate Carnival
Pop-up
Venue: Galleria, Wrightson Rd
Time: 11 am to 3 pm
„ MONDAY, JANUARY 29
TUCO National Extempo
& Freestyle Competition
Venue: To be confirmed
„ WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31
National Stickfighting Semis
Venue: Diego Martin Sporting Complex
Time: 7 pm
„ THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1
Senior Kings & Queens Prelims
Venue: Carnival City, QPS
Time: 7 pm
„ SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 3
Red Cross Junior Carnival
Venue: Carnival City, QPS
Time: 11 am
Calypso Fiesta
Venue: Skinner Park,
San Fernando
Time: noon
Mask Making, A Sip and Paint Event
Venue: Twin Walls, San Fernando
Time: 4 to 6pm
„ SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 4
Junior Kings, Queens
& Individual Prelims
Venue: Carnival City, QPS
Time: 9 am
National Pan Medium
Conventional Bands Finals
Venue: Dwight Yorke Stadium, Tobago
Time: 7 pm
Sunday with The Warlord,
Lord Blakie in Brooklyn
Venue: Naparima Bowl
Time: 3 pm & 7 pm
The Old Yard
Venue: Gordon Street, St Augustine
Time: noon
Sunday, January 21, 2024
guardian.co.tt kids 33

The University School's Pan Army

MARY CUFFY Music competitions play a While the accolades and playing the national instru-
pivotal role in the artistic de- recognition are gratifying, the ment.

H undreds of students par-

ticipated in the National
Junior Panorama competi-
velopment of budding musi-
cians.
They provide a structured
tion—in the primary, second- platform for young talents to
ary and Under-21 categories. showcase their skills, and re-
The passion and enthu- ceive constructive feedback.
siasm of the students was Music competitions such
indeed commendable. The as Panorama instil discipline,
sound of steel filled the at- perseverance, and resilience,
mosphere at the Queen’s Park as participants prepare rigor-
Savannah in Port-of-Spain, ously and navigate the pres-
last Sunday. sures of performance.
ZANE ALS HUNT: Playing pan helped me focus
more, and improve my memory and timing. It helped
me to express myself and also brought me closer to
my 'pan-mates'. Now the melody of Long Live Soca
stuck in my head for the rest of my life.
BLAKE
NOEL:
Playing
pan helped
me with
discipline
and, I learned
how to hold
the pan sticks
properly and
dance.
true value lies in the personal
growth, experience, and con-
nections made, underscoring
the profound importance of
music competitions in a musi-
cian’s journey.
Boys and girls, we continue
our Pan-Que-Raders series.
This week Guardian Kids is
featuring the children at The
University School's Pan Army
and discussing the benefits of
The school had its maiden
appearance at the National
Junior Panorama Finals.
Comprising 34 members
aged six to 11, the band gave
an outstanding performance,
placing seventh overall.
As a first-time finalist, the
Pan Army brought great pride
to the school which is cele-
brating its 70th anniversary
this year.
ISABELLA RAMPERSAD: It helped me balance out
my school work and regular life, and it solidified my
knowledge of music and I want to play in a band.
TEIGEN GABRIEL: Playing
steelpan has improved my focus
and has taught me the importance
of teamwork. I have learned to
listen to others and work together
towards a beautiful melody. I also
learnt how to dance to the melody.
ANDRE JOHNSON: Playing pan
helps me to interact with other
people properly. I learn how to
manage my time better. It also
makes me happy and excited
because I love playing pan. Now I
wish I could play nine base pan!

KIRA RAMSARAN: It taught me to be

ZACCKARIE RAMPERSAD: I learnt that to succeed
in anything, you have to work hard, try your best, and
persevere. You also need to have discipline along with
respect. This experience was super fun and I will never
forget it. I have learnt so much and met so many people.
DIMITRI PHILLIP: It increased my confidence in
singing and dancing in front of a variety of people. It
makes me enjoy music more. Also, everything that you
do involves discipline so that you can do your best.
patient when I have to push to play the
song. When you work hard, all the work will
pay off. Playing the whole song felt exciting,
and I was grateful that we were in the finals.
It made me feel like I could do anything.

ADELISE
ÉJA PINHEIRO: MATHURA: It
It has built my makes me a better
confidence. I have student because I
stage fright and am learning how
this experience to play pan which
has helped me is my favourite and
I love the music, I AMY PHILLIP: Playing pan helped me to be
to overcome my less shy when dancing for the competition.
fear of performing hear it in my head
and think about I was able to still learn all my notes and still
in front of large be prepared for school. It made sure we
crowds. playing it all the
time. It helped were disciplined but still had fun.
me by being
brave when I am
nervous.
ZEPH RICHARDS: it helped me focus on my pan
and music and made me very happy to play pan.

ETHAN SOOKRAM: Pan showed me

JAYDEN BAPTISTE: Playing pan has taught me that I am capable of doing hard things,
Mary Cuffy is an educator discipline and teamwork. It also taught me true and it also helped me use time better
and local children’s author. sportsmanship because I had to be happy for those especially with the other things I love,
Ms Cuffy is the author of who won. I have found a new love. The big stage better like football.
the Ladybug book series. be ready for us next year because we are taking that
She pays meticulous trophy. I am committed!
attention to detail and the
incorporation of cultural

kids
artefacts in her work. Ms
Cuffy believes the best
investment we can make NATHAN SOOKRAM: Playing pan
in children is in the early taught me about discipline as it
years. Email: mary.cuffy@ helped me to manage time better,
yahoo.com • IG: marycuffy • and it also showed me that I like
FB: mary cuffy/Lola and the being a part of a team and how I felt
Dancing Ladybug when the team did well.
34 kids Sunday, January 21, 2024
guardian.co.tt
Sunday, January 21, 2024
guardian.co.tt
CROSSWORD 980
ACROSS Eugenia
1. Donate
5. End of story?
Last
10. Talk about it
11. ___ Triomphe de l’Étoile: Paris
monument
12. Social insect that may be in
Horoscope
human-occupied areas HAPPY BIRTHDAY Look
13. Intoxicating for the positive in every
14. Insertion situation, but don’t let
16. Goat’s bleat anyone take advantage
of you. Oversee financial,
17. Spontaneous and playful
contractual and medical
20. Blink matters yourself. You can ask
23. Harry’s foil at Hogwarts for insight, but maintaining
24. Sophs., in two years control is the most effective
26. Largest vein way to get what you want.
29. Kick out of school Minor adjustments will help
32. Polite turndown you stay on track and reach
33. U.S. feminist Eleanor your goal.
34. Dilutes
35. Real estate maps BIRTHDAY BABY You are
proactive, committed and
36. Skye of film
original. You are talkative
and prolific.
DOWN
1. ___ Plenty: Licorice sweets YOUR NUMBERS
2. Apple product 8, 12, 21, 27, 33, 38, 42.
3. End of a boast
4. Genuine, in German Aries
5. Elephant keeper March 21-April 19
6. Iroquois spiritual energy 4 STARS Assess your situation
7. Big TV brand and consider what sector
8. Stir in needs an overhaul. Tally your
expenses, think about how to
9. Willy who wrote “The Conquest
cut back and make monetary
of Space”
room for what you want to
10. Theme park transport
explore. Stop repeating; start
15. Classical name of Troy
18. 2021 TV series ... or a 22. Immune system units 29. Mind reading, for short
implementing changes that
will get you where you want
judgmental statement 25. Illness caused by a coronavirus 30. Format for encoding computer
to go.
19. Deerlike
21. Proviso
27. Opposed to
28. Pacific salmon
documents: Abbr.
31. Vegetable that rolls Taurus
April 20-May 20
3 STARS Explore and expand
CROSSWORD SOLUTION 979 your mind. Learning or
trying something new
will prove what’s possible.
Travel, educational pursuits
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION and research will help you
discover what’s doable
physically and financially. It’s
better to be safe than sorry.
Gemini
May 21-June 20
3 STARS Be open to
suggestions, but make
decisions that suit your
needs. An emotional
incident will raise questions
regarding a connection you
have with someone. When
in doubt, be observant; only
time and actions will reveal
what underlying causes are
brewing. Patience is key.
Cancer
June 21-July 22
3 STARS Pay attention
to how others react.
Knowledge is the key to
making the right decision
and avoiding compromising
situations. Don’t feel you
must go above and beyond
to impress someone. Be
yourself, follow your heart
and take responsibility for
your happiness.
Leo
July 23-August 22
4 STARS Learn from your
mistakes, share thoughts
and listen to others’
concerns. Don’t feel the
need to enforce a change
because someone else does.
It’s OK to head in a different
direction. Do what makes
St Margaret’s Boys’ Anglican School Steel Orchestra members celebrate their victory in the Primary Schools category at the National you happy, and allow loved
Schools/Junior Panorama Final, Queen’s Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain, last Sunday. PICTURE ABRAHAM DIAZ ones the same privilege.
kids 35
Virgo
August 23-Sept 22
2 STARS Take care of yourself
and the ones you love.
Domestic problems will
surface if you don’t address
emotional issues. Share your
feelings and compromise. A
change will encourage better
communication and a happy
outcome. Ask challenging
questions, stick to the truth.
Libra
Sept 23-Oct 22
5 STARS Frustration and
tension will mount if
you spend time arguing
instead of taking care of
responsibilities. Concentrate
on finishing what you
start and take care of your
emotional well-being.
Feeling good about yourself
will wipe out negativity.
Scorpio
Oct 23-Nov 21
3 STARS Don’t apply pressure
where it isn’t necessary. Be
innovative, and use your
insight and experience
to flush out what you
want to achieve. An open
dialogue will help ward
off interference, allowing
you the time to take care
of what’s important to you.
Recognise manipulative
situations.
Sagittarius
Nov 23-Dec 21
3 STARS Handle financial
affairs and shared expenses
carefully. Giving someone
access to personal
information will end up
costing you. Set boundaries
before you enter an
agreement. Be aware of
other people’s shortcomings,
and learn to say no.
Capricorn
Dec 22-Jan 19
3 STARS Be open to
suggestions, but do what’s
best for you. A change
at home will give you
breathing room to explore
possibilities. Don’t give up
on your dreams when you
should be initiating a plan
that helps you implement
what makes you happy.
Aquarius
Jan 20-Feb 18
3 STARS Network, reach
out to experts and connect
with people who can further
your interests. A change
of scenery will spark your
imagination and encourage
you to consider options. An
adjustment at home will play
in your favour.
Pisces
Feb 19-Mar 20
2 STARS Take time to give
yourself a chance to rethink
your next move. Don’t let
anyone pressure you into
something you aren’t ready
to pursue. Consider what
makes you happy and brings
you peace of mind. Invest in
furthering your dream, not
someone else’s.
CELEBRITIES BORN
ON THIS DAY Booboo
Stewart, 30; Ashton Eaton,
36; Emma Bunton, 48; Geena
Davis, 68.
 36 Sunday, January 21, 2024
guardian.co.tt

NATIONAL
PANORAMA
Pan Trinbago presents a spectacular line-up of events that promise to captivate your senses and ignite
2024
your passion for the vibrant culture of the islands. Embrace the rhythmic heartbeat of Trinidad and Tobago
at Panorama 2024 Come Home to the Rhythms of Steel Feel It! Love It! Share It!

Join our musical journey and experience the heartbeat of our cultural celebration! It’s a celebration of Steelpan
mastery, from thrilling Steelpan competitions to lively performances, immerse yourself in the enchanting melodies
that define our rich musical heritage. Come Home to the Rhythms of Steel where every beat tells a story. Don’t miss
out on the excitement – mark your calendars and be part of the unforgettable Panorama experience!

(QVXUH\RXUVSRWDWDOO3DQRUDPDHYHQWVE\
VHFXULQJ\RXUWLFNHWVQRZ'RQ¶WPLVVRXWRQWKH
H[FLWHPHQW
7RDFTXLUH&RUSRUDWH3DQRUDPD7LFNHWV
SOHDVHFDOORUHPDLOXVDW
UHFHLYDEOHV#SDQWULQEDJRFRWW
3XUFKDVH\RXU3DQRUDPD7LFNHWV
FRQYHQLHQWO\RQOLQHDWKWWSVLVODQGHWLFNHWVFRP
RUYLVLW3DQ7ULQEDJR¶V+HDG2௻FHDW
'XQGRQDOG6WUHHW3RUWRI6SDLQ
)RULQIRUPDWLRQRQ3DQRUDPD
YLVLWRXUZHEVLWHDW
ZZZSDQWULQEDJRFRWWRUFDOO

SAT. 6TH JAN MON. 15TH JAN MON. 22ND JAN TUES. 6TH FEB
SMALL CONVENTIONAL MEDIUM CONVENTIONAL LARGE CONVENTIONAL THA TOBAGO CHAMPS
BAND SEMI-FINALS BAND PRELIMINARIES – BAND PRELIMINARIES - Showtime: 7PM
Showtime: 4PM Tobago Region Eastern Region Parade Park, Dwight Yorke
Victoria Square, Port of Spain Showtime: 7pm Showtime: 8PM Stadium, Tobago
$100.00 FREE FREE $100.00

MON. 8TH THUR - 13TH JAN TUES. 16TH JAN MON. 22ND JAN THUR. 8TH FEB
SMALL CONVENTIONAL MEDIUM CONVENTIONAL OPENING OF SCORE SHEETS KEN “PROFESSOR” PHILMORE
BAND SEMI-FINALS BAND PRELIMINARIES – - MEDIUM CONVENTIONAL SOUTH CENTRAL PAN
Judging in Schools/ Northern Region BAND PRELIMINARIES CHAMPS
Panyards/Communities Showtime: 7PM Showtime: 10AM Showtime: 7PM
FREE FREE Skinner’s Park,
FRI. 12TH JAN Todd Street,
U-21JUNIOR WED. 17TH JAN TUE. 23RD JAN San Fernando
PANORAMA FINALS: MEDIUM CONVENTIONAL LARGE CONVENTIONAL $200.00
Draw for Playing Positions BAND PRELIMINARIES – BAND PRELIMINARIES-
Showtime: 1PM Eastern Region South/Central Region SAT. 10TH FEB
Showtime: 7PM Showtime: 7PM PANORAMA 2024:
FRI. 12TH JAN FREE FREE bpTT NATIONAL
SMALL CONVENTIONAL LARGE BAND FINALS
BAND FINALS THUR. 18TH JAN SUN. 28TH JAN Showtime:7PM
Skinner Park, San Fernando MEDIUM CONVENTIONAL NATIONAL MEDIUM & Queen’s Park, Savannah,
Showtime: 7PM BAND PRELIMINARIES – LARGE CONVENTIONAL Port of Spain
$200.00 South/Central Region BAND SEMI-FINALS: Special Reserved: $850.00
Pay-Per-View: $15 USD Showtime: 7PM bpTT SAVANNAH PARTY Reserved: $700.00
FREE Showtime:1PM Grand Stand: $400.00
SUN. 14TH JAN SAT. 20TH JAN Queen’s Park Savannah, North Stand: $300.00
JUNIOR PANORAMA LARGE CONVENTIONAL Port of Spain Pay-Per-View: $30 USD
Queen’s Park Savannah, BAND PRELIMINARIES – Grand Stand: $300.00
Port of Spain Tobago Region North Stand: $400.00 MON. 12TH FEB
Showtime: 9AM Showtime: 8PM Pay-Per-View: $30 USD NEVILLE JULES BOMB
Adults: $50.00 FREE COMPETITION
Children: $20.00 SUN. 4TH FEB Showtime:4AM
SUN. 21ST JAN PANORAMA 2024: Victoria Square,
LARGE CONVENTIONAL bpTT NATIONAL Port of Spain
BAND PRELIMINARIES - MEDIUM BAND FINALS FREE
Northern Region Showtime:7PM
Showtime: 7PM Dwight Yorke Stadium, Tobago SAT. 17TH FEB
FREE Grounds: $400.00 CARNIVAL LAGNIAPPE
D’ Bank: $100.00 Showtime:7PM
Pay-Per-View: $25 USD Queen’s Park Savannah,
Port of Spain
$300.00
Sunday, January 21, 2024
guardian.co.tt 37
Trinidad & Tobago Guardian

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MILK
665-7510
7+(026775867('1$0(,17+(:+2/(6$/(75$'(
/RW'8QLW&KRRWRR5RDG(O6RFRUUR6RXWK6DQ-XDQ HOUSEKEEPER LIVEIN or


Part-time.
HANDYMAN LIVE-IN/
VEGETARIAN
$/:$<67+(/2:(6735,&(6 (Temple) 366-0276

67$<)5((3$'6+$,51(76$675$5$=25%/$'(6 EXPERIENCED STRAIGHT

ENER, experienced painter.
35272;02648,72&2,/658%%(56/,33(56 360-6328
$92152//21'$<11,7(52//21(1(5(;,102*8/ Accounts Clerk Needed
3/$<,1*&$5'60236.5$=<*/8( t.JO

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2)),&(6&+22/6833/,(6:$&.(52,/675,1* for Port-of-Spain Gas Station
625-0779
(7&(7&(7&
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745-1835/ 742-8277
H.R./ SEPTIC CESPIT/ H.R. PLUMBING SERVICE
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new counter’s world AU Login; Exams.
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months.
HTTPS://AUGUSTINECHIN78. One-on-one Standard 5
WIXSITE.COM/NUTRITIOUS Teacher 23years experience.
LIFESTYL 498-9627
 38 classifieds Sunday, January 21, 2024
guardian.co.tt

WANTED
Ali’s Real Estate RESIDENTIAL LAND for sale
in Block 5 Palmiste Corner Lot TUNAPUNA TUNAPUNA
Buying & Selling 778-8862 ROAD large two bedroom,
PBW CAMRY $55,000 excellent 295-6964 self contained, gated, parking
condition 744-9569. for 2 cars, utilities included
$3200.00–. 687–6608
Warehouse for Rent:
CHINESE Aranguez 10,000sq
Aranguez 60,000sq 9M
BUSINESS FOR SALE

CULINARY CHEF
Including land in Arima
AM MARKETING El Socorro 6000sq 681-6137
paula@declerealty.com
with office, trucks, loader
and more.
COMPANY LTD Freeport 10,000sq
Best Fortune House Chinese Munroe Road PETIT VALLEY - “MONTE VERDE” - Exquisitely
FB: Wrightson
Investments Ltd
MAYARO LARGE Office Com-
Reg, Dealer #10 remodelled tri-level 4 bedroom, 3 ½ bathroom pound. 680-2978
Restaurant #392-394 Cedar Hill townhouse. Gated. Pool. Parking for 2. or call Adam 624-5905
Warehouse for Sale: Maintenance fee $400. 2,300 s.f. Priced at recent
Please send Resume to: Road, ClaxtonBay Boundary Road valuation. $2.45M
768-9800/373-2558
#47 Mission Road, Munroe Road 10M WOODBROOK - “ONE WOODBROOK PLACE”
ARE YOU looking for a “Busi-
BRAND NEW - Uniquely designed 3 bedroom, 2 1/2 bathroom ness Opportunity?” Hampton
Freeport 3 Ton LPG FORKLIFT Land For Sale: with two patios and an extra space for office/ Place, a Senior Citizens Nursing
storage. Pool, gated, security and parking for 3 GLENCOE 1 Bedroom Apt all Home is for rent. Situated in
5 Lots Land Aranguez cars. $4.2M.
amenities $50US per person Couva, this facility provides 24
FOR MORE INFORMATION 3.5 Ton Diesel FORKLIFT Main Road $1M EL DORADO - “RAMLOGAN TRACE” - Two storey 747-1244/633-1846 hour care services for up to 22
2 Lots Land Aranguez, home consisting of; two 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom residents and has the potential to
PLEASE CONTACT 1.6M
apartments on each floor along with a 1 bedroom
self-contained annex. Great potential; either
offer a wide range of supportive
services for many physical and
60,000sq Land Aranguez rental income or multi family dwelling. Priced at
clinical issues. For further infor-
PALMISTE 3 bedroom $7500
673-7235
recent valuation. $2.250M.
1 ACRE Land Mt Lambert 681-5653. mation please contact Marva
ARIMA - “BUENA VISTA GARDENS. - Move in Seon-Clarke on 290-3221
$4.5M ready 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom home in a gated
1 ACRE Land Aranguez compound with security 6-6. Town and Country 1 ROOM semi furnish 470-
Interest applicants are also asked USED VEHICLES $8M plans available to include an upstairs spacious en-
suite bedroom suite. Priced at recent valuation.
7906/712-3904
to send resumes to: 1 1/2 ACRES Land Mt $1.850M.
AFFORDABLE GARAGE space
Lambert $8M PAULA 681-6137 ARIMA THE Crossings for rent POS. 783-8761.
PDT TOYOTA FIELDER 1 ACRE Land, Mt Lam- 3 bedroom House $6500m
Facebook: Decle Realty
The Chief Manpower Officer, HYBRID (70K) bert, $6M Instagram: pauladeclerealty 678-3460/ 715-0056
4 ACRES Land Don COUVA 3 bedroom, 2 bath,
Ministry of Labour and TDW (5E) WINGLE P/UP Miguel Road, $22M $4,500.00. 384-8292
Small Enterprise Development, (80K) 36 ACRES Land highway 747-3400 Sales Office: Phone: 622-3831 / 228-9927 /
San-Juan, $80M SAN RAPHAEL Brandon Court 685-5596 / 296-7307.
50-54 Duke Place E25 LOW TOP GLASS 7 ACRES Land Freeport 10274sqft land. Flat .Completed Email: laurahomestt@gmail.com.
Facebook: Laura Homes TT
highway, $15M development $785,000 neg.
Port of Spain SIDE ($65k) CASCADE Chelsea 11029sqft
CASCADE – Coblentz Avenue – 2 bedrooms, 2
baths, UF – TT$7,600.00
40 ACRES Land Freeport, residential land + T&C PALMISTE 1 bedroom $4000 CLAXTON BAY – Cara Court – 2- & 3-bedrooms,
3 ACRES Land Preysal Townhouse Approvals $1.8M 681-5653. FF, Starting at TT$8,500.00
PDW RANGE Rover Velar. Gas, DIEGO MARTIN – Diamond Vale – 3 bedrooms, 2
675K. 735-0481. ,$4.5M WOODBROOK Modern 2 LA ROMAINE: Bamboo Junc- baths – UF – TT$9,000.00 / SF TT$10,000.00
2 ACRES Land Endeavour storey residence 6 bedrooms on tion, 4 bedroom, 3½ bath, Great NEWTOWN – Maraval Road – Commercial
PCP- MINI PX120Y EGGSHAPE 268- 5040sqft View, A/C, 4 car parking, Camera,
Building & Annex – TT$15,000.00
COOPER S lease own DIEGO MARTIN 4 bedroom PETIT VALLEY – Upstairs Commercial Space – 4
6197/628-1743 Balcony, Spacious Yard with Fruit
FASHION JEWELRY/ 8000sq Land with build- residence with covered space for
rooms, kitchenette, 1 bath, UF – TT$8,500.00.
CROCHET COURSES Performance trees. 743-4935/ 685-7139 PORT OF SPAIN – Pembroke St. – 3 bedrooms,
BUYING ing Saddle Road Maraval, expansion on 7154sqft 2 baths – FF TT$10,500.00 / SF (Appliances only)
7820851 Upgrade, VGC, $2M BLANCHICHEUSSE 2.4 acres, ST. JAMES 2 bedroom, A/c. No TT$9,500.00
$75,000.00. USED VEHICLES ocean views $1.2M SAN FERNANDO – Bryansgate –studio
12 ACRES Land Freeport, agents. 752-1428 apartment, shared laundry area, FF – TT$3,000.00
620-8680 275-6252 SANGRE GRANDE – Katwaroo Trace – 1- &
$13M 1 BEDROOM Apartment, Champ 2-bedrooms plus commercial space – TT$3,500
5 ACRES Land Quarry fleurs. Close to P.B.R 663-3825 -TT$8,000
ST. AUGUSTINE – Santa Margarita – 2 bedrooms
Mathura, 3M CANOEBAY 5 acres. 680-2978 1 BEDROOM at Santa Margarita 1.5 baths TT$5,500.00
ST. CLAIR – (few homes) 4 bedrooms, 4 baths,
PCF SPORTAGE, selling as is. 2 FAW 10-WHEELER 9 ACRES Land Mathura, Circular, St. Augustine. Utilities plus self-contained Annex – from US$4,500.00 up
No AC system, minor electricals. TRUCKS 6M MAYARO BEACHFRONT. 680- included, $5,500. 708-9607 ST. CLAIR – Commercial Spaces – Call or email
FOR SALE. 381-7427 2978 for details
Serious enquiries only. $30,000. 1 ACRE Land Charlieville TRINCITY – Savannah Drive – 2x2 bedrooms –
740-3486. Highway, 10M TT$6,000.00/TT$6,500.00
CARENAGE GATED, ocean TOBAGO – Residential and Commercial Spaces –
3 ACRES Land St Helena, views. 680-2978 Call or email for details
VALSAYN – North & South - Studio, 1-,
2.5M 2- & 3-bedrooms – Starting at TT$4,000.00 –
BARGIN; ICACOS 2 Storey 10 ACRES Land St He- MAYARO 30 acres for 17 SUNSET Cove, La Romaine. 1 TT$13,000.00
PDJ MERCEDES Benz for sale, Freehold beach house with WESTMOORINGS – Regents Towers, Marine
development. 680-2978 bedroom: $2,500.00. 2 bedrooms:
One owner. 778-8862 3 bedroom apartment on each lena, 10M $3,000.00. 1 Bachelor: $1,800.00. Villas, La Fontaine, La Riviera, The Towers, Western
ART COLLECTION 4 ACRES Land Biche Main Circle, Falcon Heights – USD$2,500.00 up
PDH ML250 Diesel 240K. 735- floor $1.2M o.n.o 344-3535 Hot/ cold, air-condition. 795- WOODBROOK – Residential & Commercial
MAKE AND OFFER 0481. Road, $600,000 ROUSILLAC 7101, 681-9594 Spaces – Call or email for details
CAZABON Watercolour,
CAZABON 1857
BLANCHISSEUSE 7 Lots Land Aranguez 6,450SQ.FT. UNION HALL 304-6814
L’Anse Martin Beach. (D2)
Lithographs (18), Fully AC, Furnished, South, $5M $425,000.00
Karen Sylvester, 4 Bedroom (en suite) on 3 ACRES Land Waterloo, NEGOTIABLE. 1 BEDROOM Maraval 629-2751
Leroy Clarke, PDR NISSAN Juke, Excellent $2200.00.
332-0990/ 782-8655
the beach. Pool & Large $400,000 734-4856 MAYARO,
Old Maps, Prints, decks. $5,788,000.00
over 50 pieces Building 5360 sq.ft. 1 1/2 Land Chancellor, 2 BEDROOM Munroe Road. FRONTIN ROAD,
$8M 5 ACRE Plot, Freehold, Located 682-8492
FB: Wrightson Land 14,000 sq.ft.
in Cumuto, $450,000. Neg. Call Beachfront, 5-Bedroom,
Investments Ltd. In a Company Name. 6 ACRES St- Anns, $3M CENTRAL 2 bedroom, utilities
Call Ormarys or Shalice See FB: Wrightson 779-6152 A/C, Wifi, Security
Investments or 1 ACRE Beach House Sea included, automatic gate Cameras.
624-5905 LAND FOR sale 1 acre in residen- 298-1580
Call Adam 624-5905 Front Toco Main, $5.5M 678-4210
tial area in Gran Couva.
BAKERY EQUIPMENT All approval. Call 688-4684. MAIN ROAD, Cocoyea Village,
BEL AIR Extension 3 bedroom, Homes For Sale: San Fernando, 2 Bedrooms,
Commercial Pizza Oven
3 t/b, Townhouse $2.6M, $2.5M Ryan Street San-Juan 6 LOTS Cumana, Toco. $450,000. Kitchen, wash area, toilet, Hot
$45,000
and $2M 681-5653. Close to beach. Access to lights & water plug. exclusive of utility.
708-2858 $1M
water. 744-9569 $2200.00 Ph. 344-1329/ 665-
LUXURY WATERFRONT 4 Chaguanas 3 Bedroom
KID STORE CLOSING DOWN bedroom, Renaissance $13M.
4466
ALL FIXTURES, SHOWCASES. T/House $1.7M 9,11 ACRES Agriculture freehold
680-2978 MC GILLIVARY Street, San
WHOLESALE PRICES ON Valsayn North 4 Lots 719-0733/740-9399.
Fernando 2 bedroom, a/c, h/c,
CLOTHING AVAILABLE. WESTMOORINGS 5 bedroom $8M secured parking, $3200.00 652-
767-4987 villa, $13M. 680-2978 Petit Valley with swim- CLIFTON HILL 3064/ 482-9554
PCS NISSAN WINGROAD ming pool, $5.5M Point Fortin
FOR SALE MAYARO 2 bedroom Valuation CUMUTO JUNCTION
Seaview, Near Beach
$55,000.00 $700,000. 680-2978 Don Miguel Road with 25,600 sq.ft. 2 bedroom, 13 mins to Arima/
Excellent Condition— LANGE PARK 3 bedroom, swimming pool, $3.5M $1.5M. 788-6128 Sangre Grande, $2,000.
One Owner; Locally Freeport 4 1/2 Lots, 302-9972/ 675-6083
2 bathroom, fully a/c $1.8M
Bought; $900.000
Timely Maintenance.
negotiable. WhatsApp +1437-
LAND FOR SALE: 2 BEDROOM apartment, La Re-
929-6750 source south, Contract, Deposit,
Contact: 738-124 9 Acres of Free Hold Land.
Commercial Building No pets. Working couple. $3500.
FELICITY 2 storey main road
property, 3 bedroom, 1 bath, For Sale: APPROVED 620-3114/ 339-7020.
2 attached apartments $1.9M El Socorro $3.5M for MARABELLA, UPSTAIRS, 2
PCZ BMW X3. Very Good Condi- PCM GRAND Vitara, sunroof, 4
negotiable. WhatsApp +1437- Residential Development bedrooms- $2500, 3 bedrooms-
929-6750 located on Penal Rock $4500. 492-2506
tion, 81,000KM, Well Maintained. wheel drive, 76150KM. 653-2011/ Building for Rent
$145,000. O.N.O. 683-0766 749-6054 El Socorro Road Road opposite Scott’s STUDIO APARTMENT for rent
COCOYEA- Road Entrance. Barataria $2000 single or couple
3 BEDROOMS, 2 Storey $35,000 per
SERIOUS ENQUIRES 495-4877.
month
3 BATH, 6,300S.F. ONLY
$2.6M. Apt Building for Sale: Contact:
734-4856 Barataria $4.5M 491-9425 or 784-1783 SAN JUAN Rooms. 687-9448.
Sunday, January 21, 2024
guardian.co.tt classifieds 39
40 classifieds Sunday, January 21, 2024
guardian.co.tt
Sunday, January 21, 2024
guardian.co.tt classifieds 41

E
PL
M
SA
AN
DI
AR
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 42 classifieds Sunday, January 21, 2024
guardian.co.tt

Guardian lives remembered

agED iNDiaN Gentleman,
Chaguanas area, seeks to employ
housekeeper/ companion age 35
to 50, in good health. Must have IN LOVING MEMORY OF A CHERISHED SON
drivers permit. 344-1329

Andy Krishna Tikah March 08, 1961 – January 26, 2018

HaRDER- DOuBlE Stimulation

Explosive & Orgasmic! Get a Total
Body Sensual Massage. 373-5821
HiNDu MalE mid-thirties
Professional job seeks Hindu
female for marriage 343-7425

We hold you close in memory Our hearts still ache with sadness
Even though we are apart. And secret tears still flow.
Your spirit will live forever For what it meant to lose you
Within our broken hearts No one will ever know.
In heaven we shall meet again
Where farewell is never spoken.
We shall clasp each other hand in hand
And that clasp shall never be broken.
SUMMERLAND SUITES From your loving Mum, Tara and Other Loved Ones
294-3330
All rooms self-contained
summerlandsuitestobago@
gmail.com
FB: Summerland Suites

SANDY POINT
VILLAGE
389-2378, 357-3337
sandypointvillagehotel@
gmail.com
www.sandypointhotel.se
NEw spaciOus 1 Bedroom
apartment. Sandy River, Mason
Hall. Contract, Deposit, No pets.
$2500. 620-3114/ 339-7020.
DOREENDA CELESTINE
Sunrise 28th January, 1944
Sunset: 16th January, 2024
A Beloved child, wife, mother,
aunt, sister and friend. A link
is missing from the chain
now. You fought a good
fight. NOW REST IN ETERNAL
PEACE. Funeral at 2.00 p.m. on
Monday 22nd January, 2024 at
San Juan Wesleyann Holiness
Church, 160-162 Eastern Main
Road, San Juan (next to Scotia
Bank). Interment follows at
the San Juan Public Cemetery.
For enquiries; call C&B: (868)
625-1170. To send condo-
lences please visit our website
www.clarkandbattoo.com

SANDY POINT TOBAGO.

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632-4127/ 754-9705
ONE BEDROOM CROWN
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Kitchen/ living-room/ porch
ocean view, spacious compound
adjacent to Storebay 685-9052,
395-8755
Sunday, January 21, 2024
guardian.co.tt
MELBOURNE—Already down a set
and facing a break point against
Iga Swiatek, No 50-ranked Linda
Noskova decided she had nothing
to lose.
She won 11 of the next 12 points
to take the second set and swing
momentum in their third-round
match yesterday, ultimately be-
coming the first teenager to beat a
No 1-ranked woman at the Austral-
ian Open since 1999.
With a big serve and equally big
groundstrokes, she unsettled Swi-
atek and held her cool, even under
pressure in the last game to serve it
out, for a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory that
means there’s no top 10 players in
the top half of the draw.
“I’m just really kind of exhausted
mentally and physically,” Noskova
said in her post-match news con-
ference following the upset. “I just
believed my game tonight. I just
really wanted this.”
Swiatek is a four-time major
winner but has never been past
the semifinals at Melbourne Park.
Even so, she was on an 18-match
winning streak and expected to
account for the 19-year-old Nosk-
ova, who is making her main draw
debut at the tournament.
Swiatek beat 2020 Australian
Open champion Sofia Kenin in the
first round and had to rally from
4-1 down in the third to overcome
2022 finalist Danielle Collins in the
second.
But after taking the first set
against her Czech opponent, she
struggled for rhythm. The decisive
break was in the seventh game of
the third set, with two forehand
errors costing Swiatek the game.
Two games later, she held at
love and forced her rival serve it
out, then jumped to 0-30 lead in
the 10th game. But Noskova won
the next four points to finish it off
Toney makes scoring return from betting ban to help Brentford win
LONDON—Ivan Toney spent the
last eight months envisioning a
moment like this. He needed just
19 minutes to make that vision a
reality. In his first game back from
an eight-month ban, Toney scored
from a free kick to help Brentford
beat Nottingham Forest 3-2 yester-
day and end a skid of five straight
Premier League losses.
“It means a lot. A long time
coming,” Toney said of his goal. “I
manifested this (during) the time
I was out, and I’m here now. I’m
just buzzing to be back and scor-
ing goals and playing for the team.
... I manifest things like this. And
before I left my house I thought,
‘Yeah, we’re winning today and
I’m scoring.’ And I made it hap-
pen, so it’s good.”
Toney ran straight to manager
Thomas Frank to give him a hug
after the Dane repeatedly spoke
out in support of the England
striker after he was handed his
lengthy ban for breaching betting
rules. Frank even gave Toney the
captain’s armband for this game,
indicating how important his re-
turn is for the west London club.
Toney led his team with 20 goals in
33 league games last season before
sport
AUSTRALIAN OPEN
No 1 Swiatek exits in a
3rd-round loss to Czech
teenager Noskova
quickly, including an ace to set up
match point. She’ll next play Wim-
bledon semifinalist Elina Svitolina.
Swiatek said the tough opening
matches didn’t hurt her.
“Physically I felt—honestly, I
didn’t feel anything. So pretty
good,” she said. “Mentally, as well,
I felt like actually I came back in
my match against Danielle, and I
could kind of start over and not ex-
pect a lot, just try to play my game.
“I felt like I had everything
under control until she broke me
in the second set,” the 22-year-old
Pole added. “Sometimes, yeah, I
was rushing it. I just wasn’t play-
ing kind of with my intuition and
being handed the ban in May.
“He’s a man for the big occa-
sions,” Frank said about Toney’s
performance. “He is. He doesn’t
feel the pressure.”
There was an element of contro-
versy around his goal, though, as
Toney moved the ball half a yard
to the left of the spot the referee
had indicated, to create the gap to
bend his free kick around the wall
and inside the near post.
“It is ball displacement so VAR
should intervene,” Forest manager
Nuno Espirito Santo said.
But there were plenty of other
big moments in an eventful game
at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Forest midfielder Danilo put the
visitors ahead in just the third min-
ute with a spectacular long-range
volley, and the teams then com-
bined for three goals in a 10-min-
ute span in the second half.
Ben Mee made it 2-1 with a
header from a corner in the 58th,
before Chris Wood leveled for
Forest with another header from
a cross by Callum Hudson-Odoi
in the 65th. Forest’s Orel Mangala
then missed a chance to put his
team ahead when he shot wide
just two minutes later, before
naturally.” Swiatek’s loss leaves
No 12 Zheng Qinwen as the high-
est-ranked player and two-time
Australian Open winner Victoria
Azarenka as the only past major
winner in the top half of the draw.
Defending champion Aryna Sa-
balenka, seeded second, US Open
champion Coco Gauff, seeded
fourth, and No 9 Barbora Krejcik-
ova are all on the opposite half.
The men’s draw remains
stacked, with No 2 Carlos Alcaraz,
No 3 Daniil Medvedev and No 6
Alexander Zverev having straight-
set wins Saturday to reach the
fourth round. Top-ranked Novak
Djokovic, No 4 Jannik Sinner
Brentford went down and scored
the winner at the other end. Toney
sent the ball out wide to Mads Ro-
erslev who picked out Neal Mau-
pay in the area, and the forward
swiveled before volleying a left-
footed strike inside the far post.
That secured a much-needed
win for Thomas Frank’s team,
which had been drawn into
the relegation scrap after a
run of five straight league
losses but climbed above
Forest and Crystal Palace
into 14th place.
ARSENAL
SCORES FIVE
A week-
long break in
Dubai seems
to have solved
Arsenal’s scor-
ing problems.
After missing a
slew of
Iga Swiatek
of Poland
gestures during
her third round
match against
Linda Noskova
of the Czech
Republic at the
Australian
Open tennis
championships
at Melbourne
Park, Australia,
yesterday.
PICTURES AP
and No 5 Andrey Rublev already
reached the last 16 on the top half
of the draw. Medvedev beat Felix
Auger-Aliassime 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 and
finished 2 1/2 hours before mid-
night local time. His second-round
match finished close to 4 a.m. Fri-
day.
He will next play Nuno Borges,
who upset No 13 Grigor Dimitrov
6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (6). Wimbledon
champion Alcaraz was leading 6-1,
6-1, 1-0 when the 18-year-old Shang
Juncheng retired in the third set.
“It’s not the way you want to
move on,” said the 20-year-old
Alcaraz, who missed the 2023
Australian Open because of in-
chances in recent league losses
to West Ham and Fulham—and to
Liverpool in the FA Cup—Arsenal
was a lot more clinical in a 5-0 win
over Crystal Palace at the Emir-
ates Stadium. Centre back Gabriel
Magalhaes was responsible
for the first two goals,
while fellow Brazilian
Gabriel Martinelli net-
ted the last two with
near-identical finishes
in second-half injury
time to add gloss
to the score-
line.
Brentford’s Ivan Toney reacts during
yesterday’s English Premier League
match between Brentford and
Nottingham Forest at the Gtech
Community Stadium in London.
43
jury. “Last year I was watching the
matches from my couch, wishing
to be in the second week.”
Alcaraz will play Miomir Kec-
manovic, who saved two match
points before upsetting 2023 sem-
ifinalist Tommy Paul 6-4, 3-6, 2-6,
7-6 (7), 6-0.
No 9 Hubert Hurkacz beat No 21
Ugo Humbert 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (4), 6-3
and will play another Frenchman
next, wildcard entry Arthur Ca-
zaux.
French Open finalist and No 11
seed Casper Ruud lost 6-4, 6-7 (7),
6-4, 6-3 to No 19 Cam Norrie.
Azarenka won back-to-back
women’s titles here in 2012 and
’13. On Saturday, she took out 2017
French Open winner Jelena Ostap-
enko 6-1, 7-5.
She trailed 5-2 in the second be-
fore winning five straight games.
Azarenka’s next opponent will
be Ukrainian qualifier Dayana Yas-
tremska, a 6-2, 2-6, 6-1 winner over
No 27 Emma Navarro.
Anna Kalinskaya beat 2017 US
Open winner Sloane Stephens 6-7
(8), 6-1, 6-4 to set up a meeting
with Jasmine Paolini. The 26th
seeded Paolini advanced 7-6 (1),
6-4 over Anna Blinkova, who was
coming off a big upset win over
2023 finalist Elena Rybakina in
the longest tiebreaker in women’s
Grand Slam history.
In the Rod Laver Arena opener,
Zheng, a US Open quarterfinalist
last year, edged fellow Chinese
player Wang Yafan 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (8)
to reach the fourth round in Aus-
tralia for the first time and a match
against Oceane Dodin of France.
Zheng told the crowd she was
motivated by watching Li Na win
the Australian Open title in 2014
and was surprised to see later that
her tennis inspiration was on site
to watch the match.
Gabriel headed in a corner in
the 11th minute and then forced
an own-goal by Palace goalkeeper
Dean Henderson from another set
piece delivery in the 37th. Lean-
dro Trossard added the third after
a quick counterattack in the 59th
before Martinelli’s late double as
Arsenal climbed above Aston Villa
into third in the Premier League
standings. Mikel Arteta’s team cut
the gap to Liverpool to two points
ahead of the leader’s game at
Bournemouth on Sunday.
Only two games were played
Saturday with half of the Premier
League’s 20 teams having the
weekend off for a short winter
break. Palace fell to 15th place, five
points above the relegation zone.
And speculation about manager
Roy Hodgson’s future might inten-
sify following the big defeat, espe-
cially with the away supporters
holding up banners near the end
criticising the club’s lack of direc-
tion. (AP)
 44 sport
Bishop Anstey, QRC retain Schools Relay crowns
CLAYTON CLARKE
Sports Correspondent
Bishop Anstey High School and
Queen’s Royal College (QRC)
were crowned girls and boys’
champions of the Trinbago
Schools Relays at the Hasely
Crawford Stadium in Mucurapo,
Port-of-Spain on Thursday.
Bishop Anstey girls ended the
day with 136 points, 40 points
clear of second place Roxbor-
ough Secondary. Barroullie Sec-
ondary of St Vincent and the
Grenadines (SVG) ended in third
spot (72) to deny Toco Second-
ary (70) a place on the podium.
St Lucia’s Sports Academy (44)
was in fifth while Tunapuna
Secondary, St Joseph’s Convent
Port-of-Spain and Hydel High of
Jamaica were tied for sixth with
40 points. Hydel, the reigning
Jamaican Girls High Schools
champion, only contested two
races (Girls’ 17 and over 4x100m
and 4x400m relays).
The Bishop Anstey team, cap-
tained by Naomi Pierce, won
the girls’ Under-17 4x60m shut-
tle hurdles thanks to a strong
anchor leg by 2022 Carifta sil-
ver medallist Tenique Vincent.
The winners were also victori-
ous in the girls’ U-17 4x400m
event and were runners-up in
the girls’ U-15 4x60m hurdles,
4x100m and 4x100m events.
The Hillarians also went home
with bronze medals in the girls’
U-17 4x100m and 4x200m disci-
plines.
Second-placed Roxborough
Secondary secured gold in the
girls’ 17 and over 4x60m shut-
tle hurdles, silver in the girls’
U-15 4x60m shuttle hurdles and
bronze in the girls’ 17 and over
4x400m.
Barrioualle won the girls’ U-15
4x400m, girls’ U-17 4x200m
and Girls Open 4x800m.
Tunapuna were the winner
in the girls’ U-15 4x100m and
4x400m while St Joseph’s Con-
vent Port-of-Spain (Girls’ U-15
4x400m), Holy Faith Convent
Penal (Girls’ U17 4x100m) and
Princess Maraget Secondary of
Shezlon Gordon, left, leads Roxborough Secondary to victory in the boys’
U-17 4x60m Shuttle Hurdles. Stephen Pierre of Cunupia Secondary, right,
was fifth at the Trinbago Schools Relays at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in
Mucurapo, Port-of-Spain, on Thursday.
Antigua and Barbuda (Girls’ 17
and over 4x200m) secured wins
in the girls’ races.
In the boys’ competition,
PICTURE ABRAHAM DIAZ
Queen’s Royal College (QRC) pre-
vailed for another year earning
146 points. Reigning Carifta Boys
U-20 5000m gold medallist Taf-
ari Waldron led the way for QRC
anchoring the school to victory
in the boys’ Open 4x800m. Clad-
ded in light blue, the youngsters
dominated the U-15 age division
winning three of the four titles
on offer (4x100m, 4x200m and
4x400m). They also prevailed in
the boys’ U-17 4x200m, were sec-
ond in the boys’ U-17 4x100m and
4x400m, and collected bronze in
the boys’ U-17 4x60m shuttle hur-
dles. Roxborough took gold in the
boys’ U-15 and U-17 4x60m shuttle
relays and was second behind QRC
in the boys’ U-15 4x100m, 4x200m
and 4x400m.
Jamaica’s Kingston College ath-
letes won the boys’ 17 and under
4x100m and 4x400m, the only
events they competed in. Fa-
tima College won the boys’ U-17
4x400m and Princess Margaret
High of Antigua and Barbuda
topped the boys’ 17 and over
4x200m.
This year’s edition of the Second-
ary Schools Relays was renamed
the Trinbago Schools Relays. The
top eight finishers qualified for the
2024 National Secondary Schools
Track and Field Championships
carded for the Hasely Crawford
Stadium, Mucurapo on February
20 and 21.
This year, six regional teams
(Hydel High, Kingston College-Ja-
maica; St Vincent Grammar
School, Barriouallie Secondary-St
Vincent and the Grenadines;
Princess Margaret Secondary
Schools-Antigua and Barbuda and
St Lucia Sports Academy partic-
ipated in the one-day meet with
travel and accommodation pro-
vided by the government of T&T.
The next event on the local track
and field calendar is the Masters
Development Meet at the Hasely
Crawford Stadium on Saturday.
POINTS STANDINGS
Girls: 1 Bishop Anstey 136; 2
Roxborough 96; 3 Barrouallie 72
Boys: 1 QRC 168; 2 Roxborough 146;
3 El Dorado East 102
Sunday, January 21, 2024
guardian.co.tt
RESULTS
Under 15
Girls
4x60m Shuttle Hurdles: 1 Toco 54.25; 2
Bishop Anstey 54.68; 3 Cunupia 1:03.13;
4x100m: 1 Tunapuna 52.91; 2 Bishop
Anstey 55.33; 3 Toco 1:00.13
4x200m: 1 Tunapuna 1:56.07; 2 Bishop
Anstey 2:01.44; 3 St Joseph’s -POS 2:05.78
4x400m: 1 St Joseph’s-POS 4:59.21; 2
Bishop Anstey 5:17.62; 3 Bishop East 5:26.97
Boys
4x60m Shuttle Hurdles: 1 Roxborough
45.93; 2 St Benedict’s 50.16; 3 El Dorado East
50.63
4x100m: 1 QRC 50.12; 2 Roxborough 53.00;
3 Holy Cross 53.63
4x200m: 1 QRC 1:45.04; 2 Roxborough
1:50.69; 3 St. Benedict’s 1:51.68
4x400m: 1 QRC 4:08.10; 2 Roxborough
Secondary 4:16.32; 3 Fatima 4:33.79
Under 17
Girls
4x60m Shuttle Hurdles:1 Bishop Anstey
49.64; 2 Roxborough 50.30; 3 Toco 53.31
4x100m finals: 1 Holy Faith-Penal 49.23;
2 Barrouallie (SVG) 50.51; 3 Bishop Anstey
51.56
4x200m:1 Barroullie Sec (SVG) 1:49.29; 2
Holy Faith-Penal 1:49.96; 3 Bishop Anstey
1:51.10
4x400m finals: 1 Bishop Anstey 4:17.26;
2 Barrouallie (SVG) 4:17.69; 3 Signal Hill
4:28.70
Boys
4x60m Shuttle Hurdles: 1 Roxborough
40.23; 2 Carapichaima West 41.24; 3 QRC
41.53
4x100m: 1 El Dorado East 45.64; 2 QRC
45.84, 3 St Augustine 45.88
4x200m: 1 QRC 1:37.43; 2 El Dorado East
1:38.54; 3 Trinity East 1:39.98
4x400m finals: 1 Fatima 3:43.53; 2 Signal
Hill 3:44.68; 3 Trinity East 3:44.75;
17+
Girls
4x60m Shuttle Hurdles: 1 Roxborough
48.37; 2 El Dorado East 51.36; 3 San Juan
North 54.54
4x100m: 1 Hydel High (JAM) 47.83; 2
Princess Margaret (LCA) 49.28; 3 St Lucia
Sports Academy (LCA) 51.90
4x200m: 1 Princess Margaret Sec (ANT)
1:44.65 1:44.65; 2 St Lucia Sports Academy
(LCA) 1:56.71; 3 St George’s 1:57.35
4x400 finals: 1 Hydel High (JAM) 3:46.94;
2 St. Lucia Sports Academy (LCA) 4:35.34; 3
Roxborough 4:50.18
Boys
4x60m Shuttle Hurdles: 1 Roxborough
37.61; 2 El Dorado East 38.78; 3 Cunupia
39.43
4x100m: 1 Kingston College (JAM) 41.77; 2
St. Benedict’s College 41.98; 3 Presentation-
San Do 42.14
4x200m: 1 Princess Margaret (ANT)1:32.85;
2 El Dorado East 1:33.79; 3 Sixth Form
1:34.87
4x400m: 1 Kingston Coll (JAM) 3:25.18; 2
QRC 3:28.93; 3 St Vincent Grammar School
(SVG) 3:29.25
Open
Girls
4x800m: 1 Barrouallie (SVG) 10:48.45; 2
Roxborough 11:22.32; 3 Holy Name-POS
12:07.71
Open 4x800m: 1 QRC 8:52.01; 2 Toco
9:10.73; 3 Presentation San Fernando
9:13.62
Invitational
Men’s
4x100m: 1 Pt Fortin New Jets 41.39; 2
Burnley 43.38; 3 UWI 43.63
4x400m: 1 Stallions 3:22.56; 2 Burnley
3:22.67; 3 Pt Fortin New Jets 3:25.25
Sunday, January 21, 2024
guardian.co.tt sport 45

Prince, Thomas,
Jokhu cop national
boxing crowns
Trio Aaron Prince, Jeremiah
Thomas and Ortega Jokhu were
all crowned champions when the
T&T Amateur Boxing Association
National Championships contin-
ued at the Southern Regional In-
door Sports Arena, Pleasantville.
A member of the Golden Fist
(Gof ) Boxing Gym, Prince, who
was the lone fighter to represent
FRIDAY’S RESULTS
T&T at the 2020 Olympic Games,
won the men’s Elite 71kg when he
defeated Joshua Sylvester of Bi-
omel Gym to keep hold of his di-
visional crown and secure a spot
on the national team, which will
contest the Paris Olympic Games
qualifiers.
Prince’s clubmate, Jeremiah
Thomas, won the 80kg crown
Joshua Garcia (Gof) bt Jess Morrison
when he defeated Codel Lee
while in a highly-anticipated con-
test between two of the top local
boxers. Jokhu got the better of
Aaron Cumberbatch for the light
bantamweight title, and with it a
ticket on the national team as well. Boxer Aaron Prince, left, of T&T
The championship continued
last night and will conclude today
PICTURE ANDRES PINA/SANTIAGO
2023 VIA PHOTOSPORT Blackman
at 5 pm.
gets 400-yard
Sankar (Roy) Referee Stopped Contest

Elite Novice—63.5 kg: Elite Novice—92 +kg:

FINALS:
Elite Novice—54 kg: Mark Samaroo
Junior Male—63kg: Makieze Bellille
bt Donnie Sindar
free silver
T&T’s Nikoli Blackman and his
SEMIFINALS: Liam Chin Choy bt Gerad Hart (Cos) bt Eugene Dominic Junior Male—70kg: Med Charles bt
Giovanni Morrison (Mil) bt Ernesto Zade Williams University of Tennessee team-
Jaden Boatswain (INT) bt Cylon Phillip mates had to settle for the silver
(YTC) Hernandez (Cos) Elite Male—71kg:
Aaron Prince (Gof) bt Joshua Sylvester Final: medal in the men’s 400-yard free-
Josiah Richards (Hol) bt Lumsden Israi
Youth Male—57 kg: Neraj (Bio) Elite Novice—57 kg: Shiva Toolsie bt style relay in their dual swim meet
Elite Novice—60 kg: Nicholas Mahadeosingh (MIT) bt Gomez Jah Nathaniel Lewis against the University of Georgia
Balcom (YTC) vs Joshua Titus Heem won by walkover Elite Male—80kg: Elite Novice—63.5kg: Josiah at Gabrielsen Natatorium, Athens,
Lijer Hem Lee (FLB) bt Elisah Hosein Jeremiah Thomas (Gof) bt Codel Lee Richards (Hol) bt Jaden Boatswain Georgia, yesterday.
(San) Youth Male—63.5 kg: (San) (INT) Competing in the final event of
Aiden Rampaul (EDS) bt Keron Dyer Elite Male—51kg: Ortega Jokhu Elite Novice—75kg: Zion Jack (Roy) the day, the University of Tennes-
Elite Novice—71kg: Seequan Ahue (YTC) (Und) bt Aaron Cumberbatch (Cos) bt Nicholas Elliot see’s Jordan Crooks (20.33/42.03),
(Mag) bt Tristin Boodram (Pho) Elite Novice—80 kg: Joshua Garcia Guilherme Santos (19.86/42.06),
Darius pitt (YTC) vs Maurice Jordan Junior Male—70kg: (Gof) bt Jabari Chandler
Med Charles (FYL) bt Jadiah Black YESTERDAY Elite Novice—86 kg: Rondell Oliver Blackman (21.01/44.10), and Micah
(Tob) Chambers (20.12/43.17) combined
(Bow) bt Isiah St Phillip
Zade Williams (Cos) bt Luke Teesdale Finals for a time of two minutes, 51.36
Elite Novice—75kg:
(Cos) School Girls (13-14 years—44kg): Semifinal: seconds, to finish adrift of the
Nicholas Elliot bt Kester Agard (Cos)
Zion Jack (Roy) bt Lewis Camacho Maya Teresa (Pho) bt Armani Savary Elite Novice—67kg: University of Georgia’s winning
Elite Male—92+kg: (Pho) Joseph Quamie bt Joshua De Silva time of 2:50.94 minutes while the
Elite Novice—80kg: Nigel Paul (Gof) bt Jeremony Rudulfo Junior Male—57kg: Zahir Antonio Alexander bt Quin Barclay University of Georgia ‘C’ was third
Jabari Chandler bt Wescott Benn walkover Mohammed (Cos) bt Michael Lee in 2:58.37.
In the men’s 200-yard freestyle,
the 18-year-old Blackman, triple
CSW denies Point Fortin Youth 6th straight win gold medal winner at the Youth
Commonwealth Games in T&T
and the world junior 50m free-
NIGEL SIMON Juburill Williams conceded an own goal in the 44th-minute lead at the Brian Lara Recreation
style champion took third in one
Senior Multimedia Reporter 48th. Ground in Santa Cruz, but on the resumption,
minute, 36.42 to trail Georgia Uni-
nigel.simon@guardian.co.tt Both teams looked headed for a share of Trestrail scored in the 50th, and 67th before
versity duo, Tomas Koski (1:32.86
the points, but in the 82nd minute, Khadell Phillip Nelson added the other in the 79th to
minutes), and Zach Hils (1:34.91)
Ethan Trotman scored a second-half equaliser Campbell came up trump for AIA to snatch all wrap up the points for the visitors.
while Blackman’s schoolmates
as Central Soccer World denied Point Fortin three points to take their tally to 14 from six In the other Pool A match-up, Caledonia AIA
Rafael Ponce de Leon Castilla
Youth Football Academy a sixth straight win matches, one ahead of QPCC-City FC who also stayed within striking distance of the top two
(1:36.80) came in fourth followed
in Pool B of the Next Level Consulting Limited came from behind to whip Cantaro United 3-1 on 12 points after a comfortable 3-0 defeat of
by Joaquin Vargas (1:37.38) in fifth.
(NLCL) Under-19 Community Cup at Techier thanks to a brace from national youth player Blast FC led by a goal each from Keiron Hinds,
Blackman also had a sixth-
Recreation Ground, Point Fortin, on Thursday. Caden Trestrail. Kareem Richards, and Zachary Joseph. The
placed finish in the 100-yard free-
Winners of their first matches to be the lone Jaedon Samuel handed host Cantaro a tournament continues today from 4 pm.
style in 43.90 seconds as the Vols
team with a 100 per cent winning record at the
will now return home to face LSU
start of the round, Point Fortin looked set to THURSDAY’S RESULTS Group B: next Saturday, January 27. It will
uphold that run when Kylon Cayenne netted a Group A: • Gasparillo Youths vs Central Soccer World, Morne
be Senior Day, as the Big Orange
tenth-minute go-ahead item. • Caledonia AIA 3 (Keiron Hinds 2nd, Kareem Diablo Rec. Grd, 4 pm
• Moruga FC vs Made In La Brea , Marac Rec. Grd, 4 recognises more than 20 swim-
However, the hosts failed to add to their Richards 41st, Zachary Joseph 63rd) vs Blast FC 0
pm mers and divers before the com-
tally thereafter, and in the 64th minute, Trot- • QPCC-City FC 3 (Caden Trestrail 50th, 67th, Phillip
• Point Fortin Youth F.A vs Kamillionare FC, Techier petition. The meet begins at noon
man drew the visitors level after which both Nelson 79th) vs Cantaro United 1 (Jaedon Samuel
44th) Rec. Grd, 4 pm at Allan Jones Aquatic Centre.
teams failed to find a winner.
Despite the draw, Point Fortin stayed top • AIA 2 (Juburill Williams 0.g 48th, Khadell Campbell
of the six-team table with 16 points from six 82nd) vs Malabar Young Stars 1 (David Lewis 5th) LATEST STANDINGS
GROUP A:
matches, three more than Central Soccer Teams P W D L F A Pts
World while Gasparillo Youths sit in the third Group B:
• Gasparillo Youths 5 (Malerky Fraser 5th, 27th, AIA 6 4 2 0 19 2 14
spot with ten points after a resounding 5-1 76th, Jabari Rodriguez 24th, Jerrell Griffith 43rd) vs QPCC-City FC 6 4 1 1 18 6 13
battering of Moruga FC led by a hat-trick from Moruga FC 1 (Terrel Thompson 52nd) Caledonia AIA 6 4 0 2 13 13 12
Malerky Fraser in the fifth, 27th, and 76th min- • Central Soccer World 1 (Ethan Trotman 64th) vs Soccer Made Simple 6 3 1 2 10 8 10
utes at Marac Recreation Ground. Point Fortin Youth FA 1 (Kylon Cayenne 10th) Malabar Young Stars 6 2 1 3 9 8 8
Gasparillo Youths also got a goal each from Blast FC 6 1 1 4 3 14 4
Jabari Rodriguez in the 24th, and Jerrell Grif- Cantaro Utd 6 0 0 6 4 25 0
fith in the 43rd, while Moruga FC got their TODAY’S MATCHES: Group B:
lone reply from Terrel Thompson in the 52nd. Group A:
• AIA vs Cantaro United, Eddie Hart Rec. Grd, 4 pm Point Fortin YFA 6 5 1 0 15 6 16
In Pool A, AIA stayed on top of the table Central Soccer World 6 4 1 1 11 7 13
after coming from behind to defeat Malabar • QPCC-City vs Malabar Young Stars, Hasely
Crawford Stadium, Training Field, Mucurapo, 4 pm Gasparillo Youths 6 3 1 2 14 7 10
Young Stars 2-1 at the Eddie Hart Recreation Made In La Brea 6 2 1 3 8 9 7
• Soccer Made Simple vs Caledonia AIA , Bon Air Rec. T&T swimmer Nikoli Blackman
Ground, Tunapuna. Moruga FC 6 1 0 5 12 23 3
Grd, 4 pm PICTURE DANIEL APUY/SANTIAGO
Young Stars went ahead as early as the fifth Kamillionare FC 6 1 0 5 8 16 3 2023 VIA PHOTOSPORT
minute and held their slim advantage until
 46 sport
Leacock hat-trick helps AC PoS widen lead
NIGEL SIMON
Senior Multimedia Reporter
nigel.simon@guardian.co.tt
Isaiah Leacock netted a first-
half hat-trick as AC Port-of-Spain
clobbered Prison Service FC 5-1
to widen their lead at the top of
the 11-club T&T Premier Football
League (TTPFL) Tier I Division
at the Hasely Crawford Stadium,
Mucurapo, on Friday night.
With the win, AC PoS, last
season’s league runners-up, im-
proved to 31 points from eight
matches, four more than the trio
of Miscellaneous Police FC, de-
fending champions T&T Defence
Force, and Tiger Tanks Club
Sando.
Playing in the second match of
a double-header at Mucurapo,
the Walt Noreiga-coached AC
PoS took only 14 minutes to open
their account through Leacock,
and within five minutes he added
his second of the contest for a 2-0
cushion.
Brimming with confidence fol-
lowing their 1-0 win over the pre-
viously unbeaten Police in their
last outing, AC PoS continued to
dominate the contest and it was
no surprise when they made it
3-0 in the 25th, this time with
Malik Mieres the scorer, before
Leacock completed his personal
Increased Tests will aid in batsmen
development, says skipper Brathwaite
ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA—Captain
Kraigg Brathwaite believes an
increase in the number of Tests
played by West Indies will lead to
an improvement in the side’s
batting, providing the crucial
experience needed for the young
unit.
The seasoned opener, a vet-
eran of 88 Tests, said with the
number of inexperienced players
in the current side, more inter-
national cricket was required in
order to quickly bring them up to
speed, especially against world-
rated attacks like Australia’s.
“We need to play a lot more
games. Last year we played six
games … I pretty much wouldn’t
mind if we played six games or
back-to-back series because I
think you’ve got to play to learn,”
Brathwaite said in the wake of
West Indies’ ten-wicket defeat
in the opening Test at Adelaide
Oval.
“And I think it’s hard for a guy
to play (a series)—let’s say he fails
or he succeeds—but then your
next Test match is six months
away.
“So it’s pretty hard to learn as
a batsman because I think you
learn when you’re out there play-
ing and experiencing what world
class bowlers do, so I think we
need a lot more Test cricket.”
He continued, “This year is
pretty good for us. To be honest,
AC Port-of-Spain’s Isaiah Leacock (19) scores his header above Prisons FC’s
Weslie John during the T&T Premier Football League match at the Hasely
Crawford Stadium in Mucurapo, Port-of-Spain, on Friday. AC PoS won 5-1.
PICTURE DANIEL PRENTICE
milestone in the 36th for a com-
manding 4-0 advantage at the
end of the half.
Prison Service showed a more
determined defensive effort in
the second half and were re-
warded for their hard work at the
other end when former national
defender Radanfah Abu Bakr con-
ceded an own goal for a 4-1 mar-
gin in the 59th.
But, that was the only bright
Kirk McKenzie acknowledges his 50 in the opening Test in Adelaide.
(we have) nine games which is
great for us. We have first class
cricket when we go back so it’s a
good year but I just think gener-
ally, the more games we can play,
plus obviously, funding, would
be great.
“But we need to play more
cricket for us guys to gain that ex-
perience then to go on and con-
tinuously perform against world
class players.”
West Indies will play the final
Test of the short two-match se-
ries in Brisbane starting Thurs-
spark for Prison Service on the
night as Duane Muckette added a
fifth item for AC PoS in the 79th to
cap off a seventh win from eight
matches for the league leaders.
In the earlier encounter at Mu-
curapo, United Soccer League-
bound national winger Real Gill
kept up his rich form by netting
a 79th minute winner for Club
Sando in a 2-1 defeat of Caledonia
AIA.
PICTURE AP
day and are also expected to
face Pakistan, England and then
South Africa later in the year.
The Caribbean side fielded a
plethora of inexperienced bats-
men in the first Test here this
week, with debutants Kavem
Hodge and Justin Greaves sur-
rounded by the likes of Tagenar-
ine Chanderpaul, Alick Athanaze
and Kirk McKenzie, none of
whom have yet played ten Tests.
Predictably, they struggled
against Australia’s pace attack,
collapsing for 188 and 120 as
Club Sando took the lead just
before the interval when Nicholas
Dillon latched onto a back-heel
pass from Jamal Jack and fired a
diagonal shot across goalkeeper
Darren Donaie and into the far
corner of the goal.
However, with six minutes of
the restart, national youth player
Lindell Sween came off the bench
to get Caledonia AIA back on level
terms, when he was needlessly
bundled over in the area by Jack,
before he took the spot kick him-
self which was awarded by ref-
eree Nikolai Nyron, only to see
his first effort blocked by goal-
keeper Miles Goodman, before he
tucked home the rebound.
The 20-year-old Gill, who is ex-
pected to join USL League One
club Northern Colorado Hail-
storm FC within the next month,
then got the decisive goal for Club
Sando in the 79th to keep his
team in the title race.
To add to their woes, Caledo-
nia AIA ended the match with ten
men when defender Ronell Paul
was shown a straight red card by
Nyron for a high elbow through
the back of a Club Sando player,
two minutes into time added-on.
Down south at the Mahaica
Sporting Complex, Point Fortin,
Andre Ettienne made it two goals
in two matches to secure a late 2-1
West Indies suffered a ten-wicket
thrashing inside three days.
The only real standout was
23-year-old left-hander McKenzie
who made a fluent half-century—
exactly 50—in the first innings
and followed up with an equally
polished 26 in the second in-
nings.
Brathwaite said McKenzie’s
example was one for the entire
batting group to follow.
“I think they should get a lot
of confidence from playing the
number one team and the num-
ber one bowlers, and it shows
them that they can do it,” Brath-
waite said.
“Kirk got a 50 and 20-odd in
the second innings, so it shows
he has the ability to score runs
against world class bowlers. And
the other guys, they didn’t get
runs but from watching Kirk they
know that ‘well, look, we can get
it done’. It’s all mental.”
He added, “Obviously (the
Australian bowlers) are very con-
sistent but you will get a bad ball
in between. We keep having the
conversations, but for me, it’s
all around being mentally tough
because they’re going to come at
you.
“They’re the number one
bowlers in the world and that
alone could put a batsman under
pressure, but Kirk showed you
can get runs against these.” CMC
Sunday, January 21, 2024
guardian.co.tt
win for host Heritage Petroleum
Point Fortin Civic Centre over
1976 FC Phoenix.
The visitors led 1-0 thanks to
a 28th minute penalty from Le-
jandro Williams, but within five
minutes Isaiah Thompson also
scored from the penalty-spot for
Point Fortin to draw level.
And just when it looked as
though both teams would have
to settle for a share of the spoils,
Ettienne got the winner to earn
the host their third win of the
campaign to move to 11 points,
one behind Caledonia AIA in the
seventh spot. Last night, at the
Phase II La Horquetta Recreation
Ground, La Horquetta, Central
FC came up against Eagles FC
while Rangers and Police clashed
in the second match.
FRIDAY’S RESULTS
Point Fortin CC 2 (Isaiah Thompson
33 pen, Andre Ettienne 90+4) vs 1976
FC Phoenix 1 (Lejandro Williams 28th
pen)
Club Sando 2 (Nicholas Dillon 45th,
Real Gill 79th) vs Caledonia AIA 1
(Lindell Sween 51st)
AC PoS 5 (Isaiah Leacock 14th, 19th,
36th, Malik Mieres 25th, Duane
Muckette 79th) vs Prison Service FC 1
(Raddanfah Abu Bakr o.g 57th)
Khawaja cleared
after Joseph blow
ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA—Australian
opener Usman Khawaja has been
cleared of serious injury after being
struck by debutant West Indies fast
bowler Shamar Joseph on the final
day of the Adelaide Test.
The left-hander copped a fear-
some blow to the chin with scores
level as Australia chased a meagre
26 for victory to eventually win by
ten wickets, before lunch on the
third day.
Khawaja was forced off in dis-
tress after spitting blood and being
attended to by medical personnel
on field, but subsequent scans re-
vealed no fractures and breaks.
While he also passed a concus-
sion test, he was scheduled to be
tested again in order to determine
his fitness for the Gabba Test bowl-
ing off Thursday.
“He seems okay but will be mon-
itored,” Australia captain Pat Cum-
mins said.
If Khawaja is ruled out, Matthew
Renshaw is expected to be the
likely replacement, the 27-year-old
left-hander having been picked as
part of the squad for the opening
Test.
Despite the heavy loss for West
Indies, Joseph impressed through-
out the Test, finishing with five
wickets in the first innings to spear-
head the Caribbean side’s attack.
Among Joseph’s scalps was that
of master batsman Steve Smith,
who was dismissed with the
24-year-old’s first delivery in inter-
national cricket. CMC
Sunday, January 21, 2024
guardian.co.tt 47

Zarek Wilson

Wilson powers
Alabama to 400
free relay win
National swimmer Zarek Wilson swam the lead-
off leg to inspire the University of Alabama to
victory in the men’s 400-yard freestyle relay
against the University of Auburn on Friday night
at the Don Gambril Olympic Pool in the Alabama
Aquatic Center, Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
The 19-year-old Wilson had splits of 20.90
and 43.70 while teammate Charlie Hawke
(20.05/42.16), Kaique Alves (20.27/42.47) and
Tim Korstanje (20.35/43.00) also had impressive
splits for a combined time of two minutes, 51.33
for the gold medal, with Auburn ‘A’ second in two
minutes, 52.11 seconds, and Auburn ‘B’, third in
2:56.35.
In the 200-yard
medley relay, Wilson,
who won a gold, sil-
ver and bronze medal
at last year’s Trinbago
Commonwealth Youth
Games, swam the an-
chor leg behind Eric
Stelmar, Trey Sheilds
and Bernardo De
Almedia as the Uni- U.W.I. Credit Union Co-operative Society Limited
versity of Alabama ‘B’ 118 Eastern Main Road, St. Augustine, Trinidad, W.I.
quartet ended in the Tel: (868) 645-8526 Website: www.uwicu.tt
fourth spot in one min-
ute, 26.31 seconds.
In the 50-yard free- NOTICE FOR NOMINATIONS
style, Wilson placed
sixth in 20.11 seconds
while in the 100-yard Dear Members,
freestyle, he touched
the wall in the fourth
The Board of Directors of the U.W.I. Credit Union is inviting
spot in 44.06 seconds.
nominations for election of members to serve on the Board of
Directors, Credit Committee and Supervisory Committee.
TOMORROW
This nomination procedure is an important part of the democratic
process to select interested and committed persons to serve.
Members seeking nomination must be in

Wednesday 31st January, 2024.

Persons accepting Nominations must attend an Orientation Session.

SPORTIFICATION
Kathy Ann C. Hogan
ANAND Secretary
December13th, 2023
RAMPERSAD
Sport Sunday, January 21, 2024
West Indies cricket team will tour
Australia from January to February
2024 to play two Tests, three ODIs
and three T20I matches.

AC PORT-OF-SPAIN ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

EXTENDS LEAD PAGE 46

Opener Jayden Joseph scored

the first hundred (108) in the
new season of the Secondary
Schools Cricket League to help
Presentation College, Chaguanas
seal a 172-run victory away to
Hillview College at Honeymoon
Park, Tunapuna on Tuesday.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Getting Steve Smith, I’ll

remember this for the rest
of my life. I’ll take a picture
and post it up in my house.
If I could have run (into the
stands), I would have. It was
really a joy for me.”
- West Indies newcomer
Shamar Joseph
AC Port-of-Spain’s Kadeem Corbin,
left, shoots through the legs of HAVING
Prisons FC’s Seon Thomas during AN EVENT?
the T&T Premier Football League
Tier 1 match at the Hasely Contact us @ GML Sports
Crawford Stadium in Mucurapo, 235-5668, ext 5127,
Port-of-Spain. AC PoS won 5-1. 5128, 5129, 5130, 5131
PICTURE DANIEL PRENTICE email: gmsports@guardian.
co.tt • Visit our website
www.guardian.co.tt
& CNC3 facebook page
Printed and Published by Guardian Media Ltd, ANSA McAL Centre, Rodney Road, Endeavour, Chaguanas, Trinidad. Tel: 235-5668
 bpTT’s Cassia C was its first offshore

Sunday
compression platform allowing the
energy company to access and
produce low pressure resources
from the Greater Cassia Area.

Business

Energy Chamber CEO:

SPEED UP PROJECT
IMPLEMENTATION Conference stories on pages 3, 4 and 5
by Asha Javeed, Geisha Kowlessar-Alonzo and Andrea Perez-Sobers
SB2 Sunday, January 21, 2024
guardian.co.tt
Sunday, January 21, 2024
guardian.co.tt
Proman looks to
deepen green transition
Local employees getting international experience, says executive director
W
hen it comes to the energy tran-
sition, Proman has been ahead of
the game.
For the past few years, Proman has been
actively advocating methanol, and in the
future ammonia, as a future fuel.
Ricardo Mohammed, executive director
of Group Operations at Proman, said the
company has been in discussions with the
Government about the benefits and po-
tential for making T&T, the methanol bun-
kering hub of the Caribbean for vessels,
including cruise lines.
“This initiative aligns with Proman’s
wider work to drive the uptake of cleaner
fuels and decarbonise the global shipping
sector. It has the potential to attract more
vessels to Trinidad and create an increased
demand for maritime services (chandlery,
maintenance) therefore supporting the
growth of Trinidad & Tobago’s maritime in-
dustry and diversifying the overall national
economy. We stand ready to support the
Government in taking this initiative for-
ward,” he said.
As a cleaner marine fuel, methanol of-
fers significant opportunity for decarbon-
isation of the maritime sector and other
hard-to-abate industries.
“Globally, the role of methanol as the
fuel of choice for the aviation, road trans-
portation and power generator industries
is growing. While the feasibility of metha-
nol as a cleaner fuel within these industries
has been proven, Proman welcomes the
opportunity to work with stakeholders to
conduct local feasibility studies, with the
aim of strengthening this country’s path-
way to the energy transition,” he said in an
interview with the Sunday Business.
He identified some of Proman’s invest-
ments along this line:
• Proman’s partnership with Stena
Bulk to construct six new build metha-
nol-fuelled vessels.
“These ships are using approximately
12,000 tonnes of methanol as fuel per
year, significantly reducing the volume of
greenhouse gas emissions when compared
to conventional marine fuels. To-date, we
have launched six low-emission, metha-
nol-fuelled vessels but we are committed
to transitioning our entire fleet of vessels
to methanol,” he said.
• The AUM facility. Mohammed said Pro-
man’s corporate ethos has always been to
minimise emissions and make the most of
every molecule of feedstock.
“Which is why we built the AUM down-
stream complex and already capture and
recycle the CO2 from our ammonia pro-
duction in our methanol downstream
plants. Since 2006, almost 25 million
tonnes of CO2 have been captured from
both our own and neighbouring ammo-
nia plants and re-used. We closely review
our emissions profile and part of the role
of our T&T Sustainability Committee is to
constantly review opportunities across our
entire portfolio here and identify ways to
increase energy efficiency and further re-
duce emissions,” he said.
• The Zandolie platform. Mohammed de-
scribed it as “one of our most significant
green investments, which was the locally
fabricated, 100 per cent renewably pow-
ered Zandolie platform.” The platform is
located off the Gulf of Paria and is powered
wholly by wind and solar.
• Mohammed said Proman’s world-scale,
Abu Dhabi methanol plant will be one of
the world’s most technologically advanced
and low emission natural gas-to-methanol
facilities and in Canada, its Varennes Car-
bon Recycling Plant will produce bio-meth-
anol from non-recyclable residual material.
How exactly will T&T
benefit from that?
In his view, Mohammed said T&T will
benefit through Proman’s many global,
pioneering projects and particularly those
projects that support the energy
transition. T&T benefits by developing a
workforce with world-class knowledge
and skills.
“Through this upskilling, our nationals
directly contribute to the development
of the local petrochemical sector and the
local energy transition and importantly,
they develop the expertise to better assist
our Government in achieving its commit-
ment to the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda
for Sustainable Development,” he said.
He noted that the downstream sector is
currently constrained by the low availabil-
ity of feedstock.
“However, we acknowledge and ap-
plaud the extensive efforts and achieve-
ments made by the Government and the
upstream sector to secure long term gas
supply, such as the potential for cross-bor-
der gas fields (Dragon and Loran/Manatee)
and the opportunities to monetise smaller
stranded gas fields such as that success-
fully developed by our upstream subsidi-
ary, DeNovo,” he said.
Local talent for
a global team
From his vantage point, Mohammed is
able to see the impact T&T has on the Swit-
zerland-headquartered company.
By equal measure, the impact Proman
has to T&T.
“Our industry is at an inflexion point and
I am fortunate to be able to be part of the
exercise to future proof our business,” he
said.
Before he assumed the role of executive
director, Group Operations at Proman’s
Switzerland headquarters, he was the
managing director of Operations at Pro-
man Trinidad.
Mohammed said his new role, which he
assumed in 2022, allows him the opportu-
nity to interface with every aspect of Pro-
man’s business and people and provides
the opportunity to witness first-hand the
benefits of “Proman in-country”.
“T&T remains the nucleus of our produc-
tion. Trinbagonians comprise the majority
of our global headcount and most of our
plants are located here. We believe in this
country’s potential both from a natural
and a human resource perspective and
we are significantly invested in playing a
major role in contributing to its long-term
success,” he told the Sunday Business in
an interview, ahead of Monday’s Energy
Conference.
“I see myself as an advocate for Trin-
idadian talent and just as I have been af-
forded opportunities, it’s an important
part of my job to provide opportunities for
others, including international exposure.
Throughout our industry, Trinidadians are
a valued human resource commodity. I am
filled with pride when I see us excel on the
international stage. My goal is to continue
to provide these opportunities, while ac-
knowledging that with expectations there
are responsibilities,” he said.
Mohammed, a graduate of Presentation
College, Chaguanas, obtained a BSc in
Mechanical Engineering as well as MSc in
Production Engineering and Management
and an MBA, all from the University of the
West Indies.
He said he took the job in Switzerland as
it allowed him to contribute to the compa-
ny’s strategy and “offer a unique perspec-
tive at the executive level to help shape the
future of our business.”
news SB3
Proman’s executive director
of Group Operations,
Ricardo Mohammed
“I also admit that I do miss being on the
plants in Point Lisas at times, particularly
the teamwork and interaction that is a key
part of this dynamic environment,” he
said.
He noted that through Proman’s 14 pet-
rochemical plants on the Point Lisas Indus-
trial Estate, it’s an economic powerhouse
for this country and plays a major role
in effectively maximising the local value
chain for this country’s benefit.
“I’m proud to say we remain the largest
employer on the Estate, with over 1,100
employees and most of our contracts, espe-
cially for plant turnarounds, are awarded
to local contractors. But I would say that
this country’s biggest benefit is through
the investment we make in our people. We
have a world-class team in Trinidad and we
invest significantly in providing global op-
portunities for our employees to showcase
their talent and develop their skills.
“I have benefited from this opportu-
nity, as have many other members of the
diaspora, who are leading or working as
part of the global team and who proudly
represent this country in all that they do.
Trinidad and Tobago nationals are embed-
ded within each of our global plants and
projects and a number of colleagues from
Trinidad are currently working on the next
generation of global methanol and ammo-
nia projects. Over ten per cent of our oper-
ations team in Trinidad and Tobago will be
supporting one of Proman’s international
projects in Mexico, Abu Dhabi, Switzer-
land, Canada and the US,” he said.
 SB4 news Sunday, January 21, 2024
guardian.co.tt

Driver: Quicken pace

of project execution
A
ccelerating Action has been cho-
sen as the theme for the 2024
energy conference which takes
place at the Hyatt Regency in Port-
of-Spain from this Monday to Wednesday.
In sharing details as to why this theme
was selected, CEO of the T&T Energy
Chamber, Dr Thackwray “Dax” Driver said
while strides have been made in the indus-
try, there still remains the need for speed.
“We had developed this theme because
we have a feeling from the industry that
we are sort of on the right path. We need
to do what we need to do to create a sus-
tainable future for the energy industry in
T&T. Thankfully, there is a good alignment
between Government and the industry on
what needs to be done and how we need
to change things, but we need to be doing
it faster. That really is why we came up with
this idea about accelerating action.
“We need to execute quicker, to bring
the new projects on faster, to move from
having a bid round to give out new offshore
acreage to exploration companies for them
to actually be doing the exploration, to
them hopefully finding oil or gas and pro-
ducing it and that needs to happen faster
... the changes to decarbonise our indus-
try, we know the things we need to do but
we need to get after it quicker,” Driver ex-
plained last week in an interview with the
Sunday Business Guardian Media.
He emphasised that it is critical that such
changes take place speedily as this would
also ensure that the industry, and by exten- A bpTT representative addresses participants of the 2023 Energy Conference at the energy company’s booth at the Hyatt Regency, Port-of-Spain
sion the country, would not be left behind. in January 2023. PICTURE ANISTO ALVES
“You don’t want to end up with stranded
assets that you can’t utilise,” Driver warned. Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley is sched-
The Energy Chamber, on its website, also uled to speak on day one as well as Stuart
shared further details about the objective Young, Minister of Energy and Energy In-
of the event. dustries, Penelope Bradshaw-Niles, Per-
It stated, “We need to get to the bottom manent Secretary, Ministry of Energy and
of why things take so long to be imple- Energy Industries, among others.
mented and try to systematically address Also, scheduled to speak on that day are
those bottlenecks and get things flowing. Mohamed Hamel, secretary general of the
Four major things that we need to address: and for me that’s really what I like to see Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF),
• Firstly, fixing the business-as-usual from the event,” Driver added. Oksana Dembitska, senior vice-president
mindset that protects the status quo; According to the Energy Chamber web- of Gas Growth bp, Paul Hexter, president
• Breaking siloed decision-making in the site, the conference further provides a solid of Waterfront Shipping (a Methanex subsid-
public service; platform for participants to learn about iary) as well as Jerome Dookie, chairman of
• Ruthlessly streamlining the approvals new and emerging trends in the energy the Energy Chamber of T&T.
process; and sector and approaches towards net-zero Among the other speakers or panelists
• Finally, making sure that the key regu- including energy efficiency and renewable are Mark Loquan president of the National
latory agencies can hire the brightest and energy and others; forge new business re- Gas Company of T&T Ltd, David Camp-
best and access the skills that are required.” lationships and strategic alliances through bell, president of bpTT, Kellyanne Lochan,
On what he hopes to be achieved follow- networking with sector–specific individ- country manager of Woodside Energy T&T President and chief executive officer of
ing the conclusion of the three-day event, uals and companies and highlight their and Erik Keskula, CEO of Heritage Petro- the T&T Energy Chamber, Dr Thackwray
Driver said this entails whether the conver- strengths to the major purchasers of goods leum as well as several others. “Dax” Driver.
sations and the debates have been pushed and services and a cross-section of both The T&T Energy Conference is the major
forward around the energy industry in the local and international service companies annual conference of the energy sector and country, with member companies and
country and whether the way people think and contractors. is one of the largest and most respected in organisations spanning the entire value
would be changed. Regarding the other intricacies of the the region. chain from upstream producers of oil, gas
“That’s the big thing that I am always conference, the website said it is designed The Energy Chamber also boasted that in and renewable electricity through to major
looking for and that always happens and to attract a broad cross-section of partic- 2023, the conference had over 900 in-per- downstream industrial consumers and
it happens a multitude of different ways. ipants in the energy industry from the son delegates, 200 virtual delegates and petrochemical manufacturers and span-
Sometimes it is just that two companies upstream and downstream sector, policy- over 1,500 visitors to the trade show. ning the supply chain from small sub-con-
meet who haven’t met before and they find makers, service companies and academia “The conference in 2024 promises to tracting firms or individual professionals
a way of doing business together and you and people with a unique interest in the be bigger and better than ever before” the through to the major international operat-
see that sort of business relationship com- Caribbean energy mix. chamber said, adding that the regional ing companies.
ing out from the floor of the trade show. It will also seek to get diverse opinions energy sector is changing with new dis- Its membership comprises multi-national
“It could be that there’s a new concept from international and regional delegates coveries in deep water off mainland South energy companies, locally-listed public
with someone, which some one delivers and presenters, noting that the majority America and increasing penetration of re- companies, privately-owned companies
from the stage that we haven’t thought of the attendees are “C” level delegates of newable energy in other island territories. (owned by nationals and non-nationals),
about before which changes the way we major upstream, downstream and energy According to its website, the Energy State-owned enterprises, not-for-profit
approach problems. It’s really about setting services companies in the region and also Chamber of T&T is the representative as- organisations and educational institutions
up future action, which I think is important many senior government officials. sociation for the energy industry in this and individual professionals.
Sunday, January 21, 2024
guardian.co.tt
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro,
right, greets T&T’s Minister of Energy,
Stuart Young, at Miraflores Palace,
Caracas, Venezuela, on August 29. The
men discussed developments with the
Dragon Gas Field, which led to T&T
securing a 30-year licence from the
Government of Venezuela on
December 21, 2023, to explore, develop
and export natural gas from Dragon.
Young: 2023 achievements
secure T&T’s energy future
A
s the 2024 Energy Con-
ference begins tomor-
row, Energy Minister
Stuart Young is hopeful
that those in attendance use it as
an opportunity to have produc-
tive and progressive conversa-
tions about how energy security
can be enhanced going forward
in a very volatile global environ-
ment.
Young told Sunday Business
Guardian that there is a lot of
good news and achievements
within the sector and the focus
should be on keeping the industry
going in the short term until the
big medium-term projects kick in.
Crime is a major talking point,
especially among the business
community, some of whom are
anxious to know whether energy
investors have expressed con-
cerns about this issue.
Quesioned about this, Young
said, “No energy company has
raised it with me. We in the
Government are concerned and
focused on working with law en-
forcement to address the situa-
tion.”
Achievements
Looking at the achievements
for 2023 the minister said the fu-
ture of the energy sector is much
brighter after the acquisition of a
licence to procure and produce
natural gas from Venezuela’s
Dragon Gas Field and successful
onshore/nearshore bid rounds.
Young said that in 2023 things
began to come together for the
country with the Government
obtaining a licence in January
2023 from the US Office of For-
eign Assets Control (OFAC) of that
country’s Treasury Department
to pursue the development of the
Venezuelan Dragon gas field.
This, he indicated, involved in-
tense and complex negotiations
with the Venezuelan government
(these had never stopped) to ob-
tain the licence to develop and ex-
port the natural gas in the Dragon
field.
“We obtained a significant
amendment to the OFAC licence
in October 2023 and on December
21, secured a 30-year licence from
the government of Venezuela to
explore, develop and export nat-
ural gas from Dragon to Trinidad
and Tobago. This is historic and
unprecedented. We have agreed
on gas allocation, royalties, and
pricing among many terms and
conditions,” the minister high-
lighted.
The US$1 billion deal with Ven-
ezuela involves the purchase
of natural gas from Venezuela’s
Dragon Gas Field and the trans-
portation of the natural gas to
the Hibiscus platform via a 17km
pipeline. The deal is a partner-
ship between T&T’s wholly State-
owned National Gas Company,
Royal Dutch Shell, and Venezue-
lan state-owned energy company,
PDVSA.
Young also noted the com-
pletion of the unprecedented
restructuring of Atlantic LNG in
December 2023, which has never
been done anywhere else in the
world. The restructuring opens
up new possibilities and horizons
for future investments in T&T in-
cluding across-border natural gas
and deepwater gas as one of the
terms. This is because one of the
terms T&T negotiated was third
party access to Atlantic LNG via
tolling arrangements.
“We have secured higher share-
holding, higher revenue streams,
and new commercial arrange-
ments in this restructuring. We
also completed successful on-
shore/nearshore bid rounds and
signed licences for three deep-
water blocks with bp and Shell.
These will provide future devel-
opment in oil and gas,” Young
said.
Additionally, the minister men-
tioned that the Production Shar-
ing Contract (PSC) for Manatee
Gas Filed was negotiated and ex-
ecuted between the Government
and Shell in or around early 2022.
Shell has been proceeding with
the work and plans to develop
Manatee. At the end of 2023, Shell
awarded Design/FEED engineer-
ing contracts for Manatee to Eni
and McDermott International.
Highlighting other achieve-
ments, he said Heritage Petro-
leum Company hired a new CEO
and the Government has already
seen success in increased oil pro-
duction taking place.
“Heritage Petroleum is working
to increase oil production and has
several initiatives currently being
deployed. I have also asked them
to work closer with independent
producers who are willing to ex-
plore and produce by giving them
access to wells acreage,” he said.
Turning his attention to NGC,
Young disclosed that the com-
pany completed negotiations of
upstream gas supply contracts
and all of its downstream gas sale
contracts.
“We also completed successful
negotiations of all claims made
against NGC as a result of its
mismanagement between 2010
and 2015. We negotiated over $8
billion in claims all from 2010 to
2015 and ensured that NGC con-
tracts no longer expose it to such
claims for curtailment,” he de-
tailed.
Asked whether the Government
worked out arrangements with
NGC owning a stake in the pipe-
line from the Dragon gas field,
Young said NGC will have an eq-
uity stake in the Dragon Gas Field
and the Government negotiated
that the licence from Venezuela
for the natural gas field is to both
NGC and Shell.
Hydrogen project
Asked about the hydrogen pro-
ject being promoted by Kenesjay
Green (KGL), Young said Cabinet
approved the pursuit of a green
hydrogen pilot project to be
driven by the Ministry of Energy
and Energy Industries.
“We are currently considering
several options concerning the
project, including, but not limited
to, the renewable energy element
of the project and we are deter-
mining the quickest methodology
to have the project completed
and commissioned. We are deter-
mined to pursue and commission
this pilot project in the shortest
news SB5
possible time frame,” he detailed.
Last April, Prime Minister Dr
Keith Rowley turned the sod for
the construction of a 112 megawatt
(MWac) solar project in Golden
Grove, Arouca.
In March, the Ministry of Plan-
ning and Development com-
menced construction of a solar
farm at the Piarco International
Airport.
Over an area of 1.54 hectares,
the installation of 25 tonnes
of photovoltaic (PV) ground-
mounted structures, 960 PV
modules, a transformer, and high
voltage cables is expected to gen-
erate 1,443,830 kilowatt-hours
annually. This is a project in
collaboration with the National
Energy Corporation and the In-
ter-American Development Bank.
At that launch, Young said T&T
was well-poised and had the ad-
vantage of being a global leader
in the energy sector through the
production of blue and green hy-
drogen.
In December, Regional con-
glomerate ANSA McAL signed a
memorandum of understanding
(MoU) with KGL to develop green
energy projects in the Caribbean
region.
The deal was signed between
Anthony N Sabga, group CEO of
ANSA McAL, and Philip Julien,
founder, chairman, and CEO of
KGL at COP28 in Dubai.
KGL is currently working on
building the US$350-million Point
Lisas NewGen green hydrogen
project that involves cutting down
the carbon footprint of Trinidad
Nitrogen Company’s ammonia
complex and supplying hydrogen
to the Pointe Lisas estate.
 SB6 news
‘Local agriculture set for growth’
... co-ordination between private and
public sectors crucial, says consultant
RAPHAEL JOHN-LALL
Agriculture entrepreneur and lead consult-
ant at Tropical Agriculture Consultancy
Services, Riyadh Mohammed, is optimis-
tic that the agriculture sector will grow in
2024 despite the many challenges the sec-
tor faces.
“I am hopeful to see an increase in pro-
ductivity and efficiency because of the de-
velopment of infrastructure through the
Palo Seco Agricultural Enterprises Com-
pany, an increased investment in commu-
nity gardens and green market projects,
further investment and development in
coffee and coconut revitalisation, up-
grades for the fishing industry and a better
utilisation of the agri-processing facilities,”
Mohammed told the Sunday Business
Guardian.
“I do believe the sector’s performance
will improve if the commitment of the pub-
lic sector is as promised and mandated. To
inform, monitor, report, and assess pro-
gress toward achieving decent work for all,
accurate and timely financial and perfor-
mance data are crucial,” he said.
Mohammed is a coconut farmer based
in Gran Couva who holds an MBA from the
University Bedfordshire in England and an
MSc in Tropical Animal Science and Pro-
duction from the University of the West
Indies (UWI). He has planted over 1,000
coconut trees in the Gran Couva and Si-
paria areas. He also cultivates fruit crops,
avocados, mangoes, rough skin lemons and
West Indian Limes.
He is also founder and President of the
Real Agriculture T&T Farmers Group.
Last week, it was reported in the media
that president of the Agricultural Society of
T&T, Darryl Rampersad, warned the coun-
try to brace for higher prices of fruit and
vegetables because of the dry season.
Mohammed also commented on the pos-
sibility of the increase in food prices.
“While I agree that a drop or a decrease
in crop production would lend to higher
food prices based on the supply and de-
mand chain, I also want to note in the
dry season a lot of agricultural produce is
much more affordable for consumers. So,
there are actually conflicting theories on
the different factors that affect food prices.
However, I do agree that the price of food is
increasing regardless of the season.”
He spoke about how a strong agriculture
sector and food security could boost other
sectors of the economy and the national
Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
“Food imports from foreign nations are
less necessary when food is produced
locally. It offers wholesome cuisine. It
supplies raw ingredients to numerous
manufacturing sectors, including the food
processing industry. Agriculture-related
goods make up a large portion of the re-
gion’s exports. Crops including bananas,
cocoa, and rice are exported by a number
of Caribbean nations to nations inside and
outside the region.
“T&T specifically has room for export
development, as we look towards building
our value-added product database. Agri-
culture used to be a significant component
of the region’s GDP. Not to mention, it
brought in a lot of foreign cash. But things
Primnath Baldeo uses the branches of a coconut tree to craft cocoyea brooms in the Cuchawan
Trace East, Debe area.
are drastically different now. Agriculture
only contributes a minor share of GDP
and generates a modest amount of foreign
exchange in many regions. The Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) states that
agriculture contributes between 7 and 17
per cent of GDP in several Caribbean na-
tions.”
Agriculture’s poor performance
Mohammed quoted from the Review of
the Economy 2023 document found on the
Ministry of Finance’s website, which shows
that agriculture contribution to T&T’s GDP
is just over one per cent.
That document states that agriculture,
forestry and fishing sector registered a
sharp contraction in real GDP of 17.8 per
cent during the January to March 2023
period, which was nonetheless an im-
provement from the 25.5 per cent decline
reported during the three-month period
ending December 2022. The sector’s contri-
bution to GDP marginally inched upwards
to 1.1 per cent from 1.0 per cent during the
review period of 2022 to 2023.
According to the Review of the Econ-
omy 2023 document, cocoa production
declined significantly by 90 per cent to
8,5000 kilogrammes during the first half
of fiscal 2023, from 85,000 kilogrammes
during the first half of fiscal 2022.
It also gave statistics, which show that
the live weight of broiler meat decreased
by 4.1 per cent to 34,408 kilogrammes dur-
ing the first two quarters of fiscal 2023 and
the sale of live pigs declined by 6.9 per cent
to 22,568 animals during the first two quar-
ters of fiscal 2023, from 24,235 animals in
the first two quarters of fiscal 2022.
The first half of fiscal 2023 registered a
22.9 per cent fall in the output of vegeta-
bles with 7,375 kilogrammes produced,
down from the 9,564.4 kilogrammes pro-
duced during the first half of fiscal 2022,
the Report also showed.
With regard to the employments levels,
PICTURE KRISTIAN DE SILVA
Mohammed again pointed to the Review of
the Economy 2023 document which shows
that the number of people engaged in the
agriculture, forest, hunting, and fishing in-
dustry climbed by 9.4 per cent to 22,200
during the first quarter of calendar 2023
from 20,300 during the previous quar-
ter, according to the most recent labour
force data from the Central Statistical Of-
fice (CSO). This represents 3.9 per cent of
T&T’s total employment in the most recent
quarter.
Mohammed referred to statistics that
show that for the 2024 fiscal year, the Gov-
ernment allocated $1.442 billion to the ag-
riculture sector, an increase of $112 million
over the previous year’s $1.330 billion allo-
cation in its attempt to bolster the agricul-
ture sector.
“Apart from the aforementioned com-
mitment of the Ministry of Agriculture,
Land, and Fisheries Ministry, the Honour-
able Minister also provided an additional
$400 million to the sector. This amount
consisted of $150 million for infrastructure
development via Palo Seco Agricultural
Enterprises Ltd (PSAEL) and $250 million
in incentives to farmers,” said Mohammed
Despite a larger allocation to the budget
for agriculture this fiscal year, he said there
are still many structural challenges to over-
come.
“Economic systems’ paths are deter-
mined by a multitude of variables, in-
cluding population dynamics, resource
availability and productivity, producer and
consumer behaviour and technological
advancements. T&T is the second-biggest
market in the English-speaking Caribbean
for US agricultural exports, at $368 million
in 2021. There are several reasons that re-
strict domestic agricultural production,
such as land availability and natural calam-
ities like drought and flooding. Due of this,
T&T is largely dependent on food imports,
with the US accounting for 40 per cent of
all food imports,” said the agricultural con-
sultant.
Sunday, January 21, 2024
guardian.co.tt
Agriculture consultant Riyadh Mohammed
Farmers’ challenges
Mohammed also listed some of the prob-
lems farmers face.
The issues encountered by subsistence
and small-scale livestock farmers include:
1) Lack of tropical and well-adapted live-
stock species and genetics for breeding
programmes;
2) The high cost of feed for monogastric
animal production;
3) Lack of resources by the public sec-
tor to properly advise and train farmers in
modern agricultural techniques, as well as
to supply timely support services (like arti-
ficial insemination, embryo transfer);
4) Untimely distribution of land leases;
5) Poor management and planning for
fodder production for the dry season for
ruminant production;
6) Praedial larceny;
7) Lack of a well-coordinated marketing
agency for livestock and livestock products;
8) Inaccurate data collection methods by
data collecting organisations, hence a mis-
representation of the true potential of local
agriculture; and
9) Lack of Policies for Wildlife farming
(eg, intensive agouti production).
He said for the food crop sector, some
issues revolve around the severity of
droughts and floods, overused and abused
soils without adequate regenerative micro-
bial investment, a loss of biodiversity due
to monoculture practices, an overwhelm-
ing resistance of pests and diseases, lack
of access to financing due to the high de-
mands of financial institutions, improper
access to roads, water and power to run
basic production operations and polluted
farmlands.
Finally, he gave recommendations of
some of these problems can be resolved.
“Recommendations for these issues
would include agile agrometeorology in-
formation sharing, a specific drive to cul-
tivate the life within our tropical soils and
an implementation in regenerative soil
conservation methods, larger and more
meaningful investment in infrastructure in
actual farming areas and consistent stake-
holder meetings with the leaders who rep-
resent our sector.”
Sunday, January 21, 2024
guardian.co.tt
T&T STOCK EXCHANGE TRADING SUMMARY
WEEKLY BULLETIN FOR THE WEEK ENDING JANUARY 19, 2024
NCB Financial Group Limited (NCBFG) -
19.01.2024
The T&T Stock Exchange (TTSE) received
notice from NCBFG advising that a
discrepancy was discovered in the
shareholder notification mail-out exercise
for the Notice of Annual General Meeting
(AGM), specifically related to a mismatch in
the name(s) and addresses on the label of
envelopes sent to shareholders.
Further information on this announcement
can be accessed via the following link:
https://www.stockex.co.tt/news/ncb-
financial-group-limited-discrepancy-in-the-
mail-out-for-the-notice-ofannual-general-
meeting/
Trinidad and Tobago NGL Limited
(NGL)—18.01.2024
The TTSE received notice from NGL advising
that Mr Javed Razack has ceased to being a
Director from NGL effective January 16.
National Investment Fund (NIF)—
17.01.2024
The TTSE received notice from NIF advising
that on January 22, 2024, it will launch a
NIF2 Five Year Bond for $400 million at a
rate of 4.5 per cent.
They further advised the following:
• The Bond will be backed by shares of
Republic Financial Holdings Limited (RFHL)
and will be offered for sale to individuals,
small business, credit unions and pension
plans. A small business being defined as
one with revenues of $25 million or less as
evidenced by Comparative Management
Accounts for 2021/2022 financial year
signed by two directors.
• The Bond will be sold in denominations
of $1,000 and interest will be paid semi-
stocks SB7
Angostura leads advancing stocks
For the week, some 507,665 shares The major advance this week was
MARKET ACTIVITY FOR WEEK ENDED JANUARY 19, 2024 traded on the First Tier Market, a Angostura Holdings Limited (AHL)
decrease of 27.10 per cent on the pre- up 7.93 per cent or $1.59 to close
Market Trades Volume Value (TT$) vious week’s total of 696,386 shares at $21.64, JMMB Group Limited
First Tier 254 507,665 11,932,031.00 crossing the floor. The value of the ( JMMBGL) followed with an increase
Mutual Fund 4 80 1,880.00 shares traded was up 47.28 per cent of 7.03 per cent or $0.09 to close at
SME 1 70 1,015.00
to $11,932,031.00 from the previous $1.37. In third place was National
Total 259 507,815 11,934,926.00 week’s value of $8,101,560.10. Enterprises Limited (NEL) with an
Massy Holdings (MASSY) was the increase of 4.46 per cent or $0.16 to
MARKET INDICES AS AT JANUARY 19, 2024 volume leader this week with 22.89 close at $3.75.
Index Value Weekly % Change YTD % Change per cent of the market activity or Trinidad Cement Limited (TCL) was
Composite Index 1,207.89 0.67 (0.51) 116,219 shares traded. Massy has been the major decline this week down
All T&T Index 1,816.43 0.59 0.30 in top three for the past three weeks. 5.36 per cent or $0.17 to close at
Cross Listed Index 77.91 0.97 (3.23) In second place was GraceKennedy $3.00. In second place was National
SME Index 78.23 0.00 10.62 (GKC) with 17.58 per cent or 89,247 Flour Mills Limited (NFM) with a de-
Market Capitalization115,142,374,068 0.67 (0.50) shares traded, followed by First crease of 2.01 per cent or $0.04 to
Citizens Group Financial Holdings close at $1.95, followed by The West
DIVIDEND/CAPITAL DISTRIBUTION PAYMENTS (FCGFH) with 12 per cent or 60,928 Indian Tobacco Company Limited
shares traded. (WCO) down 0.90 per cent or $0.08
Security Amount Ex-Div. Date Record Date Payment Date
CPFV 0.0227 10.01.24 12.01.24 22.03.24 These shares accounted for 52.47 to close at $8.82, its 52-week low.
AGL 1.10 27.12.23 29.12.23 01.02.24 per cent of the shares traded for the There was no activity on the Sec-
NEL 0.24 04.01.24 08.01.24 22.01.24 week. ond Tier Market.
SBTT 0.70 27.12.23 29.12.23 19.01.24 The indices ended the week in pos- On the TTD Mutual Fund Mar-
FCI* 0.0125 14.12.23 18.12.23 18.01.24 itive territory: ket, 80 Calypso Macro Index Fund
• The Composite Index increased (CALYP) units traded this week at a
Dividends of cross listed companies are quoted in their national by 0.67 per cent or 8.09 points to value of $1,880. CALYP’s unit price
currencies. *Dividend quoted in US dollars. close at 1,207.89; closed at $23.50 unchanged from last
• The All Trinidad and Tobago week.
annually in August and February. The proposed date for the close of Index ended at 1,816.43 up 0.59 per On the Small and Medium Enter-
the offering is February 9, 2024. First Citizens Brokerage and Advisory
cent or 10.68 points; prise Market, 70 Endeavour Hold-
Services Ltd is the Lead Broker for the Bond offering.
• The Cross-Listed Index increased ings Limited (EHL) shares traded at
CinemaOne Limited (CINE1)—15.01.2024 by 0.97 per cent or 0.75 points to a value of $1,015.00, while no Cin-
The TTSE received notice from CINE1 advising that a Senior Officer close at 77.91; and emaOne (CINE1) shares traded this
purchased 100 CINE1 shares on January 11, 2024. • The Small and Medium Enterprise week. EHL’s share price closed at
Index ended at 78.23, unchanged for $14.75, and CINE1 closed at $6.90
FirstCaribbean International Bank Limited (FCI)—11.01.2024 week. both unchanged from last week.
The TTSE received notice from FCI advising that its Board of Directors For the week, there were nine On the USD Equity Market, no MPC
by Board resolution fixed January 26, 2024 as the Record Date for shares advancing and seven shares Caribbean Clean Energy Ltd (MPC-
the determination of shareholders entitled to receive notice of the declining, while one share was at its CEL) shares traded this week.
Annual Meeting of Shareholders which is scheduled to be held on 52-week high and one share was at its MPCCEL shares closed the week at
March 15, 2024. 52-week low. US$0.98, unchanged from last week.
 SB8 Sunday, January 21, 2024
guardian.co.tt

Cariri salutes
engineering
clients Some of the
exhibitors at
The Caribbean Industrial Re- Cariri’s
search Institute (Cariri) held a appreciation
event.
client appreciation event on Jan-
uary 12, 2024 for its engineering PICTURES
services clientele at its Freeport COURTESY
location. CARIRI
The event acknowledged the
institute’s dedication to bridging
the gap between academia and
industry, transforming ideas into
tangible realities that contribute
to the region’s development. The
event served as a moment of grat-
itude for the integral role each
participant played in Cariri’s
journey, expressing excitement
about strengthening relation-
ships and exploring collaborative
possibilities in 2024 and beyond.

Executive manager, Engineering Services, Sherland Sheppard, left, with Ancil “Blaze” Issac and Cariri’s Jason Spence, left, of Home Solutions Ltd, with Lisa Ramoutar, head, industrial materials
CEO Hans-Erich Schulz. unit, civil department.

The Effluent Management Solutions team and the Arawak team. A cross-section of the audience.