Tuesday, December 31, 2013

PM Kamla terms ends as Caricom chair; DR citizenship issue remains high on agenda

CARICOM SUmmit 2013
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar's term as chair of CARICOM ends on December 31. In July she hosted the CARICOM summit in Port of Spain and commenorated the 40th anniversary of the Treaty of Chaguaramas.

The CARICOM Secretariat in Guyana issued a media release today with Persad-Bissessar's year end message. JYOTI has reproduced the message below:

End of Year Message
By The Hon. Kamla Persad-Bissessar
Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago and Chairman of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM)
31 December, 2013

The year 2013 has come to a close and with it, my tenure as Chairman of the Conference of the Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

My Chairmanship coincided with the celebration of the 40th anniversary of our Community and it was my distinct honour and privilege to have hosted the Thirty-Fourth Conference of Heads of Government, and, on the 4th of July, the commemoration of our milestone at Chaguaramas, the birthplace of our Community.

My tenure was shaped, in great measure, by the decisions that were taken at the Thirty-Fourth Regular Meeting of the Conference as well as by matters that arose during the six months that demanded urgent attention. As expected, the economic situation facing Member States and the Region was uppermost in our collective thoughts and actions. One of the major outcomes of that focus was the approval, by the Bureau of the Conference, of the establishment of the Commission on the Economy to advise us on solutions that would lead to growth and development. The Commission has already started its work.

In recognition of the fact that economic growth and development cannot be accomplished without the movement of people and goods, we have intensified our efforts to provide reliable transportation across the Region. The emphasis on transportation will benefit from the work of the Transportation Commission that was established at our July meeting, the Terms of Reference for which was approved by the Bureau.

In July also, the Conference of Heads of Government agreed to establish a CARICOM Reparations Commission to shape the Community’s quest for reparations from the former colonial European countries, for native genocide, the transatlantic slave trade and a racialized system of chattel slavery. The Executive of the CARICOM Reparations Commission met on December 9, 2013 in Jamaica to define and set in train its plan of action.

We also commenced, in July, a regional dialogue on persons living with disabilities and special needs, and I am pleased that by year’s end, a High Level Meeting on the Rights of persons with disabilities in the Caribbean had been convened in Haiti. This is matter that I hold close to my heart, and I hope that as a Community, we will be able to forge a common strategy towards building a disability-inclusive society.

In November, the Bureau met in special session to deliberate on the ruling of the Constitutional Court of the Dominican Republic on nationality, which retroactively strips tens of thousands of Dominicans, mostly of Haitian descent, of citizenship, rendering them stateless and with no recourse to appeal. We have accorded this matter the highest priority and have decided on some key steps including the suspension of the Community’s consideration of the request by the Dominican Republic for membership of CARICOM. Since our meeting, the Presidents of the Dominican Republic and Haiti have agreed to establish a Committee to seek a joint solution to the problems facing the two governments, in which CARICOM will participate. The Secretary-General will be following up with the President and Foreign Minister of Haiti in this regard.

Following the decision of the Caribbean Court of Justice in the case of Shanique Myrie and the State of Barbados and the State of Jamaica which was delivered in October, the Legal Affairs Committee has been tasked with considering the wide-ranging implications for decision-making in the Community and for hassle-free travel. We await the LAC’s recommendations.

As we strive for a more efficient integration movement, the process of Reform in the Community has been proceeding apace and we have been seeking the input of all our stakeholders via consultations undertaken by a team of Change Facilitators, led by the Secretary General. To date, national consultations in all Member States and two Associate Members have been completed. I anticipate that the draft Strategic Plan for the Community, which will be culled from those consultations, will be tabled at the Intersessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government in February.

One of my final acts as Chairman was leading the Community’s delegation to the official memorial of late South African President, Nelson Mandela. I wish to extend gratitude to my colleague Heads of Government and their representatives who were able to join me at this truly historic event.

As I pass the baton of Chairmanship to my colleague, Dr. the Honourable Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, I wish to take this opportunity, on behalf of the Community, to offer sympathy at the loss of life, injury and damage to property and infrastructure which occurred in his country, as well as in Saint Lucia and Dominica, as a result of severe weather impacting the Eastern Caribbean last week. The Community stands ready to offer all possible assistance as rebuilding commences.

Let me wish all the citizens of our Community a peaceful and productive 2014, as I renew my country’s commitment to shared prosperity through our regional integration endeavours.

OBIT: Trinidad defender Akeem Adams dies in Hungary

Akeem Adams - (13 April 1991 – 30 December 2013). 
Top photo take from Clyde Leon's FB wall 
(Associated Press report)

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Akeem Adams, a Trinidad and Tobago defender who played for Hungary's Ferencvaros until suffering a heart attack in September, has died. He was 22 years old.

Ferencvaros said Adams died Monday after suffering a brain hemorrhage on Saturday. He had been hospitalized since the heart attack and his left leg had been amputated to alleviate circulatory problems.

Adams, who joined Ferencvaros in August, played just a handful of games for Hungary's most popular team. His last game was Sept. 22, a 3-1 victory over Ujpest, Ferencvaros' traditional rivals.

Adams also played nine times on Trinidad's national team and started three matches for the Caribbean country at the Under-20 World Cup played in Egypt in 2009.


EDITOR's NOTE: The Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) confirmed on Monday afternoon that national footballer Akeem Adams has died in Hungary.

The Assocaition said: ''We would like to extend our deepest condolences and sympathies on behalf of the officials, players and supporters of all our teams to Akeem’s family and friends at this sad time.


"Akeem’s uncle Ivan Dick and local representative Dion Sosa confirmed that Akeem left us at 12:45pm TT time.
“He went on his own. This was God’s call. He is at peace now. We wish to thank all of those who offered their support to Akeem and his family. He touched us all in so many ways."

Moonilal extends condolences on death of Akeem Adams

Dr Roodal Moonilal wishes to extend condolences to the family and relatives of Akeem Adams on his passing. "We are all sadden by the news.
May his soul rest in peace."

Related:


Haitian President says Thanks to PM Kamla

The President of Haiti, Michel Martelly, has sent a letter was to Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar expressing "sincerest appreciation for the great consideration you showed to us in graciously placing at at our disposal a Caribbean Airlines flight for our travel to Johannesburg, with the Trinidad and Tobago and Bahamian delegations, in order to attend the State funeral for Nelson Mandela."
File: PM Kamla Persad-Bissessar introduces US Vice President and President Michel Martelly of Haiti
The letter, which was released to the media by the Office of the Prime Minister, is reproduced below:

Madame Prime Minister,

With my return to Haiti, I take great pleasure in expressing to you, on my behalf, and on behalf of my wife Sophia as well as the Haitian delegation that accompanied us, my sincerest appreciation for the great consideration you showed to us in graciously placing at our disposal a Caribbean Airlines flight for our travel to Johannesburg, with the Trinidad and Tobago and Bahamian delegations, in order to attend the State funeral for Nelson Mandela.

I do not know how to fully express to you our appreciation for the numerous acts of kindness you have shown to us and for which we are most grateful, kindness which was amply demonstrated in the manner in which we were treated during our journey. 

During our State visit to your magnificent country, I experienced, on many occasions, your excellent hosting capabilities. And on every occasion on which we have had the opportunity to meet, a point is added to the measure of your sophistication and your high-class personality.

I reiterate my heartfelt appreciation to you and and take this opportunity to express to your office, and to the Government and people of Trinidad and Tobago, my best wishes for health, peace and the greatest success for the Christmas season and for the New Year.

I will continue to proceed in a manner consistent with strengthening the increasing ties of friendship between Trinidad and Tobago and the Republic of Haiti through the enhancement of the cooperation between our countries as it develops within diverse regional institutions to which you and I remain very attached.

With my renewed thanks, please accept, Madame Prime Minister, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Michel Joseph Martelly | President

OECS chairman notes economic impact of Christmas disaster on sub-region (CMC report)

The report below from the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) was preoduced unedited from the oline site Caribbean360.com
Antigua's Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer (left) and Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves of St Vincent
speaking to reporters (CMC photo)
KINGSTOWN, St Vincent, Tuesday December 31, 2013, CMC –Chairman of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) says there will be an economic impact on the sub-region following the damage caused by a low level trough on St Vincent and the Grenadines, St Lucia and Dominica over the Christmas holidays.

“It certainly will have an impact, because, clearly, for these three member states, resources, which are every scarce, will have to be found one way or the other to reconstruct, reengineer and rehabilitate,” said Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer, who is also the head of government in Antigua and Barbuda.

Spencer over the weekend visited the three affected countries.

The unseasonal weather system left at least 15 people dead in St Vincent and the Grenadines and St Lucia and caused “hundreds of millions of dollars” in damage in the three islands.

“So, it will have an economic impact from the point of view of having to raise funds, and you are not going to get all of it gratis, by grant. You are going to have to find ways and means of getting the resources to do that,” Spencer said.

“My own view is that in situations like these, particularly where you have a number of members states being affected at the same time, that you have to find a mechanism, sub-regional, together, put together a mechanism that will put these members states out of this major challenge that they would have on their hands at this time.

“And this is one of the reasons why I have decided to visit personally in my capacity as chair, to make a full assessments, so that we can coordinate our efforts here and make sure that the delivery of support, tangible support, real support, particularly in the area of rebuilding infrastructural situation, that can move on at a pace, because you can’t wait for one, two, three years to deal with these issues. These matters require rapid response,” Spencer said.

Spencer told reporters that having viewed the damage caused on the Barbados-based Caribbean Media Corporation news programme “Caribbean Newsline,” he had anticipated that the damage would have been major.

“But now that I have come and seen the situation first hand, I recognize that it’s been devastating. Clearly, what I am admiring really is the spirit and the resilience of the people of St Vincent, against the backdrop of what is clearly a devastating experience,” he said.

“And I am here, as I said, to show solidarity with the people of St Vincent and more particularly, Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves. He and I have developed a close friendship and also as the current chair of the OECS Heads, recognizing that three of the member states have recently suffered as a result of the weather patterns.

“I thought it was a my duty to come and see for myself exactly what is taking place so that together we may be able to lend support to the efforts that the Vincentians are making in restoring and rebuilding after this disaster,” Spencer said.

Spencer spoke of the damage to a business owned by Joseph Da Silva in Belle Vue, where the river reduced the size of the land significantly.

Joseph owns a block-making operation, and a bakery, and the businessman said he had suffered damage of about EC$200,000.

“The fact that he is still in fine spirits and he is determined to move on is a classic example of the resilience of Caribbean people, and this has been demonstrated here today,” Spencer said.

Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves, who also accompanied Spencer on the tour, said that the damage to the country would cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

Gonsalves acknowledged that the island does not have the capacity to respond to the situation here that resulted in the deaths of nine people and four others missing.

Fifty percent of consumers are still without water, garbage collection in some areas has been suspended indefinitely, and scores of persons remain in emergency shelter.

Prime Minister Gonsalves said his administration would not to mask the reality of the extent of human suffering in the country.

“It is clear that the capacity of the state, as structured, to respond to a disaster of this magnitude is not at a level where it out to be. There are profound limitations,” Gonsalves said.

“For instance, in the Ministry of Social Development, we just don't have enough persons in that area to deal with the extent of the social problems that have arisen -- even in terms of the assessments,” Gonsalves said, adding that he has asked the Ministries of Education and Social Development to work together to mobilise teachers to assist with that assessment, since many of them are trained in this area.

“We are asking the Ministry of Health to be mindful of the issues regarding public health,” Gonsalves said.

Prime Minister Gonsalves said that his government had already reached out to friendly governments to assist in the rehabilitation exercise, noting that the Christmas holidays may also make it difficult to contact people overseas.

But he welcomed the presence here of representatives of several regional and international organizations for a meeting on Saturday, adding “we are on a path moving.

“I don't have any fear that persons may feel that with all of this gathering and the importance, that we are a disaster area.

“Well, the country is not a disaster area, as a whole. We have declared several areas disaster areas. We have a functioning society going on,” he said, adding that the airports and seaport were open, and cruise ships were coming.

“Sometimes, people are fearful of not speaking what the truth is [because] tourists may not want to come. Well, those tourists who don’t come, I just accept that as a fact of life, but I have to deal with the problem I have in front of me, which is real flesh and blood people who are suffering,” Gonsalves said.

“So, I don’t want to put up any veil, I don’t want to put up any mask, I want us to understand what we are doing. And once people understand what we are doing, it is the best way to attract people to us, “he said, rather than having to pretend.

“People are suffering in this country, no question about it. People have lost their lives, families are suffering…” he said, noting that one family had lost five members in the disaster.

Kamla Village in St Vincent?

Read the story in the NEWSDAY report below:

‘Kamla Village’ now in St Vincent
IN 2004 after Hurricane Ivan hit St Vincent and the Grenadines, then Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago Patrick Manning provided resources to the Caribbean neighbour, and Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves named a village after him in gratitude.

Now “Kamla Village” may join “Manning Village” as Gonsalves has indicated his desire to name a village after current Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, as this country has begun assisting St Vincent following devastating flooding and landslides on Christmas Eve.

Gonsalves made the comment on Saturday following a high level meeting of local and regional officials, on rehabilitation efforts, following a trough that dumped heavy rains upon St Vincent, causing major infrastructural damage.

The heavy rainfall led to the deaths of nine people, including Gonsalves’ 62-year-old cousin Raymond Gonsalves, who died in Manning Village, where he moved following Hurricane Ivan. Four more people are missing, and feared dead.

At the meeting, Gonsalves turned to Regional Security Coordinator Rear-Admiral Richard Kelshall, from Trinidad and said, “I would like very much to call a village Kamla Village”, an indication of the support he is hoping to receive for his weather-ravaged nation.

The announcement was noted by the Office of the Prime Minister and the message passed on to Persad-Bissessar, currently in New York visiting her ailing sister Sally Ahmad, but there was no response up to press time.

Yesterday the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM) accepted donations from the public for relief items to be sent to St Vincent.

ODPM CEO Dr Stephen Ramroop, speaking to Newsday in a telephone interview, reported that the items will be sent on five containers on the fast ferry TT Spirit which is scheduled to leave Trinidad for St Vincent at 12pm today.

The requested items included: mattresses, collapsible water jugs, toiletries, bath towels, diapers, hygiene kits, water purification tablets; hardware supplies like galvanised sheets, shovels, rope and nails; and medical supplies like pillows, bed sheets and industrial washing machines and dryers. Ramroop expressed thanks to everyone who donated yesterday, and noted the donation process went well. There were no reports of “hitches”.

He recently toured St Vincent and described the impact as similar to what he has seen with flooding in the Diego Martin community in North West Trinidad. Dr Ramroop noted in St Vincent, there were 10 to 15 areas with landslides, severe water damage, collapsed houses, infrastructure damage, impassible roads, destroyed bridges, destroyed crops and a lot of road debris. He said water, food and shelter were the major needs for the country.

The trough conditions also affected St Lucia, where six people were killed, and also Dominica. St Lucia has received relief supplies from Trinidad and Tobago and Prime Minister Dr Kenny Anthony has expressed his gratitude. Ramroop has also toured St Lucia, but noted that St Vincent was worse hit.

“St Lucia is better off than St Vincent,” he added.

He noted that St Vincent completed their initial needs assessment, but there will be an ongoing needs assessment process. He reported that officials of the National Operations Centre were yesterday surveying St Vincent in a helicopter to do an aerial damage assessment. Also yesterday the Trinidad and Tobago Red Cross Society (TTRCS) in a release issued an appeal for donations of non-perishable food items and water to assist St Vincent, St Lucia and Dominica following the severe weather damage.

TTRCS noted that the people of St Lucia were doubly affected when a fire broke out in a warehouse belonging to the St Lucia Red Cross, destroying relief items, including mattresses, intended for distribution to the affected residents.

All donations can be brought to the headquarters of the TTRCS at 7A Fitzblackman Drive, Wrightson Road Extension, Port-of-Spain. Persons living in San Fernando and environs can take their items to our South Branch located at #2 Ruth Avenue, San Fernando. If you live in Tobago and would like to donate, the Tobago Branch is located at Signal Hill. TTRCS noted that they are not collecting clothing at this time.

For more information please call the TTRCS at 627-8215, 8128 (POS) or 652-2024 San Fernando or 639-2781 Tobago.

Oil spill clean up to be completed in two weeks

L-R: Petrotrin President Khalid Hassanali, Chairman Lindsay Gillette and Acting PM Errol Mc Leod

The chairman of state-owned Petrotrin told reporters on Monday everything is under control and that the company would complete the clean up of the oil spills in south Trinidad in two weeks.

"As of today, as a company, the whole situation is absolutely under control,” Lindsay Gillette told the media at a news conference at Petrotrin’s quarters in Port of Spain.

Petrotrin has not yet concluded whether there was any sabotage in the 11 spills that occurred within a two-week period. Five of the spills were in fields operated by the company’s partners with the latest occurring on Sunday in a field at Brighton operated by Trinmar.

Petrotrin's President Khalid Hassanali, who also spoke at the media conference, said the company has increased security at its own installations and has advised its partners to step up vigilance. The clean-up, he estimated, would cost about $5 million.

Hassanali said the company is not going to speculate on whether there was sabotage.

The spill on December 21 at Rancho Quemado, Erin raised some red flags. It's because two 3-inch bull plugs requiring a particular wrench, were removed from two separate well site production tanks.
Also read related Guardian Story: 

Part-time jobs, homes for victims


Monday, December 30, 2013

NEWSDAY EDITORIAL 29th December 2013

File: Dr Glen Ramadharsingh, Minister of the People
The headlines tended to mislead: “Street dwellers to be removed” implied that the measure, tried and failed for years, was to round-up street dwellers and cart them off to St Ann’s for virtual incarceration.

The problem of vagrancy has been a blot on our society for far too long. The “solution” as articulated by successive administrations has been to round them up and hide them away. But this solution has never been implemented. It had been tried, using methods almost akin to dog catchers trying to round-up stray dogs. And the results were no different; the street dwellers melted away while the authorities searched for them, and when the authorities disappeared, the street dwellers returned.

There is no doubt that these people should not be living on our streets, sleeping on our pavements, begging for, or searching through garbage bins for their food, and urinating and defecating on sidewalks. They create a health hazard, some are mentally unstable, and they are an ongoing nuisance and eyesore. However, these are human beings, the children and siblings of others who live normal lives. Most are not criminals, and not all are drug addicts or alcoholics, and they are intelligent enough to “escape” the nets which seek to capture and lock them away. Can they therefore be “saved” and returned to society, and even to living productive lives?

These questions have been answered in deed more than in word by a Government minister whose portfolio, when announced in 2010, was ridiculed by many. People questioned the mandate of the Ministry of the People and Social Development, and some mocked the man assigned this portfolio, Dr Glen Ramadharsingh. In his early visible activities he was seen as the Minister who handed out hampers and relief packages to persons distressed by flooding, landslips, whose homes had been damaged or destroyed by fire or other hazards. And while these events also provided “photo-ops” for the new Government, there can be no disputing that the recipients appeared very relieved to have received them.

But while the opportunities for visibility were obviously exploited by the Government, as all governments feel entitled to do, the Ministry of the People has quietly been developing broader strategies for improving the lot of the less advantaged and the fallen among us. And the “removal of vagrants” from the streets, in a sensitive and sympathetic manner, is probably their crowning achievement to date. And it is still a work in progress, continuing the rehabilitation of those whom many of us, and many previous governments, had given up upon.

Earlier this year we addressed the successful rehabilitation of about a dozen street dwellers under Dr Ramadharsingh’s initiative. And this past week, the week of Christmas, a further 20 persons have been “taken off the streets”. But in essence, these people walked off the streets and back into meaningful lives. Yes, they would have been sought out by the counsellors of the Inter-Agency Unit which was established to lead these people back into society, but essentially they were encouraged to find their way, rather than accepting their condition or the “charity” of those who felt that feeding these street dwellers was an acceptable option.

Speaking at a Breakfast for the Homeless on Christmas morning, Dr Ramadharsingh said that some 175 persons had so far opted to leave the streets and return to society. Many were living with their families again, and some were back at work, earning their living.

In a very real sense, the Ministry mocked at its inception is creating the most humane successes of the past year.

Footballer Akeem Adams in a coma; only a miracle can save him

Akeem Adams "Only a miracle can save him now" (Photo from Soca Warriors website)
A report in the Trinidad Guardian stated that 22-year-old T&T footballer Akeem Adams is now in a coma and doctors have said they is nothing they can do to save the young man's life.

Akeem - who plays for the team Ferencvaros - suffered a stroke over the weekend as he waited for a heart transplant. In September he suffered a heart attack in Hungary and is being treated at a heart clinic in Budapest.

The Guardian said the stroke has caused severe bleeding to the brain, citing an article in the Soca Warriors Web site. It quoted an unnamed source as saying that "only a miracle can save him now." 

This is how the Warriors site described what is happening:

"News of his latest tragic mishap is expected to be a big blow to not only Adams’ family but also thousands of supporters all over the world.

"In Trinidad, thousands of concerned citizens purchased “I support Akeem” tee-shirts from Native Spirit, which was part of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association’s Heart of a Warrior fund raising drive for the player, while help also came from private groups like the SocaWarriors.net fan site, Presentation College (San Fernando) and Pro League clubs, DIRECTV W Connection and Central FC.

"Hundreds of persons in Budapest donated blood to Adams, who only joined the Hungarian top flight club in August, while companies donated thousands of euros to his care and Ferencvaros paid for Adams’ mother, Ancilla Dick, and brother, Akini Adams, to be at his side since September 28.

"Brazil-born former Portugal and Barcelona football star, Deco, also auctioned a Fluminese jersey for Adams.

"The strain of the tragedy affected Ferencvaros internally too as ex-head coach Ricardo Moniz, who signed Adams in the first place, was sacked earlier this month after becoming embroiled in a war of words with his employer over the care given to the former Point Fortin resident."

Goodbye to chutney star Rajin Dhanraj

The report below was reproduced unedited from CNews in Trinidad

Chutney star Rajin Dhanraj was laid to rest on Sunday after a music-filled funeral service.
Rajin's family, friends and colleagues in the chutney fraternity gathered at his home in Esmeralda, Cunupia, to bid him farewell.

But the service was not all tears as Rajin got a musical send off with chutney songs, tassa and East Indian dancing.

Saying goodbye to the one you love is never easy but for the family and friends of rajin and members of the chutney fraternity they were comforted in the memories they all shared with him.

Although Rajin was just 25 years when he died after suffering from hypoxic brain injury, his achievements at such a young age will never be forgotten.

At the start of the service, musical trucks played Rajin's popular song, 'Go Nah,’ but hearing his voice was too much to bear for some of his family members as they broke down in tears.

The grief for Rajin's mother was too much for her.

Attending the funeral service was head of the chutney foundation Dr. Vijay Ramlal-Rai, Jairam Seemungal also known as Rikki Jai, Brian Mohan, Vikash Sahadeo, Boodram Holass and George Singh, CEO of Southex.

Also in attendance was Minister of Community Development, Winston 'Gypsy' Peters.

The service was filled with entertainment which included: chutney songs, tassa and East Indian dance items.

But even the entertainment could not stop the tears of family members, all that remains for them to hold on to are pictures of him, his music and the memories.

Rajin first burst onto the musical scene in 2008 when he won the Synergy TV Chutney Star competition with his hit song Go Nah.

He also placed 2nd in the Chutney Soca Monarch Competition and earlier this year he performed on both the UNC and ILP political platforms.

RELATED:

ODPM appeals for donations for St Vincent

Trinidad & Tobago's Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM) is appealing for donations of vital items to be sent to St Vincent, which suffered severe damage over the Christmas holidays due to heavy rains and floods. The ODPM is the local agency that is co-ordinating and managing relief assistance to St Vincent and St Lucia, the two islands that suffered the worse from the storms.

On Friday, the ODPM delivered five 40-foot containers of relief supplies to St Lucia. However, it still needs stuff for St Vincent, which has been declared a 'disaster zone'.

ODPM has asked anyone wishing to donate items to contact the agency by calling 511 and following the guidelines below.

Guidelines to donating:
  1. Please ensure that donations consist of only the requested items, items that are not on the list will not be accepted
  2. Donation boxes must be well-packed and sealed and the contents of the boxes must be clearly labelled on the outside
  3. Do not donate clothing or medication at this time
What's needed urgently:

• 2,000 Mattresses (single)
• 2,000 Mattresses (full)
• 5,000 Collapsible water jugs or kegs
• 2,000 each Toiletries (toilet paper, bath soap, shampoo, toothpaste, sanitary pads, tooth brushes)
• 1,000 bath towels
• 5,000 Infant disposable diapers
• 5,000 Adult disposable diapers
• 50 Water tanks (500 and 1,000 L)
• 10 Portable generators
• 4,000 Cots
• 1,000 Hygiene Kits
• Mop Buckets
• Gloves
• Janitorial supplies (disinfectant, bleach etc)
• Baby wipes
• Water purification tablets
• Brooms
• Washing detergents
• Two Water Machines Solar Preferred
• Coveralls

Hardware Supplies:
• Galvanised Sheets
• Shovels
• Spades
• Forks
• Hardboard
• Tarpaulins
• Rope
• Nails
• Hammers
• Sledge Hammers
• Crow Bars
• Wheel Barrows
• Heavy Gloves
• Flares
• Cones
• Garbage Bags
• Power washers
• Tall Boots

Medical Relief Items:
• Auto Cleaves
• CT machine technician
• Industrial Washing Machine
• Industrial Dryers
• Delivery Beds
• Medication Trolley
• Incubators
• Oxygen Plant air compressors
• Pillows, bed sheet
• Miscellaneous hospital and medical supplies

Sunday, December 29, 2013

Drug Lords might have framed brother of Ramesh Maharaj in double murder case

New hope: British businessman Krishna Maharaj, 74, pictured with his wife Marita during a recent prison visit.
He has been imprisoned in Miami for 27 years for a double-murder he says he did not commit.

The brother of Ramesh L. Maharaj, Krishna Maharaj, 74, is serving a life sentence in Florida for a gruesome double murder of a businessman and his son that he says he did not commit.

Now after 27 years in prison there is news that he might have been framed by powerful drug lords. According to a story in the UK Daily Mail His lawyers have unearthed "sensational new evidence" that confirms that Maharaj was always innocent.

The hearing is Maharaj’s final chance to appeal. His original death sentence was overturned in 2003 and his earliest possible release date is 2040. 


Read related story: New evidence in murder case of Ramesh’s brother

Former henchman points fingers at drug cartel


The Mail said the new evidence includes statements from key cartel members who had direct knowledge of the killings. This information would be presented next month in a Miami court by Maharaj’s lawyers, led by Clive Stafford Smith, of human rights charity Reprieve.

A critical component of the evidence is a "sworn statement from ‘El Asistente’, an enforcer for the infamous Pablo Escobar, whose murderous reign as the Medellin cartel’s chief drug lord ended in a shootout with Colombian police in 1993," the paper stated.

It added, "El Asistente, whose statement describes crucial details of the murders, says: ‘I am giving this [statement] because I have reconnected with my religious faith. The idea that Krishna Maharaj has served more than a quarter-century in prison for a crime I know he did not commit appals me. I want to set the record straight and ensure he gets justice.’"

According to the newspaper 'El Asistente' also names the true killer as Guillermo Zuluaga, a notorious Medellin hitman known as Cuchilla, which means ‘the blade’.

"I know the details about Cuchilla’s involvement because he admitted to me that he had done it," the paper quotes El Asistente as saying.

The paper said Cuchilla also orchestrated the murder of CIA agent Barry Seal in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, citing El Asistente as its source.


Read the full report by DAVID ROSE:

This Briton has spent 27 years in jail for murder. Now Colombian drugs barons admit they did it: The Rolls-Royce-driving socialite sentenced to death for gang hit and the new evidence making a mockery of US justice

  • Krishna Maharaj, 74, was convicted of double murder in 1986
  • Imprisoned for the slaying of an ex-business associate and his son
  • Five alibi witnesses were not allowed to prove his innocence at trial
  • Now a reformed drugs baron names notorious Medellin hitman as the killer


Guardian gets the story wrong - again!

A note from Francis Joseph, Press Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister:

On Page A5 of today's (Sat. 28 December 2013) Guardian, there is a story headlined "PM off to visit sick sister in NY". 


In the very first line of the article, it stated that Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar was scheduled to leave last night, "on a private jet." 

For yet another occasion, I am correcting erroneous information in the Guardian newspapers. 

The Honourable Prime Minister was aboard a Caribbean Airlines flight, BW 520 which left Trinidad at 12.35 am today (Sat. 28 Dec. 2013). I trust that the erroneous information would be corrected as soon as possible. 

With kind regards,
Francis Joseph | Press Secretary Office of the Prime Minister

Here is the full media release sent out Friday by the Communications Unit of the Office of the Prime Minister:


Attention: HEAD OF NEWS and EDITOR IN CHIEF

MEDIA RELEASE

Date: 27th December 2013

The Honourable Kamla Persad Bissessar SC, Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, leaves for New York tonight, Friday 27 December, 2013, on a private visit.

Mrs. Persad-Bissessar is making this visit to be at the bedside of her eldest sister Sally, who has encountered a serious medical situation and is in hospital requiring surgery.

The Honourable Prime Minister is taking the time off on compassionate grounds to be close to her family at a time of great need.

During her absence the Minister of Labour, the Honourable Errol Mc Leod would act as Prime Minister.

Communications Unit
Office of the Prime Minister
JYOTI and the other media got the story right. How did the Guardian determine that the PM was leaving on a private jet? Here is the offending line taken from the Guardian:

"Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar was scheduled to leave last night, on a private jet, for New York to be at the bedside of her sister Sally Ahamad. Ahamad, the PM’s eldest sister, is scheduled to undergo surgery for an undisclosed medical condition next week."

Here is the link to the story: 

PM off to visit sick sister in NY

St Vincent and the Grenadines declared a disaster zone

Story below reporduced unedited from CARIBBEAN NEWS NOW

KINGSTOWN, St Vincent -- St Vincent and the Grenadines has been declared a level two disaster zone, following the heavy rainfall resulting from a low level trough system on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. Level two disaster means that the government is managing locally with the restoration process, but will require external assistance.

The torrential rains caused severe flooding and landslides on mainland St Vincent that left 17 reported deaths and others still missing. The storm caused extensive damage to the infrastructure, including flooding of the only major hospital, the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital, and damaging the E.T. Joshua Airport, as well as severe damage to roads and bridges around the islands.

According to Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves, who returned on Thursday night after cutting short a Christmas vacation in Europe, it will need “millions of dollars” to rebuild the country.

Gonsalves said the briefing he received on his return indicated “a disaster of a proportion the likes of which we have not seen in living memory”.

“Over the next few days, we will get a clearer picture as to the full extent,” he said.

He noted that getting to Kingstown from some areas of the country would be difficult because of the condition of the road network.

Meanwhile, employees at the St Vincent Electricity Services VINLEC are working to have electricity restored to residents who lost power.

Chief executive officer Thornley Myers said the restoration work in some areas has been hampered because of blocked roads.

Half of the country was still without water, and the supply was expected to be reconnected, progressively, by Tuesday.

Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, as chair of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and lead prime minister on security in the region, spoke with Gonsalves on Friday about the situation in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Persad-Bissessar assured Gonsalves that Trinidad and Tobago is willing to assist St Vincent and the Grenadines with relief efforts and emergency supplies as necessary.

An assessment team comprising Dr Stephen Ramroop, chief executive officer of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management, and Rear Admiral Richard Kelshall, regional security coordinator in the Office of the Prime Minister, were due to travel to St Vincent on Friday to ascertain the needs of the islands.

Help arrives for St Lucia

St Lucia Prime Minister, Dr Kenny D Anthony, right, chats with Captain Neville Wint, Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM) as the ODPM hands over supplies at Hewanorra International Airport, St Lucia, Friday. Guardian Photo. 

Below: Press Secretary in the Office of the PM (T&T) Francis Joseph greets PM Anthony. "We met on Friday as a special Caribbean Airlines 737 took vital supplies to St Lucia following the devastating floods on Christmas Eve. 

"PM Anthony was very pleased with the supplies, saying Trinidad and Tobago was the first and only responder to their cries for help. He heaped praises on T&T Prime Minister, Kamla Persad-Bissessar," Joseph reported.

"It was also a good opportunity for the 16 local journalists who made the trip, getting a great chance to cover an assignment beyond our shores," he added. 

20% rebate on food items gets thumbs up from T&T consumers

An opinion poll by the North American Caribbean Teachers Association (NACTA) has concluded that there was overwhelming endorsement for the Trinidad  & Tobago government’s 20 per cent discount on oil, flour, and rice produced by the state-owned National Flour Mills. The discounts were allowed for the two days preceding Christmas.

NACTA siad it surveyed 602 persons reflecting the country's demographics beginning December 22 and found that people of all backgrounds and political affiliation liked the idea of the Christmas gift from the state.

The agency said there was almost unanimous support for it to be extended. NACTA said few people opposed the idea but the majority praised and thanked the politicians responsible -  Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Trade Minister Vasanth Bharath, and Food Production Minister Devant Maharaj. 

Consumers said they bought extra supplies for Christmas and the New Year as a result of the discounted prices.

NACTA revealed some of the popular responses from the poorer people:
  • “The Prime Minister is very kind and generous”
  • “We much appreciate it” 
  • “It is in keeping with the Christmas spirit”
  • “Kamla cares for the poor”
  • “It couldn’t come at a better time” 
  • “It should have been done a long time ago as the PP promised low food costs in its manifesto”.
Despite that some respondents felt that the gift was late and that they did not have spare resources to acquire more of the staple goods because they had already done their shopping for the season, NACTA said.

The agency said business people also complained that they did not have enough time to make the adjustment to the prices and said they would have preferred if the government had consulted them before making the announcement of the Christmas discount. Some supermarkets reported that they quickly ran out of stock.

NACTA said only six per cent of the people surveyed opposed the idea of the subsidy, which translates to an overwhelming support for the idea.

The Prime Minister announced the discount as a Christmas gift to the nation as part of her government's policy of cutting food costs. The plan was for food stores to give consumers the 20% discount on the specific items and the government would rebate the businesses the 20% on the items.

Saturday, December 28, 2013

4.1 quake rattles Trinidad

Line of 4.1 quake
The Seismic Research Unit of the University of the West Indies has reported that an earthquake struck Trinidad on Saturday morning.

The unit's website stated:

"On Saturday 28th December, 2013 at 05:17am local time an earthquake occurred west of Trinidad in the Gulf of Paria. The event was located at 10.552°N and 62.500°W. 

"The magnitude was 4.1 and the depth 80km. This event was reported felt in Diego Martin, Glencoe and Westmoorings. Please note that these are revised results based on the receipt of additional data. These results may vary slightly when more additional data is processed."

There are no reports of damage or injury to anyone.

PM Kamla off to NY to be at bedside of ailing sister

File: Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar with one of her sisters, Wattie Newton
Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar has arrived in New York on a private visit.

A media release from the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) Friday said Persad-Bissessar is making this visit "to be at the bedside of her eldest sister, Sally, who has encountered a serious medical situation and is in hospital requiring surgery."

It added, "The Prime Minister is taking the time off on compassionate grounds to be close to her sister at a time of great need."

The OPM said Labour Minister Errol Mc Leod would act as Prime Minister while Persad-Bissessar is away.

An older picture of Kamla and her three sisters. Sally is standing right behind Kamla, next to Wattie.
Shirley is seated in the front row next to Kamla. 

Jai & Sero

Jai & Sero

Our family at home in Toronto 2008

Our family at home in Toronto 2008
Amit, Heather, Fuzz, Aj, Jiv, Shiva, Rampa, Sero, Jai