Trinidad and Tobago is a “model to the world as a diverse nation of people of many origins who have been able to forge an enduring unity”, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said in her Independence Day Message to the nation. She said all T&T nationals at home and abroad can can be very proud of the country’s achievements, development and influence as an independent nation. 

“We are richer for our diversity and differences and we are stronger as a nation because of the harmony which exists. Today is a day for all our people whatever their race, background or location,” she said. 

“The responsibility is on us all to remain true to the founding principles of our nation. The challenge to us is to ensure an even better future for our children. 

“We can be very proud of the performance of our economy, our education system, our healthcare, our infrastructure and our provision of homes. We can also be proud of our achievements in sports, through cricket, football, boxing, and athletics. But let us make the most of what we have and move forward to a better tomorrow.

“Let us all work to continue the progress made since independence and to secure an even better future for Trinidad and Tobago.”

VALDEEN SHEARS

Just days after he resigned as Minister of Community Development and a member of the United National Congress (UNC), Winston “Gypsy” Peters was given a rapturous welcome by supporters of the People’s National Movement (PNM) when he made a surprise appearance at the party’s public meeting at the Rio Claro Roundabout on Saturday night.

The former minister’s arrival was acknowleged from the platform by chairperson for the evening, Nafeesa Mohammed, as he made his way through the crowd to loud applause. He was also welcomed by the party’s Mayaro candidate, Clarence Rambharat, chairman Franklin Khan and political leader Dr Keith Rowley. Dressed ub a red shirt and smiling broadly, Peters shook hands with several persons in the large crowd before taking up a position near the stage.

“Welcome Gypsy! Welcome Mr Peters, welcome on board!” Mohammed shouted. Rambarath, who had expected to face Gypsy in the battle for the seat, told his former rival he should count himself lucky even though he felt he had been treated badly by the party he once represented. “I want to say to Gypsy, as much as you might be upset and distraught by the treatment they gave to you, say thank God you are alive,” the PNM candidate said.

On a lighter note, Rowley said Peters had gone sightseeing and it was a good thing he had finally found his way back. Rowley said he understood the reasoning behind Peters’ decision. He said all parties, while they may have different methods,  ought to share the same objectives but this had not been the case with the UNC, which Peters recently found out for himself. 

“My good friend Gypsy simply went sight seeing, but that was okay,” the PNM leader said Later in his address, Rowley again touched on  Peter’s defection from the ruling coalition when he recalled Persad-Bissessar’s invitation for citizens to take her hand. He warned citizens against accepting that invitation.

“In fact, my friend Gypsy will tell you don’t take that invitation, don’t even touch that hand!!” he said. Peters, who has been the MP for Mayaro for four years, severed ties with the UNC last week after he was overlooked as a candidate by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar. Businessman Rushton Paray is the UNC candidate for Mayaro.

If the PNM is elected into office on September 7, they will cut funding to the health sector to finance their $60 billion dollar rapid rail project. That was the warning from former chairman of the South West Regional Health Authority (SWRHA) Dr Lackram Bodoe when he spoke a UNC political meeting in Point Fortin on Saturday evening. 

Bodoe, who is contesting the Fyzabad seat under a UNC banner, said the PNM has admitted to not having a plan to pay for the rapid rail. “Their only policy is to build a $60 billion dollar rapid rail, They have admitted they have no plan to pay for it,” Bodoe said. “They don’t care that it will mean savage cuts to our healthcare, that it will threaten the services that you and your family depend on.”

Bodoe said the cuts would include specialist services at hospitals. “They will get rid of the specialists that help you out in emergency matters at the hospitals you need. The PNM’s railroad will impact on the services you depend on.” He said the cuts would also include jobs in the health sector.
“How many of you are nurses, doctors and work in the health sector? Under the PNM government you are all being threatened! In nine days time we will reject them and their rapid rail just like we did in 2010,” he said

The UNC candidate for Point Fortin, Ravi Ratiram, lashed out at the PNM’s outgoing MP, Paula Gopee-Scoon, saying she had neglected her constituents. “The biggest complaint I got on my walkabouts was that she did nothing for them. A lot of people did not even know who she is,” he said. “She said she was not going to go back up, because it was too far for her, but like it was too far even while she was the MP.”

Ratiram said the PNM’s manifesto promises to upgrades to the Point Fortin Health Facility that had already been done by the PP. “The PNM don’t pass the Lighthouse. They don’t keep in touch with Point Fortin, they do not even know that upgrade has already been done by the PP and the Prime Minister,” he said.

Kamla: Stay strong

In just seven days, the nation will go to the polls and Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar is urging supporters to stay strong until then. Addressing a crowd of supporters in Point Fortin on Saturday night, Persad-Bissessar said as the time gets shorter, the Opposition PNM will become more desperate.

“When Parliament was dissolved I warned you to be prepared and I told you they would come with every manner of lies and tricks and so said, so done,” she said. 

“As we go into this last week they will become more desperate, more vicious, but I ask you stay strong, be brave and stay focused and we will win! Victory is at hand!”

Persad-Biussessar told supporters three more Coast Guard vessels will added to the three commissioned last week. “Three more ships are on the way and that will continue to work to keep the gun runners off and to keep away those who are trafficking humans,” she said.

“You are waterlogged by the sea and those ships will be very important to keep you in Point Fortin, Icacos and Cedros safe.”

Six months after Southern fashion designer Kirby Mohammed disappeared without a trace, his mother made an emotional social media plea for his captors to return him regardless of his condition. Linda Mohammed, managing director of Trinzuela College, took to Facebook to express her grief  over the weekend.

In a post on Kirby’sFacebook page, Mohammed said: “We as a family, myself and his three brothers and so many of his relatives and friends, are faithfully waiting to hear from him. The pain lingers from day to day which is like an internal nightmare for us all.” She said none of her son’s belongings were ever found. 

“Kirby was apparently abducted, his car taken away from him, his computer confiscated, his personal documents—ID, driver’s permit, all bank cards, car insurance, withdrawals from his bank account—all that he had on his possession that unforgettable day was taken from him.” Mohammed pleaded with those responsible for her son’s disappearance to surrender to the police. 

“I hope that the individuals who have taken my fatherless son and our dear friend will one day surrender to the law or to the lord Jesus Christ for this inhumane act and would have the courage to return him to us so that the Lord can forgive them for what they have done to tear an entire family's life apart,” she said

She asked that they return her son, no matter his condition. “I am still pleading with them to please return my son, regardless to his condition or the circumstances to me!”

Police: We are building a case

The T&T Guardian contacted Southern Division Inspector Don Gajadhar who said the police have not given up their search for Kirby. “We are doing continuous work, we have not stopped,” he said. “We had retrieved some information and exhibits and we sent it for analysis.”

Gajadhar said the police have a suspect and are in the building a case against that person. “We are not sitting down on this, we are in the process of building our case, we have the technical people checking information related to his laptop,” he said.

In response to claims that Point Fortin was neglected during her tenure as Member of Parliament, Paula Gopee Scoon said she did her best given the limitations of  being an opposition representative. She said projects earmarked for the constituency were abandoned when the People’s National Movement (PNM) lost the election in 2010.

Pledging support for her successor Major General Edmund Dillon, Gopee Scoon said this was not good bye. “The only person we must say good bye to is Kamla. Goodbye Kamla. Hello Rowley,“ Gopee Scoon told crowds at Market Square during a political meeting hosted by the PNM

The outgoing MP said during the tenure of Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar people in the Borough were denied access to tertiary education. She said requests to have the curriculum altered to suit their industrial environment have gone on deaf ears. She said the People’s Partnership government also abandoned plans to develop a UTT campus in the borough although an agreement had been signed between Atlantic LNG and UTT to construct the facility on lands acquired from Petrotrin.

“This Government came in to office and despite appeals to Fazal Karim, the UTT Campus project in Point Fortin has been abandoned,” she said Gopee-Scoon also said that during the Patrick Manning administration approval was granted the construction of the Point Fortin Hospital at a cost of $650 million with China Railway Corporation as the approved contractor.

“To date all kinds of attempts were made to build hospitals every other place but Point Fortin, with bobol attached to some like the SNC Lavelin issue and the Penal Hospital. But five years later, no hospital in Point Fortin,” she said. 

“They do a multimillion dollar sod turning ceremony, pitch some dirt, surround the site with galvanise and put two cranes on the property and fool the people of Point Fortin. And that hospital, they propose to build is costing more than twice the price of that proposed by us.”

Gopee-Scoon challenged Coudray, the UNC caretaker for Point Fortin whom she suggested was afraid to contest the seat, to come outside and face the people. She said Coudray was going around asking questions and seeking answers about the election. Gopee Scoon said she felt sorry for the people of  Coromandel and Granville, Cedros, who after five years have been absolutely ignored and taken for granted by the UNC.

“They paid token visits, brief, and they came by boat and helicopter. They rejected you but for the lighting of recreation grounds. The rusty old barge, after much protests, has not been removed. The new jetty recommended by me not contemplated. Work on the main Icacos watercourse remains incomplete, causing much filth and disease, an environmental hazard.”

“The few roads being paved had been requested by us, all during the term but elections coming so now they paving.

“Is a tief head situation. They mamaguy the people for their votes and then absconded and now all they could do is impose Ravi Ratiram as their representative.”

There is need for more teamwork and better co-ordination in the tourism sector to achieve sustainability says Keith Chin, chief executive officer at the Tourism Development Company (TDC). He was speaking about this country’s desire to establish more nature trails as part of an eco-tourism drive. The T&T Incoming Tour Operators Association (TTITOA) is the project leader and reportedly brought a wealth of experience to this initiative.

Chin believes the project has cultural and economic wealth as routes appeal to a variety of users such as overnight visitors who see this as part of their special interest holiday, as well as staying visitors that frequent the route on day excursions, or urban domestic visitors. Developing this market, he said, will contribute to the protection and strengthening of the identity and unique heritage of the destination, whilst ensuring the survival of the destination and tourism enterprises in the global marketplace.

“The rapid development of tourism worldwide has led an increasing number of developing countries to exploit natural and cultural assets that have tourism potential, such as warm climate, cultural wealth and biodiversity. Tourism creates significant opportunities to develop infrastructure, create employment, promote local circular flow of income, preserve natural resources and culture and aid in poverty alleviation,” he said.

“The natural richness and cultural diversity found in many countries and region is unique and different and provides major unique selling propositions for developing and emerging countries, which set them apart from competing tourism destinations.”

In the past two decades, he said, tourism routes have mushroomed all over the world, in particular in the developed world. This trend, said the TDC official, emerged because new terrain offers important product and development opportunities in a market where there is a shift away from standardised mass tourism to more individualistic patterns, where the increasing need of visitors to experience new things and have a more meaningful experience has gained prominence.

“The TDC is mandated to develop and market T&T’s tourism product and improve the local tourism sector. The trails project which we have officially launched affords us the opportunity especially in peripheral regions to contribute to the creation of or development of the basic tourism product offering coupled with a nature and cultural product that can only be experiences at the destination,” Chin said.

My name is Bede Rajahram and I am the president of the Trinidad & Tobago Beekeepers’ Association.

Rajahram is an unusual spelling of an unusual name! Bede is an unusual name, too. I was born on the saint day of Saint Bede. My wife is Deepa.

I was a Catholic but I’m Hindu now. Well, I’m more open-minded than anything else. I’ll equally go to temple, mosque or church. But more not go to any, really. When I’m in the forest, that’s my church.
I came down Diego Martin when I got married. We’ve been there for the last 31 years but I still think of myself as “coming from” Couva.
 
I have elementary, secondary and some university education. I think I’m a perpetual student. I study beekeeping and travel for beekeeping conferences but not to Vegas. I’ve been to Miami, Guyana, Grenada, St Croix just last year.

In Trinidad, we have Africanised bees. Most beekeepers today grew up with European bees. You can be very rough with them. Bang your smoker on top of a hive and one or two bees will come out and look at you and go back in. You even open a cover too roughly with Africanised bees and they coming out at you. And not to investigate, they coming to sting! I wouldn’t say they’re “bad”— they’re defensive. Handling them is a little different.
 
Lord Kitchener’s song, “The Bees’ Melody” is a beautiful piece of music I identify with. I’ve lost check of how many times I’ve been stung. But I don’t get stung often again, because I’ve learned how to handle the bees properly.
 
In about 1979, the Ministry was giving courses at the St Augustine Nurseries in Curepe. They had this beekeeping and I was absolutely fascinated. From that time onwards, I kept learning about bees. I have close to 35 years’ experience.
 
When you realise how valuable they are, you start to see a different angle to bees. Most people don’t realise that one-third of the food they eat is because of bees. The world is losing bees at an alarming rate, especially in North America and Europe. We now have to protect what is ours.
 
35 years is a long time to be with bees. But, in the hives, you get peace and quiet.
 
I’m seeing the failure of agriculture. Nothing seems to have improved, regardless of the government; things actually seem to be worsening! Recently the Trade Minister made attempts to change the law [against imported honey], without setting up the protective machinery. We could lose all our bees! Diseases will come in in the honey itself. Somebody just has to pour their honey and leave it outside and there’s a little drip that comes down. Bees have a very strong sense of smell. They’ll carry that honey back to the hive. The bacteria starts to multiply and, very soon, you have a full-scale disease.
 
Trinidad is basically organic: we don’t use chemicals against any disease that affects bees. If we had a disease come in through foreign imported honey [and it required chemical responses], we would no longer be considered organic—which would close off a lot of our market, to a lot of countries.

Trinidad and Tobago means home to me. I’ve travelled to a lot of countries and there are very few I would like to stay in.

Read a longer version of this feature at www.BCRaw.com

Honey is only harvested in the dry season, the honey-flow season, when the majority of our trees flower. The bees store the honey until it reaches the right consistency and then seal off those cells. When we see the honey capped off, we know it’s ready to extract. It’s filtered, to remove wax particles, and bottled right away, or put in a large tank to settle, then bottled.

It is very hurtful to see people drink soft drinks and drop the bottle on the ground! That, to me, is what a Trini shouldn’t be!
 

The best thing about being a beekeeper is being with my bees out in remote regions in the middle of forests. There are no bad things with bees. There are bad beekeepers. Even bee stings aren’t bad! I actually treat people with arthritis with bee stings. I take bees to them and give them bee stings on swollen joints! It brings tremendous relief. The bees die after stinging, though.

As the nation celebrated its 53rd anniversary of independence, the families of four men who were killed yesterday were in mourning.

While police did not release the identities of two victims whose bodies were found dumped at the side of Mc Bean Local Road, Couva yesterday, relatives believe they are Jason Lightfoot and Andy Maharaj, who were reported missing since Friday.

Lightfoot and Maharaj, a father of one, were last seen after they left their Hasarath Road, Cunupia home to visit Maharaj’s brother-in-law in St Mary’s, Freeport. 

According to police reports, around 6.45 am yesterday, Central Division officers received information about two bodies lying at the side of the road, in Couva. 

Officers of the Couva CID, lead by PC Flaviney responded and found the men, one of African decent and the other of East Indian descent, with their hands and feet bound. 

They both had gunshot wounds to the head. 

District Medical Officer Dr Indarjit Birjah visited the scene and ordered the bodies be removed to the San Fernando Mortuary.

Relatives of the two missing men visited the mortuary yesterday but were told today to view the bodies.

And in separate incidents, Homicide officers were called in to investigate the deaths of two men in Barataria yesterday.

Police said Kevon Smith was liming outside a house party at Sixth Avenue around 2 am when gunmen walked up to him and opened fire. 

The gunmen then escaped into a waiting vehicle, a report said.

In the second incident, residents at Third Avenue, Upper Barataria, said they heard screams around 5.30 am. 

When they checked they saw John Godfrey lying on the roadway with multiple stab wounds. He died on the spot. Police said they are still working on the motive for their deaths.

Their bodies were viewed by the district medical officer who ordered them removed to the Forensic Science Centre for an autopsy. 

The latest murders have taken the toll to 279 for the year.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar yesterday defended her decision to award politicians and former Members of Parliament Winston Dookeran and Errol McLeod the nation’s highest award—the Order of Trinidad and Tobago. 

Speaking to members of the media after the Police Service Independence Day function at the Police Administration Building on St Vincent Street, Port-of-Spain, Persad-Bissessar said that Dookeran is a long standing politician, an economist, and McLeod is a dedicated labour leader, both of whom have contributed tremendously to the nation. 

Dookeran, the founder of the Congress of the People and McLeod, a former founder of the Movement for Social Justice, were key figures in forming the coalition People’s Partnership which came into office in 2010. 

When asked about the criticisms she has received on social media about giving two politicians the Order of the Republic of T&T, Persad-Bissessar said, “There are some people always on social media who find everything I do very odd. I think they are very deserving.”

She stated that as a long standing economist Dookeran has served in public life, in academic life and at the Central Bank, and that he has given back a lot to the country.

“Mr Dookeran has served in public life, academic life and at the Central Bank, he is a well known economist and I think he is very deserving. He is no longer a Member of Parliament and that is important to note,” she said. 

Addressing McLeod’s achievements she said that McLeod, a former president general of Oilfields Workers’ Trade Union for 21 years, was a hard-working trade unionist who fought for the rights of workers. She also reaffirmed that as an outgoing MP, and like Dookeran, he will not be contesting this year’s general elections on September 7. 

“Minister McLeod is no longer an MP as well, and will not be an MP, as Dookeran will not be an MP. He too was a great trade unionist in all the decades that he has served. He is well deserving of that order. One an economist and one a person standing up for the rights of workers; I think they are both well deserving,” she said.

Former head of the public service Reginald Dumas said yesterday he was not disagreeing with giving Dookeran or McLeod the award, but there must be a reform in the way that people are selected for the national awards. 

He emphasised that there should be an independent process adopted to ensure that the award is a national honour and not awarded because of nepotism.

“People get awards, I regret to say, who do not deserve awards, because they have done some favour or service to the party, or to the Prime Minister personally,” Dumas said. 

Opposition leader, Dr Keith Rowley, said yesterday that he had nothing to say about the awards and he will not comment on the awards. 

About the award

The Order of the Republic of T&T was installed as this country’s new highest national award 2008, replacing the Trinity Cross for Distinguished and Outstanding Service to T&T. The name change arose after complaints from Hindu and Muslim religious leaders that it was not representative of all faiths.

Some of the former recipients of the Trinity Cross include: Dr Rudranath Capildeo for his contribution in the sphere of Science, Sir Ellis Clarke, QC who drafted the Constitution of Independent T&T, Sir Solomon Hochoy, the then Governor General and Ex-Officio of T&T, and Sir Hugh Wooding, for his contribution to Justice as he was the then Chief Justice.

Last year former prime ministers Basdeo Panday and Patrick Manning were offered the Order of T&T, but they both declined. 

The National Awards Committee is chaired by Chief Justice Ivor Archie. 

President Anthony Carmona yesterday hailed the country’s youngest-ever recipient of a national award, four-year-old Kal-El Joel Maxwell Alleyne as a leader in the making.

Carmona was speaking at Independence Day celebrations 2015, at the Fire Services headquarters, Wrightson Road, in Port-of-Spain.

Alleyne, who is also called “Superman” was awarded the Humming Bird Medal (Bronze) for gallantry at last night’s Independence Awards at Queen’s Hall, St Ann’s. 

Alleyne of Santa Cruz was labelled a hero after climbed up a 300-foot precipice to get help for his mother and aunt who ran off North Coast Road to Maracas on August 18. Carmona was high in praise for fire officers for “bigging up” Alleyne. 

“What you all have done, you all have made a leader in him.”

“This is what, as adults we need to do. We need leaders of our young men and our young women in the communities, the villages, the towns.”

Earlier in his 17-minute speech, Carmona said there were too many “dustbin” critics in T&T. 

“So, the fact that a dustbin makes a lot of noise doesn’t give a dustbin depth, it may give it size but it does not necessarily give it profoundity,” Carmona said before toasting to the nation 53rd anniversary celebrations.

“We have a lot of dustbins throughout our society banging the roads,” he said.

“There is nothing wrong with saying that something is wrong (in the country) but there is something wrong with saying that if you are doing something right, it is wrong.”

He added: “We live in a society where, sometimes, entrenched wrongs have become entrenched rights. And no matter how you push to change that, there is a perception that you are encroaching on freedom (of expression).”

Carmona insisted: “That is the reality of our society.”

He said in the same way the shootouts at Walmart in America don’t define that country, “the hiccups we endure and we have to bear, they do not define us.”

He said, “we are engaged too much in negativity and not positivity as a nation” and as the country begins its 54th year of independence, “we have to change that paradigm. We have to learn to appreciate each other (and) engage in compassion, kindness, decency man, simple basic decency.”

Carmona said that was necessary “because at the end of the day, we all going to go down in a place 6 x 6 x 3.”

He also spoke about the young people in crime hot-spots who were dying because of engaging criminal activity. 

He said he would say to them, “you want to be put in a board coffin where Jah Cure music and Vybz Kartel music are played and your partners (are) drinking beers on your head, while your mother is crying and those are your friends.”

Among those in attendance at the celebrations were Chief Justice Ivor Archie and Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley—who requested the Fire Services band to perform Frank Sinatra’s My Way—National Security Minister Brigadier Carl Alfonso, acting Chief Fire Officer Kenny Gopaul, and Port-of-Spain Mayor Raymond Tim Kee. 

Three veteran calypsonians were added to a growing list of their peers who have received National Awards for outstanding contributions to the country’s indigenous calypso art form.

They are: Composer (Fred Mitchell), Lord Superior (Andrew Marcano), and Allrounder (Anthony Hendrickson), each of whom were awarded the Humming Bird Medal (Silver) at Queen’s Hall, St Ann’s, Independence Day awards ceremony last night.

Composer is known to calypso lovers as the “Uncrowned Calypso King” mainly because of the number of times he was named runner-up at the National Monarch Competition. Born in Icacos, he was a member of the “Singing Mitchells” family group that sang chorus lines for Sparrow’s National Recording Company productions, before launching out on his own as a calypsonian at Sparrow’s Original Young Brigade tent in 1964.

Frequently referred to as “Supie,” Superior made his debut in 1954 at age 16 singing a hit song entitled “Coconut.” In those days he was recognised as the youngest calypsonian to perform locally. 

He retired from active competition in 1975 after winning the South title on two occasions and placing fourth in the Calypso King competition in Port-of-Spain. 

He travelled the globe frequently with the Lord Kitchener and Lord Melody while performing steadily for several years in the US Virgin Islands.

Allrounder’s career started at ten to ten on the 6th of January 1967 when he performed a calypso titled My Little Brother Charlie composed by his wife Wilma, who decided that his calypso sobriquet be Allrounder for the mere reason that he could have been seen and heard “all around.” 

Up to the present day, he still believes that 1956 was the most blessed and luckiest year for him, since he met his wife while singing in a Baptist church. His wife turned out to be a prolific writer, as well as his second daughter Shirlane who now writes for him.

Awardees

The trio will be added to the official database of National Awardees:

1969—Mighty Sparrow (Slinger Francisco)

—Humming Bird Medal (Silver)

1981—Roaring Lion (Rafael DeLeon)

—Humming Bird Medal (Silver)

1987—Black Stalin (Leroy Calliste)

—Humming Bird Medal (Silver)

1989—Lord Melody (Fitzroy Alexander)

—Humming Bird Medal (Silver)—(Posthumous)

1992—Brother Resistance (Lutalo Masimba)

—Humming Bird Medal (Silver)

1992—David Rudder—Humming Bird Medal (Silver)

1993—Mighty Sparrow (Slinger Francisco)

—Chaconia Medal (Gold)

1994—Roaring Lion (Raphael DeLeon)

—Chaconia Medal (Gold)

1994—Lord Pretender (Alric Farrell)

—Humming Bird Medal (Gold)

1996—Brother Marvin (Selwyn Demming)

—Humming Bird Medal (Silver)

2000—Calypso Rose (McCartha Lewis)

—Humming Bird Medal (Gold) 

2005—Paul “Bill” Trotman

—Humming Bird Medal (Silver)

2011—Denyse Plummer—Humming Bird Medal (Gold)

2012—Brother Valentino (Emrold Phillip)

—Humming Bird Medal (Gold)

2012—Rikki Jai (Samraj Jaimungal)

—Humming Bird Medal (Gold)

2014—Mighty Sparrow (Slinger Francisco)

—Order of Trinidad and Tobago.

Even as the death toll rose to 25 yesterday, Dominica issued a public appeal for their most vulnerable—babies and the elderly.

A statement issued by the Office of the Prime Minister in St Lucia made the appeal on behalf of a storm-ravaged country which has seen several villages marooned five days after Tropical Storm Erika hit the island.

T&T, along with other Caricom countries, has been first to respond, sending search and rescue teams and other relief supplies.

Four helicopters from the Air Guard, which would have usually been part of the fly-past for the Independence Day Parade in Port-of-Spain, have been deployed to aid in rescue missions.

They have been operating out of a base in St Lucia as the airport in Dominica was wrecked by flooding and remains closed.

Dr Stephen Ramroop, CEO of the Office of Disaster and Preparedness Management (ODPM) told the T&T Guardian that within six hours of the storm hitting the country, there was a request from the Dominican government for relief efforts. 

“The head of CDEMA (Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency) requested assistance. Through the ODPM with assistance from the NOC (National Operations Centre) we were able to coordinate our efforts to send people to assist with the search and rescue,” Ramroop said. 

Twelve people were initially sent in to help with the search and rescue aid. Four helicopters were also sent in as aid to the country. The 12 relief workers will be sent in cycles. The first cycle of relief workers has already returned to Trinidad and another set is being deployed. Ramroop said the second wave of assistance was ready to be deployed to Dominica via St Lucia.

Ramroop said they were still in the early phases of the search and rescue, and T&T’s goal was to assist with the recovery effort. He further stated that there were parts of Dominica that had become isolated by the landslides. T&T has already sent food and water supplies to those areas.

The third phase of relief, Ramroop said, would be to provide structural assistance. He said soon T&T would be sending Bailey bridges, equipment such as hammers, wheelbarrows and water pumps. Ramroop said this aid was only the first phase of the disaster relief effort. 

Soon, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar will be briefed on the situation and further aid will be assessed and provided then, he said. 

Rear Admiral Richard Kelshall has visited Dominica with the ODPM and the T&T Defence Force. He is expected to provide a report on what further aid the country needs. 

Personnel from the Fire Services, the Ministries of Works and Local Government, the ODPM volunteers and other staff members were among those who were sent into Dominica, Ramroop said. 

Last Thursday, Dominica was hit by the storm which caused heavy rainfall, floods and mudslides acrosss the country. Many parts of the island still remain isolated because major roadways and the airport were closed. The death toll rose to 25 yesterday, with many others still reported missing. 

Other forms of disaster relief to Dominica have been coming in from private organisations such as the Rotary Club. The T&T sector of the Rotary Club is co-ordinating with the Dominican chapter to send relief items to the country. 

Yesterday, a regional request from the Office of the Prime Minister in St Lucia asked for donations of items such as water pumps, chain saws, power generators, shovels, pickaxes, protective gear, ropes, adult diapers and wipes, hand sanitisers, baby milk and cereal and other items. 

However, Ramroop said that people who wanted to donate to Dominica, should send cash instead of items.

“It is easier to coordinate efforts if we purchase the items from the same place instead of taking the time to sort though the items sent,” Ramroop said.

Two men died in separate accidents in the Eastern Division over the weekend.

Police said Kenson Humphrey, of Rio Claro was killed after crashing his Nissan Almera into an electricity pole along the M2 Ring Road, Ste Madeline on Saturday night. He died on the scene.

Reports state around 8.30 pm, Humphrey, 34, of Sunny Mohammed Trace, Rio Claro was returning to his home after a boat ride in San Fernando.

Brandon Jeffers, 33, also of Rio Claro, a passenger, was taken the San Fernando General Hospital and treated for injuries.

Cpl Callendar of the Ste Madeline Police is continuing investigations. 

And a 33-year-old Sangre Grande man was killed on Sunday night after colliding with another vehicle at the Old Valencia Road intersection.

Police said Brian Lewis of Second Caigual Road, Manzanilla died on the spot.

A report said around 11 pm, the driver of a grey Mazda pickup was heading west when his car collided with Lewis’ car. Officers of the Valencia and Sangre Grande Fire Station and Police Station responded under the direction of Insp Thom.

The other driver, a 43-year-old man, remains warded at the Sangre Grande District Hospital.

Police also reported yesterday that a Freeport man, who was injured in an accident in Couva on Saturday night, succumbed to his injuries at the San Fernando General Hospital yesterday.

Rajesh Persad, of St Mary’s Village, Beaucarro, Freeport was injured when his Honda Civic car collided with a black Tiida driven by a police officer at the intersection of the Southern Main Road and Exchange Road.

Both drivers were injured and taken to the San Fernando General Hospital. The female police officer is said to be in stable condition. 

“Take your evidence to the police.”

That’s the advice of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar in response to claims by Opposition leader Dr Keith Rowley that an employee in the Office of the Prime Minister has links to a $644 million dollar drug bust. 

Addressing supporters at a People’s Partnership meeting in Mayaro on Sunday night, Persad-Bissessar chalked Rowley’s claims up to hearsay. 

“I am reading in today’s paper he is asking a question and what he is saying he says “Listen, I know somebody who knows somebody who knows somebody else, who knows somebody else who knows somebody else, who say that somebody else working in the Office of the Prime Minister working with some other company,” she said. 

“But listen man, if you have any type of wrong doing whether you work in my office, in your office or anywhere else, take your evidence to the police, take it to the police.”

At a People’s National Movement (PNM) meeting in Moruga on Friday night, Rowley challenged Persad-Bissessar to tell the nation whether there is an employee of the Prime Minister’s office with ties to the 2013 $644 m drug bust, where 7,000 pounds of cocaine were found in juice tins. 

But Persad-Bissessar said her track record shows that she supports no wrongdoers.

“I will protect no wrong doers, my track record shows when there was impropriety even at my own personal pain, I fired them. I fired those who were not acting properly, who were not working in accordance with law.”

She equated Rowley’s claims with the 2013 Emailgate scandal.

“You know it is the same thing he did with Emailgate, the fabricated false emails he brought to the Parliament. When he brought it, why did he do it so? If you think that I and other ministers were conspiring to do the things you say, why did you not take it to the police?”

She threw out her own question to Rowley, asking him what he had done as MP for Diego Martin West during his decades-long tenure. 

“For decades you have been the MP for Diego Martin West, point something, touch something, show us one thing you did for the people of Diego Martin West. Show us,” she challenged.

“Because it was my government and it was me that opened the Carenage Health Facility right in Diego Martin West. It was the Partnership government that did the dualling of the Diego Martin Highway and many other projects done in his own constituency.”

Kevin Baldeosingh

​Both the People’s Partnership (PP) and the People’s National Movement (PNM) have been making many promises even before the election campaign officially started in August.

But which party is promising more?

As it turns out, the PNM and the PP are neck for neck, according to a count of the promises listed in their manifestos, which were both released in August.

Both contain around 300 promises. It is difficult to be exact, since some of the promises are repeated in different forms, especially in the PP manifesto.

The PNM has bullet points for its promises, which makes counting convenient, but the PP seems to have aimed at 30 promises per sector, which makes a total estimate easier.

The core question, of course, is how reliable are these promises? The Partnership has provided its own measure by claiming in its 2015 manifesto that “90 per cent Of Our 2010 Manifesto Promises Have Been Delivered And/Or Are In Progress.”

The “in progress” phrase is a hedge, since they can claim that a promise has been kept just on the basis of a signed agreement or a sod-turning ceremony. But what percentage of their promises have actually been delivered? 

(An analysis of PNM promises was written by reporter Rhonda Krystal Rambally and columnist Hamid Ghany in this week’s Sunday Guardian.)

The PP’s 2010 manifesto had just over 400 promises. Two of the pledges at the start of the document apparently fall under the 10 per cent that have neither been delivered nor are in progress: “Limiting the Prime Minister to two successive terms as Head of Government” and “Rules governing the conduct of the Government and political parties during an election period.” 

The third promise was half-fulfilled: “We will establish a Constitution Commission to engage in the widest possible consultation as a pre-requisite to constitutional reform.”

And what about the main concern of citizens for the past 15 years—crime? The PP’s 2010 manifesto had approximately 21 crime-fighting promises, while its 2015 manifesto has 30 such promises. (See Box One)

Of the ten key initiatives listed in the 2010 document, only two have been implemented: setting up the National Security Operational Centre (NSOC) and strengthening “the National Security Council to link intelligence, strategy and execution in crime fighting.” However, the overall goal of reducing serious crimes, according to Acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams, has been achieved with a 50 per cent reduction (except for homicides) as compared to 2009 figures. The Partnership also had a 32-point checklist titled “120 Days of Immediate Action.” 

Box Two lists the 13 promises which weren’t kept. (See Box Two)

Using the loosest criteria, 20 of these proposals were implemented, which is 56 per cent. The 2010 manifesto also had nine general goals, within which the following promises were not kept: a land use and physical planning framework; poverty reduction; sustainable jobs; flood security; and improved productivity. 

The PP also promised: “We will have clean, responsible and responsive government with legislative changes and constitutional amendments to curb excesses and abuse of power.”

In respect to this last, the 2010 manifesto had 12 key proposals. Of these only two were implemented—supporting a free press (by amending the Libel Act) and passing procurement legislation. That’s a 16 per cent promise-keeping rate.

Using this sample approach, it appears that the actual percentage of promises delivered by the PP is around 25 per cent—a far cry from the claim of 90 per cent.

Crime-fighting promises

• We will support the management of the Police service to ensure that there are proper levels of policing and hold it accountable for effective delivery through the establishment of clear measurable benchmarks for crime reduction and containment

• We will establish a National Security Operational Centre (NSOC), involving use of technology to set up a real-time centralised system for tracking crime. This will involve equipping every Police vehicle with a Global Positioning System (GPS) and linking with every police station through an appropriate technology platform. Abuse of equipment will not be tolerated 

• We will enforce traffic laws. A majority of crime involves the use of vehicles. Enforcement of road traffic laws and regulation would serve as a major deterrent to such illegal activity. A variety of mechanisms including Radar Speed Detection Guns will be used in this

• We will use GPS bracelets on offenders who are on probation but are still deemed a security risk (so that their movement can be monitored) and if legislation is required, we will take the necessary steps

• We will guard our coastline through the 360˚radar linked to all branches of the security services. Connectivity will be monitored and we will insist on staying connected.

• We will establish the National Security Protective Services Training Academy to improve capacity of our police officers to perform at their optimal levels

• Training programmes and merit systems will be established to motivate police to new ideals of justice

• We will strengthen the National Security Council to link intelligence, strategy and execution in crime fighting

• We will modernise physical infrastructure and amenities to boost morale and improve productivity

• We will implement the criminal injuries and compensation laws and adjust the measure of compensation

Source: PP Manifesto, 2010

120 DAYS OF IMMEDIATE ACTION

4. We will establish a working committee to review all programmes targeted at poverty alleviation and social support to make recommendations to: a. Strengthen synergy, reach and impact through rationalisation and integration b. Help households to step up to prosperity and to reduce the number of people classified as poor by 2% each year.

5. We will begin an aggressive programme to fix all leaks in WASA’s pipelines, and establish an emergency response unit for monitoring system dysfunction, unplanned disruptions and crisis management.

6. We will coordinate integrated action on water resources management, drainage, irrigation, flooding, water capture, conservation, sustainable food production and food security through synergistic deployment of human resources and equipment under state control in collaboration with private contractors.

7. In partnership with CBOs and NGOs our government will release appropriate resources from the Green Fund to reforest areas that were burnt during the past dry season.

10. We will begin a review process for the minimum wage.

18. We will look at the immediate challenges of each hospital and determine what needs to be done to make an immediate difference in the lives of citizens seeking care and we will act immediately on these—whether it is 50 more beds in a hospital, a vital piece of much-needed equipment or improving the effectiveness of delivery of emergency patient care.

21. Each minister will be required to present a one-year action agenda for consideration and approval by Cabinet after consultation with senior ministerial staff within thirty (30) working days of swearing in. Each ministerial action agenda, once approved, will be included in the next budget.

22. Each ministry will be required to begin work on a five-year strategic plan within the first 60 days for completion by February 2011 within the framework of our manifesto.

23. We will establish an Economic Development Board which will consult with stakeholders and play an advisory role in policy formulation.

25. We will initiate consultation to develop a coherent export strategy, an industrial policy linked to knowledge formation and a national services industries competitiveness strategy with key stakeholders.

29. We will work with the Central Bank, CSO and the public service to determine the true condition of the country’s finances and the state of the economy and the condition of projects to share that information with our citizens.

31. We will formulate a project plan for completion of all infrastructural projects currently in train in Tobago.

32. We will establish a Ways and Means Committee to formulate a project plan on a phased basis to make all government public services more accessible to residents of Tobago.

Source: People’s Partnership Manifesto, 2010

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar opened the newly constructed Mayaro Fire Station on Sunday, one week before the country faces the polls to choose a government that will run the country for the next five years.

Speaking at the ceremony in Mayaro, Persad-Bissessar boasted that the facility was the first of its kind in T&T.

“This building is built to the latest international building standards and is expected to remain functional even after a hurricane or earthquake,” she said.

“That is because materials used include hurricane-resistant roofing materials and electricity. Such post-disaster buildings have a lifespan of 100 years.

“It is the first of its kind and a landmark for Mayaro, which the community can be proud of.”

Persad-Bissessar said there needs to be a change in attitude in citizens where fire prevention and education are concerned.

“The need to change our attitude toward fire safety is critical. If we are to develop the government’s economy then all sectors will need to work together with the Ministry of National Security to prevent unnecessary fires from taking place. We need to educate families and friends on fire safety and fire-prevention techniques.”

She said a proactive approach to fire prevention would not only save property, but lives as well.

“This proactive approach to fires will reduce the strain on the fire service as we continue to make a safer T&T. In some cases, the chief fire officer will tell you that fires lead not only to loss of property but loss of lives. Preparedness cannot be underestimated.”

She added that firefighters are also trained for search and rescue during natural disasters and it is her government’s goal to provide them with the necessary equipment and facilities.

“In addition to fighting fires they are trained in dealing with road accidents and swift road evacuation, urban search and rescue after natural disasters. All of these play a key role in fire prevention and safety. In the coming years we want to improve the quality of service and care attended by firefighters. It is only fitting that our firefighters are outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment to allow them to offer to the citizens of T&T.”

Her party’s candidate for Mayaro, Rushton Paray, Princes Town candidate Barry Padarath, Cumuto/Manzanilla candidate Christine Newallo-Hosein and Naparima candidate, Rodney Charles addressed supporters before Persad-Bissessar’s arrival.

​Protest outside venue

Shortly before the arrival of Persad-Bissessar, a small group of people wearing PNM jerseys and waving flags gathered opposite the fire station. The group held up placards with messages like “Plenty for 20 Plan” and “Opening an incomplete building is a health and safety issue.”

They faced a line of UNC supporters, who waved their flags and blew their whistles at them.

When Persad-Bissessar arrived, she walked past the protesters without stopping and did the same when she was leaving after the ceremony.

ROSEAU—The Dominica government has ordered the evacuation of the entire village of Petite Savanne, south east of here, where five more bodies were discovered on Sunday, following the passage of Tropical Storm Erika last Thursday.

Environment Minister Dr Kenneth Darroux, who is also the parliamentary representative for the area, said the search is continuing for 14 others “and presumed dead in the village that bore the brunt of Erika’s fury as it passed across the island.

The authorities say they expect the death toll to rise as more areas cut off by the storm become accessible. So far 25 people have been confirmed dead.

Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, in a radio broadcast late on Sunday night, said Petite Savanne had been declared an unsafe area and that more than 100 people had already been evacuated from the village.

“Based on the prevailing situation at the time and having assessed the situation on the ground, recognising that we may very well have some (weather) systems approaching us, on advice a decision was taken to evacuate the residents of Petite Savanne,” Skerrit told the nation.

He said the exercise would continue and appealed to relatives of those being evacuated to assist in providing accommodation.

“I have been advised that most of the (109) people (evacuated so far) have been taken up by family and friends…and they are in a much safer environment.

“The evacuation will continue because the intention is to evacuate everybody who wants to be evacuated and to bring them into a much safer environment.

Petite Savanne continues to be completely cut off from the rest of the country…and the only way you can get in is by boat or helicopter.”

Skerrit said that the villagers understood the situation and were cooperating well.

Disaster management co-ordinator Don Coriette said priority is being given to the elderly, children and the sick.

Skerrit also said that the international community had responded well to the situation and that a number of countries had pledged assistance.

“All I will say at this time is that there is a tremendous outpouring of goodwill and assistance for Dominica from virtually every part of the world,” he said, adding that he was also pleased that Dominicans were coming out and joining in the rebuilding of the island.

He said utilities have been restored in several communities across the country and a number of roads which were inaccessible following the storm are now open to motor vehicles.

He said the two major telecommunication companies operating here had reported at least 50 per cent of service being restored.

“We will continue to engage the entire world community because we are going to need the entire world community to assist us in getting out of this situation,” he told the nation. (CMC)

About Erika

​Tropical Storm Erika was the deadliest natural disaster in Dominica since Hurricane David in 1979. The fifth tropical cyclone and fifth named storm of the season, Erika developed from a westward-moving tropical wave while well east of the Lesser Antilles.

Late on August 28, the storm made landfall in Dominican Republic near the border of Barahona and Pedernales provinces.

Several Leeward Islands including Guadeloupe, Puerto Rico and Haiti experienced heavy rainfall during Erika’s passage.

Overall, the island nation was left with tens of millions in damage and was set back approximately 20 years in terms of development. (Wikipedia)

Two prison officers assigned to the Carrera Island Prison are under investigation after prisoners Steve McGilvery and Leroy “Redo” Mohammed escaped custody on Monday.

McGilvery is serving 30 years with hard labour for the murder while Mohammed was sentenced to ten years for robbery and possession of firearms. McGilvery’s earliest date of discharge is September 14, 2029, while Mohammed’s earliest date of discharge is August 16, 2018. 

McGilvery had escaped custody several times before and both men were in the top security section of the prison as they were considered high risk. 

The T&T Coast Guard was alerted immediately after their escape and vessels were deployed around 6.47 pm but they men were not found. 

In a brief telephone interview yesterday, Commissioner of Prisoners Sterling Stewart denied reports that there was a speed boat waiting for the men.

Noting that the inmates managed to escape over the walls at the back of the ration room, he said: “It’s human error and those culpable will be held accountable. There are procedures to be followed and they will be held responsible and accountable.” 

He said the two guards were interviewed and preliminary reports revealed a lack of adherence to certain policies aided in their escape. 

“They are supposed to be directly supervised efficiently and that allowed them to escape,” he said, noting they were working in collaboration with the police in the probe.

This latest escape came less than a month and a half after the escape from the Frederick Street prison of Allan “Scanny” Martin, Hassan Atwell and Christopher Selby, which resulted in the deaths of Martin, Atwell and police officer Sherman Maynard.

Asked if the probe into that incident had determined how those men were able to get weapons, Stewart said: “It was not brought by any ghost or phantom but either by action or inaction on behalf of staff.”

Three prisons officers were suspended after viable accusations were made in that case, he said.

“I am not saying they were guilty but decisive actions had to be taken in light of the gravity of the situation.”

Stewart asked that officers be more disciplined, committed and professional in the execution of their duty. 

He said over 400 inmates at the Remand Yard, Maximum Security and Carrera Island Prisons were deemed high risk, since they are there on charges for murder and capital offences. 

A release from the Police Service described McGilvery as having a scorpion tattoo on the right side of his neck, an eagle tattoo on his chest and upper left arm and a tattoo of the words “Only God Can Judge Me” on his stomach. Mohammed, 34, has a bullet wound scar near his Adam’s apple. 

Both men are considered armed and dangerous. If they are seen, citizens are advised to call E999 or 555 or contact the nearest police station.

Meanwhile, two Nigerian nationals were recaptured soon after escaping from the Immigration Detention Centre, yesterday.

According to police reports, the men escaped after 13 detainees set fire to mattresses, forcing an evacuation of Unit E around 11.20 am. While the detainees were in the yard the two men climbed the northern fence.

Officers of the Arima Police Station, led by Supt Moses and Insp Mark Maharaj, responded. One of the escapees was held a short distance away in some bushes while the second was tracked down by the K-9 Unit with help from the T&T Air Guard. 

Police said the second escapee ambushed PC Antoine and hit him with a piece of wood. The officer drew his gun and shot the man in his left foot. Antoine was taken to West Shore Medical while the escapee was treated at the Arima Health Facility and transferred to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mt Hope. Both were in a stable and satisfactory conditions last night. —Reporting by Jensen LaVende

A family from Rio Claro was left in mourning after a one-and-a-half-year-old toddler was crushed to death under her father’s van.

The tragic accident which claimed the life of Salsabila Mohammed took place around 1.50 pm in front of her family’s property at Francis Lalla Road Extension, Charlieville, Chaguanas. 

According to police reports, the toddler was racking leaves with her mother, older brother and sister, when she ran towards her father Ashmead’s Nissan panel van, which he was driving out of the driveway. She was knocked down and crushed under the front tyre.

The family only reportedly realised what had occurred after Ashmead parked the van on the road. 

Salsabila, whose name means spring for the inhabitants of heaven in Arabic, was taken to the Chaguanas Health Facility in an ambulance and was pronounced dead on arrival.

In a brief interview, shortly after he was interviewed by police yesterday evening, Ashmead admitted he was deeply traumatised by the incident. 

“I thought I drove over a hump but I know there are none on this road. A chill just ran through my body when I came outside to check,” Ashmead said. 

Describing his daughter as a beautiful and loving child, Ashmead said his family, who are devout Muslims, were struggling to come to terms with what had occurred but would have to accept it as the “will of Allah.” 

“Allah gave her to us and took her away today. It is a bitter and sad thing but we have to realise and accept it because life goes on,” Ashmead said as he held his two-year-old son Salsabila in his arms and his older daughter Asma to his side. 

When a team from the T&T Guardian visited the community yesterday, residents were all in a sombre mood as they recalled fond memories of the toddler. 

“The family don’t live here anymore but whenever they come I does take her and play with her because she reminds me so much of my own grandchildren,” one woman, who asked to remain unidentified, said. 

However, they blamed the child’s parents for the accident. 

“Them children always running around in the road with no supervision. I tired drive by and have to stop and tell them go inside,” one neighbour said.

His point appeared to be immediately proven when police on the scene were forced to chase Salsabila’s siblings inside the yard as their father’s van was being wrecked by their colleagues.

The T&T Guardian understands that the family, who now lives in Rio Claro, were cleaning the property as they had recently sold it and were preparing it for its new owners. 

Series of trials

Ashmead Mohammed claimed that yesterday’s incident was the latest of a series of “trials and tribulations” his family had endured since he was detained together with a group of men during the state of emergency (SoE) in 2011, for allegedly plotting to assassinate Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar. 

He and the other detainees were eventually released without being charged.

He revealed that recently he was accused of being a jihadist fighting for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS)—a claim which he firmly denies. He added that since then his Canadian visa, which he uses to visit his mother and brother, was revoked. 

“It is tragedy after tragedy for me. I believe it is all a test because I never thief or steal, all I try to do is live a good life,” Mohammed said. 

A post-mortem will be performed on the child’s body at the Forensic Science Centre, St James, this morning with her funeral tentatively carded for this afternoon.

Investigations are continuing. 

Residents threw garbage at a United National Congress (UNC) entourage and chased its candidate Raziah Ahmed, former Senate President and acting President of T&T, out of Ramsaran Street, San Fernando yesterday during a walkabout in the marginal constituency of San Fernando West.

Police were called in even though Ahmed said she was in no way threatened by the disgruntled residents. 

As a banner of People’s National Movement (PNM) candidate Faris Al-Rawi fluttered in the wind, the residents said they did not want to see any politician at election time because of the “gimmicks.”

Natalie Des Vignes, from Ramsaran Street apartments, who contested the local government elections on an Independent Liberal Party (ILP) ticket last year, said they were unhappy with the UNC.

“We fight in the last elections with Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan and she give us nothing. We don’t even have a Cepep contract here to clean the place. We, the residents, have to chip up every month to raise money to cut the yard,” Des Vignes said. The lawn outside the apartment buildings was littered with beer bottles and other debris.

She added, “We have no work here and we don’t mind getting a few contracts because people here cannot even afford to buy food.”

Another resident, who requested anonymity, said, “We don’t want to see the UNC here. All they doing is passing and waving. What they feel this is a beauty contest? Children hungry here and the only way we will welcome them inside here is if they treat us better.”

A third resident added, “Kamla need to come here to Embacadere and meet with us. Come and check the youths, don’t send anybody else.”

Meanwhile, Vicky Ramlogan, who was part of Ahmed’s entourage said police were called in when the residents started to get unruly.

“They should not get on so because people have a right to vote for whoever they want. This is a democracy,” Ramlogan said. 

He added that the residents threw their garbage at the entourage, without any care for the environment.

Ahmed said yesterday that it was the first time that she received such a response during her walkabouts.

“People came out on the road and started to shout. We continued to walk. I didn’t hear what they were saying,” she said.

Asked whether she was getting a negative response from the San Fernando West constituents, Ahmed responded, “The feeling we are getting is that some people clearly supports us and there are others who clearly do not support us. This is the first street where we got that response. We haven’t had this kind of situation before where people are getting on with themselves. I don’t know what their problem is but we are here to bring service to the people.” Police continued patrols in the area up to press time but there were no incidents of violence.