Point Fortin Woman is 159th
Murder Victim THROAT SLASHEDOWTU SPEAKS 2002-12-27
we still live in one of the best places
With Christmas having gone, the count down to the New Year has started as the festive holiday season continues. And the custom is that it continues to January 6th, I think.
But for the few senseless murders and other incidences of criminal actively, the Christmas and Boxing Days were relatively peaceful and enjoyable.
In Trinidad and Tobago and with all our short comings, we still live in one of the best places in the world and if and when that changes we would be the only ones responsible for such. We take for granted our many blessings and abundant resources.
We have here a very small population occupying two islands surrounded by water teeming with fish and under which there have been discovered abundant commercial quantities of oil and gas. On land too, there is still much oil to be produced and the very fertile and arable nature of our soil presents us with immense potential for agriculture and agro-chemical diversification that would ensure a never empty food basket. Oil prices today are at the $32 - $33 US per barrel mark and beneficial to the economy of Trinidad and Tobago albeit to the disadvantage and discontent of the Venezuelans in their socio-political imbroglio in which the American CIA is playing a land and the Iraqis against whom an allied US/UK military strike will likely take place in the third week of January. And when one talks about a bullish oil market one is also alluding to good gas prices which invariably trends with the petroleum liquid product.
How all of this trickles down to the ordinary citizen and assists in the alleviation of poverty, building of physical and social infrastructure, social and economic transformation and impacting on crime reduction programmes are all important interconnecting issues for through going discussion and dialogue and Planning which must again repossess its mystique.
Let the blessings of Peace, Holiness and Goodwill to all men, women and children continue.
Have a good evening and an enjoyable and peaceful week end Trinidad and Tobago.
Save the Youth, Look out for the Children.
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OWTU SPEAKS 2002-12-23
WE PRAY FOR PEACE AND HAPPINESS
Even to those who do not subscribe, there must be a sense of something in the general atmosphere that was born thousands of years ago a saviour who would carry to his crucifixion the burden of man’s transgressions. There is abundant truth in Christmas then. But the crucifixion continues with each infliction to the neighbour; a grievous infraction of the law; the theft of another’s goods; the robbery, he murder and mayhem which is perpetrated today as a national past time. We are bombarded too much with the incidence of crime and violence. But perhaps, that will take its course until there is a well informed and decisive intervention by governmental authorities and civil society organizations.
Today, our message is a brief one. We pray for Peace and Happiness – the peace and happiness that the birth of Christ promised. There is still every opportunity for us to pull back Trinidad and Tobago from the dangerous course that it has been rumoured, doing the politically senseless and puerile – i.e. meeting with the leaders of warring criminal gangs. There could be absolutely no sensible justification for the legitimacy which such Prime Ministerial countenance would convey. And we would not accept any garbage argument about Jamaican precedence. Jamaicans are not distinguished for sensible decisions on decency and good order. Mr. Manning needs only to be advised that he should think carefully before he mounts a tiger-because getting off may well prove politically fatal.
We extend deep and sincere condolences to the bereaved family, party members and supporters of departed Guyanese leader Desmond Hoyte. We extend our deep sympathy too to the bereaved family, relatives, associates and friends of Clyde James, Management Consultant and Peoples’ person of Trinidad and Tobago. And to the rest of Trinidad and Tobago the OWTU extends best wishes for a Peaceful and enjoyable Christmas.
Happy Holidays to all.
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OWTU SPEAKS 2002-12-20
turn the heat on the criminal and lawless
It seems that there is no safe haven anywhere. The country’s record 159th murder for the year, took place in a Christian Literature Store in Point Fortin last Wednesday night. Brenda Noel was found with her throat stashed, it was reported. We may never find the murderer whose motive, it was also reported, was robbery.
In a Bookshop, catering for the religious? Catering for Christian Literature? There is no safe haven. The crooks, the thieves, the bandits, the murderers are everywhere.. but still, we cannot, we must not throw our hands up in the air as if to break the fall of a collapsing heaven. To do that is to surrender and hand victory to the lawless and the criminal minded. Neither am I sure what must be done. And in that regard I recognize that even the National Security Minister is overwhelmed by the enormity of the task against crime. Poor fellow, he does not know, it seems, whether he is going or coming on neither the issue nor how to interpret the statistics or determine whether or not new records are being established. Neither the Minister nor his boss seems able to assuage citizens’ anxiety and build some measure of public confidence in the various agencies’ ability to deal with the country’s number one plague and social epidemic since the criminal corrupt practices of the last Administration. One wishes that Messrs Chin Lee and Manning will keep their troops shut until they have a clue as to what may be politically required to turn the heat on the criminal activity. Yes, even if this sounds disrespectful – they should shut their traps and therefore not prove their ignorance and foolishness. And in the meanwhile provide all the human and material resources necessary for the law enforcement personnel to discharge their responsibilities without let or hindrance. The thing has gone too far and must be turned back now. Government and Police and the Legal System must not continue to seem impotent inn the criminals’ assault on a now almost hapless people. We have to turn back the face of a barbarism which seems to be over-running the country.
Every day a new murder or rape or maiming of some sort is reported. Point Fortin is today in shock and numbing trauma. Everyday a new kidnapping or robbery or gun battle, sometimes between police and thief or other is reported.
We are now making real to Trinidad and Tobago what was to us a phenomenon. The Armoured Vehicle $5m robbery also on Wednesday night reminded one, of the Great Train Robbery by Briggs and Company of how many years ago. The Armoured Vehicle robbery however smacks of insider bay men knowing which were the bigger money bays. But that might be purely circumstantial or I might be over imagining.
Pick up any newspaper these days and you find more crime stories than items in the classified Ads.
Point Fortin Woman is 159th
Murder Victim THROAT SLASHED
Tobago Burial for Murdered Footballer
Arima Teen on 6 charges of Violence
Cop held for questioning in latest
Kidnapping
BPTT driver abducted and robbed
Magistrate struck by Car Thieves
Mon Repos Man to serve 15yrs for Raping Teen
Homosexual Bugger Freed on a technicality
Bandits get away with $5m in cash
Proprietress Raped
Club owner Shot
And that is not all
These are only a few headlines in the smallest tabloid among our dailies.
Enough is Enough.
Tough situations call for tough action.
It is only in the law of the jungle where the lawless and brutal are left to reign supreme. Let us turn the heat on the criminal and lawless. This place is no jungle. It is the bandit, the evil intent and villains of the peace who must live in fear.
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OWTU SPEAKS DECEMBER 18 2002
THE BOLD CHALLENGE TO BPTT'S HOODWINKING
Those of us who have been advancing positions that are in our view, supportive and in defense of the national interest, had our hearts gladdened and our resolve boosted by the Express Business Energy Correspondent in his piece today titled “BP vs. TT”. The OWTU today welcomes with gratitude and admiration, the Energy Correspondent’s bold challenge to BPTT’s hoodwinking on the issue of the LNG production and the construction and operation of an Ethylene Complex here. And that the usually conservative, pro-foreign big business Express would so extensively publish a case made out in defense of the national interest, is welcome news.
Let me quote from an OWTU position paper submitted to Government in 1987 and repeated to every succeeding government since then. The paper formed part of a 124 page MEMORANDUM in which we deal with a number of economic, social and political issues. On Natural Gas Production and Utilisation we said among other things – ‘The Union is concerned that the Government appears to be falling into the old trap of the previous regime with respect to the establishment of primary production plants, i.e. fertilisers, urea, methanol, ammonia, iron and steel – utilizing natural gas as a basic feed stock. Specifically, we said at that time – specifically, the recent decisions to build an additional world scale fertilizer plant and a methanol plant the output of which would be primarily for export, sounds all too familiar.
Little will be gained from such investment decisions since (1) most of the initial investment costs go towards buying plant and equipment and therefore do not accrue or add value to the domestic economy; (2) there are few linkages if any, between the output of the plants and other sectors of the economy; (3) the control by the transnational of markets etc. means that the major financial benefits are located overseas; (4) little direct, permanent employment is created since the plants are high tech and require only a few operating and maintenance personnel and (5) the tax and other incentives offered will result in very little revenue and other benefits accruing to the nation. Indeed these projects will, over time, export more foreign exchange and capital than they will bring in.”
We said all of this in October of 1987 with little anticipation of LNG which has turned out to be an accurate example of what we warned about at least in so far as Trains 1, 2 and 3 are concerned.
The train 4 negotiations must therefore ensure an important departure from the previous nonsense that occurred. And in that regard, if this is the intention, we again voice support for the government’s position that the train 4 negotiations must fully address the national interest.
Bring on the Ethylene Project to create important local value added to our God given natural gas. And again welcome to the express Energy Correspondent.
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OWTU SPEAKS 2002-12-13
Petrotrin and Party Political influence
‘What the hell’ was my first reaction on being informed of the Prime Minister’s announcement that Petrotrin would have an Executive Chairman? ‘What the hell is happening’, I meant to say. And I wish to make it clear that we hold nothing against Mr. Malcolm Jones, incumbent Chairman of the Company. Indeed, we consider Mr. Jones eminently qualified and a sufficiently experienced national to captain any of our business and industrial sectors.
Our reservation is with the extent to which Party Political influence and control become institutionalized over the state’s interest in the day to day operations of such dynamic and complex business as the oil and petroleum business. Petrotrin particularly, has experienced the adverse effects of direct political interference for purposes other than the growth and success of the enterprise over the past six (6) years. During those six (6) years when the Company’s potential for growth, development and success was greatest since its incorporation in 1993, it produced less and hemorrhaged more due to dad deals and questionable transactions driven by direct political interference and party political and personal interests.
So it was with some trepidation, respect and regard for Malcolm Jones and indeed an over- riding commitment to the success of Petrotrin and concern for a proper and transparent operation of all state resources and enterprises that we will continue to have reservations about Mr. Manning’s new corporate structure for Petrotrin. We must also state that contrary to that which was postulated, other state owned oil companies around the world are not necessarily organized with the corporate structure decided upon for Petrotrin yesterday. Stat oil of Norway for instance, which ranks among the best run, viable and profitable oil companies around the world is state owned and controlled and it does not have an Executive Chairman, it is accountable and is spared the debilitating incidence of direct political interference in its day to day operations. We shall see what we shall see. We anticipate the confirmation of the Company’s Acting President as the new Chief Operating Officer to avoid any further unease and possible convulsions in the executive management and other levels of the company. Petrotrin will fail and will then provide every facilitating evidence to be very cheaply handed over fully to private ownership or joint venture partnering if the marking time and filibustering, mismanagement, non leadership and too much political misdirection continued.
OWTU will have none of it.
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OWTU SPEAKS 2002 DECEMBER 11TH
ROW OVER EXXON MOBIL
The $250m Row over Exxon and a reported threat to Fire the Petrotrin Board demand a detailed explanation on the goings-on at the state’s largest and single most important energy sector entities, Petrotrin and Trinmar and a reported involvement of Multinational giant, Exxon Mobil. No simple and arrogant back hand flick of the wrist will suffice nor be accepted. And we repudiate, absolutely, any half baked, ill considered, ill conceived proposal to deliver equity in our Companies or a share in our domestic fuels market in any deal with any multinational energy corporation. And lest one misunderstands, we in the OWTU are not the same dotish incoherent and mischievous head as the Cuffy-Dowlat lady the acting custodian of the Opposition Party, the always painfully grimacing less than an important ‘Mark’. But there are stories in the press that have so far gone unanswered and before those stories appeared, there had already been quietly rumoured hanky panky dealings in some quarters of the energy arenas.
The better informed in the country will know that the OWTU braved many risks as we questioned, exposed and condemned some of the excesses and not-so wholesome deals by the last discredited administration. Let it be known that we do not intend to be soft either with this present administration, if it fails to operate above board. And we will rally against the Rogue Elephants in the Board Rooms today as we did against those who gorged themselves in the frenzy at the feeding trough yesterday.
When we hear talk, which we know to be without deep sensible thought – talk about a desperate need, if you wish, for a joint venture partner in the Petrotrin Refinery; and that Petrotrin and Trinmar must hastily be made one; and that parts of our producing areas including the high potential SW Soldado field and the domestic fuels market may have to be ceded to gain foreign investment – and then you see an Express Banner Headline “PM vs. Technocrats - $250m Row over Exxon”. Well, we in the OWTU understand the issues of the award of Blocks and the associated contracts to drill wells in a defined work programme and the penalties associated with any failure to execute the agreed work programme. And we particularly understand and agree to the proposal to have Exxon carry out the technical works in other areas of higher probable benefits to the country to the extent of the penalties and costs associated with its incomplete contracted programme. But that is as far as it must go. We will not agree to and will struggle against giving up any of what we now own. The country is none the wiser and the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth must be told and explained. As it is, there might develop a pervading view that a foreign company has fuelled a war between some local technocrats and a governing autocrat. And let us learn from our own history:-
We have to have gone through an intense period of underdevelopment and a reverse process of consciousness building to arrive in 2002 with any notion at all that Exxon Mobil, BP, Repsol, Shell, Texaco or any of the rest of them has come here to help Trinidad and Tobago. Neo colonial backwardness, they are to help themselves make more money and promote 3rd World dependency.
But there are more pleasant things that we can talk about. For me, it is my big grandson’s birthday today. Well he thinks that he is big. He is 4 today. Happy Birthday Kofi.
Happy
Birthday Kofi
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OWTU SPEAKS 2002 DECEMBER 04
There is never the absence of some funny story
We owe apologies to the very many who look out for our thrice weekly comments, via the OWTU Speaks. Other pressures of work and to some extent the effects of some seasonal adjustments; all impacted our being able to meet the demands of the programme last week and again Monday of this week. We will try our best to recover any lost ground. There was so much to talk about and so much going on: -
Ghost gangs haunt the NHA and Shabazz made to look foolish with egg on his face.
UNC jefes exit Panday to London via the Piarco Arrivals Hall and Assam alludes that the Silver Fox is so slippery that one knows not whether he is going or coming.
Professional Doctors identified with unprofessional behaviour to radicalize the Medical Services.
New Airport Runway to be Rehabilitate at a cost – or is it additional cost of $32m.
Jagai leaves Petrotrin.
Manning blanks Crown Prince of Ethiopia.
There are many more but these are some of the more important current events on which we would have commented during the past several days but today there are added issues, the passing of the country’s most decorated citizen, Netball Queen Jean Pierre and now, Petrotrin’s Security’s encounter with some midnight gunmen equipped with incendiary devices. It seems that there is never the absence of some funny story in the midst of serious business.
I will tackle them one at a time. Ghost gangs seem to be synonymous with the politics of Trinidad and Tobago, which ever administration is in office – UNC or PNM. What is required really are first of all a political culture that will breed the pursuit of good order, a subscription to the law and honest accounting for the resources at the administration’s disposal and politicians who are brave and committed to the highest standards of integrity and who would be prepared to separate political support from the dispensation of state largesse. Shabazz fell down many notches by the maze of weak and senseless utterances, which were elicited from him last week I think.
I feel it was no design – it was no deliberate plan to hustle the troubled Panday away from an inquisitive press and through the Arrival Section of the Airport via his embarkation to London. I think the poor opposition leader was attempting in his own mind to rewind and reverse the criminal atrocities and massive corruption that were committed by members of his administration and UNC operatives at the Airport where everybody knows everybody who comes and goes by air transport. And I feel certain that had he the power to turn back the clock, Assam would be returned to his prize St. Joseph seat and so not emphasize the chief’s senior moment dilemma of not knowing whether he is going or coming. That was unkind to the old Bas.
But he should know that the worst bites are usually from one’s own lice. It will be quite an achievement of good, honest performance if the Runaway rehabilitation is completed by the time Mr. Panday returns, if he returns.
I thought that I would make no further comment at this time, on Petrotrin and Jagai’s departure but for this recent story of a Gunman with bomb material on the Company’s compound.
We find that there is too much missing in the story but that might well be security tatic. We would have liked the trespasser Gunman to have been apprehended but we are sure that the security officers did all that they could given the drastically reduced resources with which they have recently been made to operate. We are very concerned and we implore Mr. Bertrand and the rest of his Management to have the matter very thoroughly addressed.
The security system cannot be effectively and professionally run on a lease and contract basis. An Oil company which includes Exploration and Production, Refining and Engineering work, Marketing and Corporate Administration Services cannot be run like a service station and succeed.
Jagai does not know that. We trust that whoever is appointed to succeed him will be a performer, understanding and prepared to work with us in the interest of Petrotrin and Trinidad and Tobago.