I have been a Canadian citizen for 43 years. I was born in Guyana and I love my Guyanese heritage. My husband was born in Trinidad; he is also a Canadian citizen. We always travel together with Canadian passports. I have been visiting Trinidad (a country I love) every three to four months for a maximum of ten to 12 days, for the past 24 years with no problems.

October 25, 2017 was my most recent visit to Trinidad on Caribbean Airlines. We got to Trinidad on time at 5 am and all went well. I was interviewed by the Immigration Officer who questioned me about my visit.

The thing the officer stressed on most was the fact that I am a Guyanese. I was born in Guyana. The officer said to me: “You are supposed to have a visa to enter Trinidad”. My husband asked her “Why a visa?”

The officer answered with which seemed to be an attitude of scorn, “But she is a Guyanese; I will let her go this time but remember next time she will have to have a visa. I felt discriminated against.

This officer should be aware that Canadians do not need a visa to enter Trinidad.

I have many Trinidadian family and friends. We love each other. We get along great. Before this interview with the officer, I used to hear whispers that Trinidadians do not like Guyanese and vice versa. I never thought I would ever witness it. This kind of abuse has to top now!

I would like the officer to know that Guyanese are people too. We are humans that deserve to be treated with compassion and respect just like everybody else. We are not of a lower class. We all should be so proud of our heritage.

I feel angry, embarrassed and humiliated from this negative experience, one that I will never forget. I strongly recommend that this officer get proper immigration training to improve her conduct and work performance.

ANGRY AND DISAPPOINTED,
SHAM ASSICK-SINGH

Despite pleadings from the Police Traffic Branch and Arrive Alive, speeding and driving drunk on the nation’s roads have now become the norm, all because drivers are getting off with a ticket and a measly fine.

With the upcoming Christmas and Carnival seasons, road deaths and injuries are expected to rise. Like it is a jokey thing or what? Me, I am learning to fly with a jet pack or with wings. Given the reckless way drivers are manoeuvring their metal monsters, it is safer to travel by hot air balloon.

A drunk or speeding driver behind the wheel is a danger to himself and other users of the roadway. We need to get tough with jail sentences. The kicksing must stop! Lives are being lost on the roads; innocent people are being sent to meet Jesus. This foolishness must stop.

Pretty soon the speed limit will become law, and move from 80 kilometres per hour to 100. I feel funeral agencies will benefit immensely.

KEITH ANDERSON
SANTA CRUZ

Tomorrow will be the last day you have to see the 77 paintings of the exhibition Build the Temples for the Youths Dem to Enter by multi-media artist and cultural activist Rubadiri Victor. The exhibition was launched last Tuesday at the Holder Studio at Gallery 101 on Woodford Street, Newtown. Today the Gallery is scheduled to open at 11 am there is an Artist Brunch, Talk, and Buyers Event.

Rubadiri gave up a successful artistic career in the year 2000 to become a full-time cultural activist and founded the Artists’ Coalition of T&T (ACTT)—the umbrella representative body for T&T arts. The current exhibition was actually the series of paintings he was working on and abandoned when he made that decision.

“From 1997 I started watching two generations of genius local artists die and their legacies disappeared. I realised that unless someone fights for the honour of the creative legacy of this nation, the soul of this country could die,” Victor said.

“Build the Temples is centred around the theme of the reconstitution of nation, the turning back of apocalyptic forces, and the ushering in of a new Golden Age for Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean. It explores the necessity of creating ‘sacred and secular cathedrals to consecrate our Caribbean Legacy and our best selves and to help transform the youth’.

“The exhibition’s title and title painting appeared to me in a dream/vision, days after my last exhibition ended in 2000. I saw the painting as you see it now. I began working on 101 paintings but when Kitchener, Beryl Mc Bernie and Sundar Popo died in one week in 2000 I knew that I had to fight for the cultural sector rather than make art. For 17 years most of these paintings lay unfinished whilst I battled for the creative sector,” he said.

Info

For more information on the exhibition call 797-0949 or go to BUILD THE TEMPLES event page on Facebook #buildthetemples #rubadiriart Rubadiri.org

Known in the entertainment business as DJ Sox, Himrajh Oudit had a lot to be happy and thankful for recently. Not only did one of his two sons, Syam, make a grandfather for the first time, he was also celebrating the 40th anniversary of marriage to his wife Leela; his retirement from UWI after 41 years of service, and his 45th anniversary as a disc jockey and sound engineer.

During the family function, the decor and dress code being varying shades of blue, Himrajh’s other son Viraj moved a toast to his parents and said: “These special occasions means a lot to me as family.

Congratulations to you for having a loving, happy, blissful, fruitful life as a couple.

“As parents, and now as grandparents,” Viraj continued jokingly with a chuckles telling his father, “you stayed with the best for the best part of your life.”

Viraj also congratulated his brother Syam on the birth of his son Sachin and wished him all the best in the future.”

With the Oudit’s Santa Margarita, St Augustine residence bathed in blue and guests obeying the colour code, it was indeed a “bluetiful” occasion. The formalities out of the way, a luscious buffet dinner and party followed.

It was a welcome change in today’s ongoing daily turmoil locally to have some good news coming out of the east.

This Christmas, the Lydians, comprising singers, steel ensemble, drummers, dancers and more, make a call to the nation to hold out a light this Christmas. Their annual concert – Hold Out Your Light – premieres on Thursday, December 14 and will encompass a full-length stage production.

Billed as “a celebration of light and music,” the production will continue at Queen’s Hall, St Ann’s, until Sunday, December 17. (All shows will begin at 7:30 pm except Sunday which will begin at 6 pm)

Featured in Hold Out Your Light will be a fusion between a full 100-plus member cast and the creative innovation of North Eleven light projection, and noted lighting designer Celia Wells. For the music, the power and exhilaration of the Negro Spiritual will flow into Christmas to evoke potent emotions reflected through three beacons of light: The Church, The Home and The Community.

One of the most powerful musical genres which has historically represented a triumph of hope and light is the Negro Spiritual. The Lydians have a long and successful legacy of performing Spirituals. The choir’s choral, sound and tone of lush vocal harmonies and powerful, full-bodied sound lends itself perfectly to the ecstasy and anguish demanded by these songs.

The call to Hold Out Your Light is one inspired by light prevailing over darkness expressed through the iconic example of the abolitionist and humanitarian Harriet Tubman, who led hundreds of the enslaved to freedom by the light of her lamp through the underground railroad. She was a powerful example of holding out a light against injustice, cruelty and inhumanity. At Christmas and all through the year, the light of perseverance, selfless service and goodwill remains important and a poignant message for all.

To bring the production together, the Lydians called upon on treasured relationships built over the years with some of T&T’s best creative collaborators. Each represents a spark of brilliance and creativity that enhanced the presentation of this Christmas performance.

Production engineering

The all-star production team includes Creative Director Wendell Manwarren with words by Muhammad Muwakil. Dave Cooper of Hybrid Theory Productions debuts with the Lydians on Set Design and Celia Wells returns for lighting design with the ‘wow’ factor – North Eleven projection. Claudette Edwards with Ian Smith will have the Lydians in fine costumes and sound design will be done by Kino Alvarez, Alan Changoor and Alroy Harry.

The music

Succeeding the iconic Dr Pat Bishop as Lydians musical director/conductor is Lorraine Granderson, also the music tutor of Bishop Anstey High School.

Lydians’ musical collaborators comprise an eclectic mix of composers and arrangers. John Jacob is a long-standing musical collaborator with the Lydians, having worked with the choir on folk and calypso arrangements for many years.

Astra Noel is a composer who has emerged from the Lydian fold to debut such Christmas hits as All I Want for Christmas is a Panman and Ave Maria (O Mary) from her upcoming work, The Missa Lydia.

This year, jazz composer, arranger and musician Mark Brewster will work with the Lydians a third time to bring his unique and exciting performance to the stage.

Finally, Carl-Anthony Hines, composer, arranger and Assistant Musical Director of the Lydians will debut several original pieces, including the title piece of the concert, Hold Out Your Light and Foller.

Info 

Tickets for Hold Out Your Light are available now, General Admission; $150 with limited special reserve tickets at $200. A Thursday night $100 special is available along with TTARP and Tertiary-education student discounts available at the Queen’s Hall box Office only.

Other ticket outlets include: Queen’s Hall Box Office (624-1284 Ext 1); Signature 2000 Limited, Hotel Normandie (624-2958); La Tropicale Flower Shoppe, 23A Patna Street, St James (628-0769) Home Land Furnishings Piarco Plaza (669-8626/Gulf City Mall - 657-2220); Got Ya Back Clothing - West Entrance Ground Floor, Long Circular Mall (376-3987); and, all Lydian members.

For more information: Call 268-9556 or 338-6024, info@thelydianstt.com/thelydiansingers@yahoo.com
Visit Lydians: facebook.com/theLydiansTT or www.thelydianstt.com

Two years later, a union that rooted for the PNM to win the 2015 election is now taking a back step.

The Joint Trade Union Movement (JTUM) says it has had enough with Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and his Cabinet.

Members of the trade union who held a candlelight vigil on Friday evening had a message for the Prime Minister.

Scores of protesters gathered at Mandela Park, before making their way to the Office of the Prime Minister, St Clair.

JTUM President Ancel Roget said “As the one who requested the job to lead the country and to give us good governance and today we are seeing the most amount of ungratefulness unleashed on the people.”

The Prime Minister was not the only one who was criticised; no one in the Government was spared.

Roget said the people of this country had had enough.

“He raised gas prices once, there was no riot, he raised it again, there was no riot, he raised it a third time and he's expecting no riot. Well, if he was looking out for riot, let us not disappoint the Minister of Finance,” Roget said.

He said the union was on a forward campaign seeking justice for all.

KEVON FELMINE

kevon.felmine@guardian.co.tt

Ten weeks after surviving a horrific accident in which her father lost his right arm, two-year-old Candy Loubon was shot in the head while standing outside her Moruga home.

Up to late yesterday, surgeons at the San Fernando General Hospital were trying to remove a slug from the child's neck while her 31-year-old cousin Wendell Mike was also being treated for gunshot wounds to his head. Moruga police led by Cpl Ramsingh, Southern Division Task Force led by Cpl Ramdial and the Canine Unit were searching the forest for a 63-year-old male relative who fled after firing the shots with his home-made shot gun. The shotgun was recovered in nearby bushes.

Police said Mike and the relative had a long-standing dispute. It climaxed around 7 am yesterday when Mike went to a garden outside the suspect's home along the Penal Rock Road, Moruga. On seeing the suspect pick up his shotgun, Mike ran off. However, the suspect fired a shot and Mike was hit in the shoulder and temple.

Loubon, who was standing in the yard next door, was struck in the neck and left leg, which was damaged in September's accident. Mike's cousin Shane Lemo, 26, who was standing in the road, was also struck in the left leg. Paramedics were able to remove the slug, which was lodged just under his skin. The suspect ran off.

Candy's aunt Nicole Buchoon said the suspect and Mike had a dispute for many years. She said even when Mike visits his mother, he is chased away by the suspect.

On September 18, Candy, her father Jamie, 28, mother Cassie, 21 and siblings Emmanuel, four and Jamieson, one year, were injured when a T&T Regiment SUV crashed into their Nissan Sunny B-14. Doctors had to amputate the badly crushed arm of Jamie during emergency surgery. Candy suffered fractured limbs.

Buchoon said it was only a month ago that Candy was discharged from the hospital and she now walks with a limp.

"She is too small to be going through all these thing. I told them we need to keep a prayer," Buchoon said.

Angostura Holdings Limited yesterday announced changes in its management structure.

In an advertisement published on page A 11 of yesterday’s Guardian, it announced that with effect from November 29, Bernadette Sammy was no longer employed with the company.

The ad, which was titled: “Angostura Holdings Limited; Material Change Disclosures; Pursuant to Section 64 (1) (b) of the Securities Act, 2012, advised the following change: “With effect from 29.11.2017, Ms Bernadette Sammy is no longer employed as the Chief Financial Officer of the company.”

The ad was signed off “By order of the Board Secretary.”

CHARLES KONG SOO

Vicky Boodram's father, Ramjass Boodram, was driven to make her a child star as a way out of poverty says her mother, Indra Lall, yesterday.

Speaking to the Sunday Guardian, Lall said “Since I met him he was always saying how poor he was, it was getting to be a little too much. I didn't have a say, or ask a question, express my opinion on any topic on raising her. I did not want to speak out at the time, sometimes you may say something at the wrong time and cause a big explosion. I didn't want a volcano. I learned to keep my peace over the years and just look on and say nothing.”

She said she accompanied Vicky when she was very little with her father to do shows at Mastana Bahar, Carrera and the women's prison where she used to dance and sing for inmates.

Lall said she would do her part as the mother but “they” were in control of Vicky.

She said it was on the rare one or two times that she went with Vicky and her father to Canada and the US for a holiday, after that it was only Vicky and her father.

Lall said she used to help Vicky with her homework up to Standard 5, then her father took over until she wrote exams as she didn't know about advanced studies and after that everything else was history.

She said she saw her daughter's potential and talent and knew where Vicky's father was coming from; he took control of everything pertaining to her.

When asked if she was mentally at ease knowing that her daughter was safe and unharmed back in custody, Lall was overcome with emotion and said as a mother it was too much to bear. She said while she did not have enemies, no mother should have to go through this ordeal.

RUDOLPH BISSESSARSINGH

father of author and historian Angelo Bissessarsingh

I ponder the rocky road that Vicky has travelled in her lifetime and while many have deemed her as one of the most notorious fraudsters and have delivered judgement even before her court trials have begun, because of my acquaintance with her I reserve my judgement. Vicky came as an only child into the common-law relationship of Ramjass Boodram and Indra Lall about 35 years ago. Her father and mother doted on her night and day. Ramjass was a primary school teacher in the Presbyterian school (we taught at the same school) and also played the tabla in the BWIA Indian Orchestra. He was a fanatic for East Indian music and culture and quickly associated himself with the top politicians of the day including the Mohammed family. He dreamed of Vicky becoming an East Indian megastar. As early as age five, he had her performing, miming, and singing on stage. However it was tainted with a demanding schedule that was playing havoc with the petite, frail child.

Ramjass had once described the abject poverty and 'flour bag' underwear he had to wear to school and the slippers manufactured from motor car tubes, the ridicule and humiliation he suffered from his classmates. It was this fear of poverty that was to haunt him and his family for three decades. He described himself as the original 'El Cheapo'. Vicky's schedule did not permit socialising or childhood pastimes. It was about how much money could be secured for a performance. He created a fantasy and delusion in her mind from birth that 'she was better than all her teachers.' The brief encounters I had with Vicky as a child told me of her devotion to her father but the terrible sadness of her life. She skipped through high school but again the obsession of money, a home mortgage, small salary, Vicky became not a child or daughter but an object of financial exploitation.

An object of financial exploitation

She used to go to Carrera and Maximum Prisons women where she used to dance and sing for inmates. She had a stint as a judge on the children of Mastana and several slots as a radio announcer and TV presenter. However, Vicky's first dangerous sojourn into a world of deception came with a slew of certificates—O' levels, A' levels and university certificates. She was good, in fact, very good... The dollars kept rolling in but these big name companies never denounced her publicly. No disclaimers were ever put in the media and she became more and more adept at deception. Vicky even secured a job as an economic writer in a daily newspaper.

I listened in shock when one day she announced that she was now a professor lecturer at a Gate supported tertiary institute. Vicky even had an immersion into the political area and touted as a possible candidate for a political party. Her TV personality gave her a sense of credibility when she launched a series of advertisements for American cruise lines and allegedly a slew of forged documents. Is this a notorious criminal who fooled major organisations or did Vicky Boodram exist in a manufactured fantasy, a fantasy fuelled not by greed but ambition without structure and foundation? A child trapped by her upbringing to seek shortcuts to her success? Vicky is the cherry on the cake called Trinidad and Tobago. A person who has tested the institutional integrity of almost every sacred cow. She has left behind her many questions about our society.

How many of our dollars are whittled away in forgeries and deceptions, false contracts, fake oil, fake gravel and cement, false invoicing, deals and wheeling. How many thousands employed in high ranking jobs before and now have forged academic qualifications? How much false advertising and frauds in Licensing Office, ID cards and passports are taking place? Vicky needs not tar and feathers but psychological and medical help to escape the surrealist landscape in which she exists as will many in the upcoming months. Does environment shape us or do we shape the environment? Let us be compassionate about the story that is unfolding.

A little girl with a lot of potential—First Year teacher

Patricia Mohammed, Boodram's First Year teacher said "she seemed a well adjusted, very polite, well mannered well disciplined little girl with a lot of potential. She participated in all cultural activities. Her primary education was at Erin Road Presbyterian School. She was in one class higher than Angelo (Bissessarsingh) who attended the same school.

"Her father being a musician with Harry Mahabir Orchestra on the Mastana Bahar show encouraged young Vicky to perform at a very tender age singing calypsoes he wrote."

About Vicky:

•She was just seven years old when she attempted to sing her first calypso on stage at the Erin Road Presbyterian School—“Tassa Tempo”.

•She later became popular on stage and radio

•As a child, she was a judge in the "Children of Mastana” television series

•She also judged the Indian Cultural Pageant in 1995 and ’96

•She went from being calypsonian to professional radio announcer

•At 16, she became the youngest radio announcer, reading the news and also writing for her own radio programme

•Vicky also taught business classes and lectured at private colleges for students who are pursuing an associate degree in marketing and business

•She was six years old when she entered the National Calypso Queen competition and became a finalist

•Her songs “Sweet Soca Baby” and “Mother’s Love” , "Mamacita" and "Tassa Tempo" were popular, particularly in her home town

•She did a jingle for the roll-out of VAT under the NAR, singing the "ABC of the VAT"

Rhondor Dowlat

Going beyond last week’s prison break, there needs to be the development of an integrated database comprising all arms of the criminal justice system—the Judiciary, the T&T Police Service (TTPS) and the T&T Prisons Service.

This will enable tracking of offenders from the time of arrest to the movement in and out the prisons—from within the prison walls to the courts.

Most importantly, it will allow authentication of documents upon verification via a computerised system that is also incorporated with a barcode reader, where a printed barcode on any physical document can be verified.

Last Monday, Vicky Boodram, 35, who is currently before the courts on fraud charges, staged a daring escape from the Women’s Prison at Golden Grove, Arouca, to attend an alleged “night court” session. She was accompanied by two police officers attached to the Court and Process Branch of the Northern Division. The two officers allegedly had stamped and signed documents which they used to facilitate her removal from the prison. Boodram was, however, recaptured at a house in Penal on Thursday at about 7 pm.

General Secretary of the Prisons Officers Association Gerard Gordon explained to the Sunday Guardian how easy the present system is to manipulate and disclosed that for years they have been lobbying for a “single-share database”.

“This is where the request for prisoners to come to court would come directly to the prison. It would then go to the police, who has the responsibility to bring them to the court and in this way the authenticity of any request via that network is in check,” Gordon said.

“This can be done through barcoding, in this age of technology where printed documents would have a bar code that when put under a bar code reader can be authenticated through that single-share database,” he added.

Gordon also suggested a unique number system, an assigned number when a person is arrested, “whether it be a file number, the case number of the court so that when they come to us they would not be given another number as it is now…that assigned number to the offender would now go straight in the database.”

He further explained that the database would include lots of information, as well as updated photos of the prisoner on a frequent basis as his or her features can change while incarcerated. "The features of Remand prisoners who are there for years changes, some may grow a beard, a dreadlocks hairstyle, gotten darker, lost weight, etc, so with this system digital photos would be mandated on a monthly basis. Also, whosoever logs into this system a unique identifier should be given so that this information would be recorded on the server—all of this in that verification process.”

Acting National Security Minister Stuart Young, during the post-Cabinet media briefing on Thursday, said investigators were pursuing whether the “court documents” used in Boodram's escape originated within the judicial system and who authorised it.

Young also queried how someone could get hold of the stamp used in court documents.

Recommendations from UN prison handbook

According to the United Nations’ Prison Incident Management Handbook, it was revealed that in many prisons, staff members who are escorting a prisoner outside the prison are not provided with documentation or a photograph identifying the prisoner, although these may need to be provided to police should the prisoner escape.

•The handbook suggested that prior to conducting an external escort of a dangerous or high-security risk prisoner, a Threat Risk Assessment (TRA) should be completed by a senior prison officer.

•The TRA should consider: the consequences of the threat being realised (personal injury/seriousness and degree of harm, etc); the likelihood of risks based on past experience, the prisoner’s profile, etc; the escort location (crowded public place/remote location, etc); Basic external escort procedures should not change irrespective of the circumstances; or the security risk posed by the prisoner.

•Every TRA should determine how the escort is to be conducted, including: number of staff involved; escort purpose and destination; staff actions at the escort destination (hospital, court, etc.); search requirements; use of restraints and frequency of checks; communication and reporting frequency; escort times; type of transport and travel routes; documentation to be carried, including photographs; staff and prisoner clothing

criteria for terminating the escort and confidentiality of escort details.

“Corrections advisers should assist prison management in developing a TRA approach in planning all high-risk security escorts. This should form part of an ongoing review of prisoner escort practices, particularly in relation to high-risk prisoners,” the handbook stated.

Timeline on Vicky's escape, Monday November 27

4.30 pm—PC LeVon Sylvester picked up SRP Lisa Navarro at her Arouca home and told her she was needed to secure the release of an inmate at a female prison.

5.15 pm—The two arrived at the Women’s Prison in a marked Nissan X-Trail and presented prisons officers with what appeared to be a court order requesting that Vicky Boodram appear before a Tunapuna magistrate.

Shortly after 6 pm—CCTV footage showed Sylvester parking the police vehicle at the back of the Tunapuna Police Station. There were no signs of Boodram.

Therefore, within 30 minutes, Boodram was taken out of her cell and handed over to the police officers, clearly showing that there was not enough time for proper checks and balances and to verify the authenticity of the documents produced by the officers with the court.

The Childrens' Authority of T&T received 5,522 reports of child abuse in 2016 requiring investigation and approximately 6,000 additional reports of abuse anticipated for this year, 2017. The situation was detailed in the authority's 2016 report, laid in Parliament on Tuesday.

The 2016 and projected 2017 figures show continuing strong child abuse trends in T&T.

In May 2016, Catt director Sharifa Ali-Abdullah cited 5,500 cases reported over May 2015 to May 2016.

In Catt's report for 2016, sexual abuse victims were largely female children while victims of neglect and those physically abused were mainly male children.

Districts of San Juan-Laventille and Tunapuna-Piarco recorded the highest number of reports of children suspected of being in need of care and protection in 2016.

Catt stated the 5,522 cases reported by the end of 2016 "far exceeded earlier projections of 1,200 cases per year", creating heavy demand on the authority resources.

With the anticipated 6,000 additional reports of abuse in 2017, Catt put service agencies on notice to receive cases and provide requisite services.

Reports of children in need of care and protection emanate from all across T&T, the report stated.

"However the administrative districts of San Juan-Laventille and Tunapuna-Piarco recorded the highest number of cases for any district—14 per cent and 13.3 per cent respectively."

Point Fortin (1. 6 per cent); Rio Claro-Mayaro (2.7 per cent); Mayaro and Tobago (2.5 per cent) logged the least number.

More than half (57.4 per cent ) of all cases brought to Catt's attention in 2016 involved female children, and 41.8 per cent males.

More girls sexually abused

Highest reported types of abuse were neglect, sexual abuse and physical abuse of children.

Just over half of all reports concerned neglect and sexual abuse of children—26.5 per cent reports concerning neglect and 24.7 per cent regarding sexual abuse. (See Box)

Reported cases of physical abuse was 16.2 per cent of total reports.

Some 50.2 per cent of physical abuse reports involved male children and 49.4 per cent, female.

However, the report noted, "Female children remained significantly more vulnerable to being victims of sexual abuse than males—84.6 per cent of all victims of sexual abuse being female."

In 2016, more than one third (35.7 per cent) of all female children brought to Catt's attention were reported as being victims of sexual abuse.

"The reports of the sexual abuse of female children greatly outnumbered those for male children, with only 9.3 per cent of all male children brought to Catt's attention being reported as sexual abuse victims. "

Children ten years and older were most susceptible to sexual abuse, with 23.9 per cent of all children reported as sexually abused being between the ages of ten and 13 years; 24.9 per cent between ages 14 and 15 years; and 22.4 per cent between ages 16 and 17 years.

Children at risk in 2016

• Highest number of cases reported in March 2016 (599); Lowest, July (294).

• Neglect reports - 26.5 per cent.

•Physical abuse - 16.2 per cent.

• Sexual abuse- 24.7 per cent

•Children begging/receiving alms - 0.6 per cent.

• Children needing supervision/beyond control - 7.6 per cent.

• Emotional abuse- 10.1 per cent

•Lacking care/guardianship - 9.7 per cent.

• Lost- 0.3 per cent.

•In moral danger- 1.8 per cent

• Other - 1.4 per cent.

• The team successfully completed investigation of 849 cases in 2016; commenced investigation into 366 additional cases at year end.

Rhondor Dowlat

A vehicle that was stolen from the compound of the St Augustine Campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI) on Thursday was recovered hours later by good samaritans in the Aranguez area.

The vehicle, a grey Hyundai Tucson, bore a false number plate—PCW 6943, which slipped off revealing the correct registration number plate of the vehicle—PCR 1744.

It was reported that at about 7.30 pm that day, a female student was held up at gun point at UWI car park. Her SUV with her belongings, including her handbag, were stolen.

The victim’s sister took to social media where she highlighted the robbery and added that her sister was very traumatized after being told by the gunman that he would shoot her if she did not “dive” into a nearby five-feet deep drain.

“She (the victim) said the perpetrator looked no more than 20 years and he did not act alone as she was told to stay in the drain for five minutes or else someone else will shoot her,” the victim’s sister wrote on her Facebook post.

Hours after the victim’s sister posted about the incident, the SUV was potted in Aranguez.

The sister went back to Facebook and thanked readers for their overwhelming concern and shares, which she said she believe was the reason for the recovery of the vehicle.

“I want to personally thank everyone for the shares, for spreading the word and for keeping their eyes out, because you guys made it possible for the recovery of her car. We literally drove around till 2 am looking for this car but was unsuccessful. However, a number of good samaritans saw the post from the hundreds of shares and was able to identify my sister car at Aranguez,” the victim’s sister wrote.

“There were two fake number plates on the car however, the back number plate, we don’t know what happened there (if it slid down or if it was stuck like that) but it exposed the original number plate. Unable to reach us at the time they contacted the Barataria Police Station to recover the car. A number of items were stolen but her car is still in very good condition. Once again thank you, thank you, thank you, without your help her car would have been just another statistic,” she added.

Meanwhile, UWI, also in a Facebook post, said it has been responsive to students' calls for improvements in safety and security around the campus.

The university assured that improvements are ongoing—“a collaborative effort with key campus stakeholders and the TTPS”.

UWI shares useful tips to students on staying safe

. Know The UWI Police numbers: 662-2002 ext. 82120/83510

. Never walk or jog alone at night and avoid secluded or dimly lit areas

. Report all suspicious persons and activity to The UWI Police

. Students are also reminded that the Campus Security Escort Service is available on request: 6 pm to 6 am

Investigations are continuing into the murder of Andre “Beenie” Prince of Arima. Prince was gunned down yesterday morning.

According to a police report, at about 2.30 am Prince was at an area in Arima known as the Congo when he was approached by a masked gunman who opened fire on him. Prince fell to the ground where he died. Police said they are yet to determine a motive for the killing.

A close friend of Prince, who wished not to be identified, told the Sunday Guardian that Prince was killed out of envy. He described his friend as a “humble, kind and loving person”.

“He was very respectable to the people around him. He was well-known as Bee and Beenie,” Prince’s friend said.

Woman held with gun, police jackets

A woman has been arrested for having in her possession guns and authentic police jackets during a police exercise in Cumuto.

According to a police report, on Friday night officers acting on information went to a house in a remote area off Four Roads, Tamana, where they conducted a search. The officers recovered two shotguns, an undisclosed amount of live 12-gauge cartridges, one bullet proof vest and two jackets belonging to the T&T Police Service. The exercise was spearheaded by Sgt Williams and included Cpl Gordon and PC Nicholson of the Eastern Division. Investigations are continuing.

In an unrelated anti-crime exercise in the Northern Division on Thursday, police officers recovered 1,122 grammes of marijuana and five grammes of cocaine at a house in San Juan. Also, at Maraj Street, El Socorro, officers recovered a .38 mm revolver. The exercise was coordinated by Snr Supt Sagramsingh, Supt Pragg, ASP Soka and Insp James. It was supported by members of the North Eastern Division Task Force including acting Sgt Guelmo, Cpl Majeedand Cpl Lavia. Police said arrests are imminent.

Investigations are continuing.

—RHONDOR DOWLATH

Indian composer, singer-songwriter, and music producer, A.R. Rahman said, “Success comes to those who dedicate everything to their passion in life. To be successful, it is also very important to be humble and never let fame or money travel to your head.”

Determined to break the chain of suffering and hardship he had grown up accustomed to and provide much-needed support for his mother and four siblings as his drug-addicted father was unable to, Joseph Gaskin dropped out of Five Rivers Junior Secondary School at the age of 16 and went to work.

Leaving home at ungodly hours and grateful for any and all odd jobs he was able to secure, the 29-year-old father of three said, “My only aim was to help feed my family and I also wanted to make my parents proud.”

The Arima native whose unwavering work ethic is common knowledge among his family, friends and colleagues added, “Because I did not have the easiest childhood and had to become one of the main breadwinners in the family early on, I had to grow up quickly.”

“I did not have the chance to do many of the things guys my age were doing, or wear what they did, or even lime like they did, but it did not bother me because I believed I was doing something more meaningful with my time and money.”

Six years after setting up Big Meech General Maintenance, Gaskin joked he was afraid to sit back and relax “too much.”

His roster which includes a 20-man workforce provides general maintenance services such as detailing, stripping and power-washing for industrial, commercial and residential properties both off and onshore.

Gaskin, who married the mother of his children close to two years ago, managed to secure a job at Caribbean Dockyard (Caridoc) with a contractor who he said “saw something more” in him than he himself such believed existed.

A devout Muslim, Gaskin said the job caused him to develop into somewhat of an introvert as he focused his energies on learning every aspect of shipyard work.

He said it included building, repairing, cleaning and stocking vessels of all sizes including tankers, luxury yachts and pleasure boats.

Gaskin said, “I poured myself into that job, soaking up everything I could and learning how to do everything.”

He claimed his boss at the time soon realised his potential and promoted him as the foreman, which was his first step to starting Big Meech General Maintenance.

“He gave me the inspiration to open my own company,” Gaskin said.

He continued, “He realized I was coming to work day and night, and doing everything that was asked of me because I simply refused to give up.”

Pressed to say what was the driving force behind his punishing schedule, Gaskin said, “I always try to remember where I came from and how easy it was to go back there, so I am motivated to push myself in the opposite direction.”

“I want to make sure my kids never know what it is to be hungry or want something like their friends and having to go without we can’t afford it.”

Gaskin was quick to point out that although he does spoil his kids, it was kept within the limit as he explained, “I don’t want them to grow up feeling like they are entitled.”

“I want them to understand and value hard work, because I believe it will make them more appreciative of the things when they actually get them.”

Hoping to expand the business in the coming year, Gaskin said he continues to faithfully follow a regimented savings plan as he has carefully mapped out ‘on paper’ what he needs to grow the operation in terms of equipment and resources.

Although he never formally completed his education, Gaskin said he had always dreamt of attaining tertiary level qualifications and he refused to become discouraged.

He also had a burning desire to prove to himself that he could accomplish his educational goals.

This resulted in him obtaining a BSc in Chemistry from the College of Science, Technology and Applied Arts of T&T (COSTAATT), along with a slew of certificates in general safety and offshore marine maintenance.

However, he insisted it did not interfere with any of his jobs or interrupt the quality time he religiously sets aside for his family.

He said, “When it is time for prayer, I do what is required of me and then return to work.”

“I don’t let the two get in the way of the other because I believe the two are necessary to bring balance to my life.”

Laughing as he declared, “I don’t flex myself,” Gaskin explained, “I don’t party, drink or smoke.”

“My goal is to leave a legacy for my children that they can hold on to and expand even further because my parents were not able to do that for me or my siblings.”

He vowed, “I am going to break that cycle.”

At peace when he’s on the water, Gaskin said he knows his parents and siblings are proud of his achievements to date.

Although he pained was by the fact that his father had chosen to live on the streets, Gaskin shrugged sadly as he asked, “What can I do? As a family, we have tried everything and it hasn’t worked for him. All I can do now is ensure he knows he is still loved and has a place when he needs it.”

Asked what advice he wished to impart to other small-business owners like himself, he immediately replied, “Remember that even persons with a criminal record can change.”

Gaskin said, “I select my employees based on their willingness to work and I like to give everyone a fair chance so once I see they are not touching other people’s things, they are guaranteed a work with me.”

He urged employers, “Please don’t hold things against people as everyone has a past in which things might have been wrong with them and they made some wrong decisions, but don’t judge everyone you meet with the same pen.”

Confiding that his 11-year-old daughter continues to dream of becoming the Prime Minister, Gaskin assured, “Since her first day in pre-school when she was asked what she wanted to become and gave that answer, she has not changed her mind.”

“She still has that dream and I will do my best to ensure she achieves it!” Gaskin said proudly.

Investors typically face two types of difficulty when trying to understand or make investment decisions: one from not enough skepticism, and the other from too much skepticism.

The first difficulty can arise when an investor seeks out a specific formula to reach a “precise” answer when considering an investment decision.

The issue here is that once obtained, such an answer can essentially have an anchoring effect.

In fact, the very process of computing gives the resulting answer a feeling of credibility in the investor’s mind, which can create a psychological barrier to further, more nuanced forms of thinking.

The “formulaic approach” can make an investor vulnerable to mistakes or outright manipulation as formulas, by their very definition aren’t able to incorporate broader considerations that bounce around the investment universe.

Formulas, while useful guides, tend to narrowly focus on very distinct variables.

Too much skepticism on the other hand, manifests itself whereby an investor may feel that forming reaonably solid investment conclusions is even at all possible.

Complexities around businesses, and the absence of fully formed answers lead many into thinking that analysis of any kind is an exercise in futility.

That said, complexity is not unique to the world of investing.

In fact, a discipline such as medicine, for example, perhaps addresses problems far more complex than investing - investing typically is not life or death, whereas as medical decisions can be.

As in other fields, investing riddles exist along a continuum from the simple to the incomprehensible.

An investor can, however, through diligence, time and effort, gradually move up the ladder of complexity.

All told, the real skill for the investor is finding the “happy medium”

Instead of gullibility or senseless skepticism, investing requires a sensible middle ground where quantitative and qualitative approaches help guide judgements and decision making.

In other words, the shrewd investor is able to recognise - and avoid - circumstances that cannot be solved, and instead, focus on those situations that are accomodating to competent analysis, given his or her skillset at a given moment.

Really, the purpose of analysis is not so much to reduce a decision making process to a “single number”, but rather to get a sense of a situation in its entirety and bring to the fore those forces that may affect a company’s economic worth.

Being able to juggle both approaches is typically what separates the good, from the great.

Andre Worrell

The goods and services offered in markets are often susceptible to movements in their prices—they can either go up or down. Inflation, thus, refers to the rate at which the general level of prices for goods and services rises.

Consequently, inflation means less bang for your buck, as it erodes the purchasing power of a unit of currency. Though often used to represent increases in consumer prices (prices paid for final goods at the point of consumption), it can also be applied to other prices such as wages, assets etc. It is usually expressed as an annual percentage rate of change.

As an example, if the inflation rate is 2%, then a pack of gum that costs $1 in a given year will cost $1.02 the next year. As goods and services require more money to purchase, the implicit value of that money falls.

Inflation would not do much damage if it were predictable, as everybody could build into their decision making the prospect of higher prices in future.

In practice, it is unpredictable, which means that people are often surprised by price increases. Most economists agree that an economy is more likely to function efficiently if inflation is low.

That said, to keep inflation low, understanding what drives it is critical. Most economists posit that excessive growth of the money supply drives inflation. Low or moderate inflation may be attributed to fluctuations in the demand for goods and services, or changes in available supplies such as during scarcities.

The task of keeping the rate of inflation low and stable is usually given to monetary authorities. Generally, these monetary authorities are the central banks that control monetary policy through the setting of interest rates, open market operations, and by even adjusting the reserve requirements of commercial banks.

Inflation however, has its merits to the extent that it shows positive economic activity taking place in an economy, and usually augers well for moderate adjustments in the wage level.

In fact, its opposite, deflation, is often seen as something to be avoided by many economists. In T&T, the Central Bank provides three data points to represent inflation (headline, core and food) with headline being the overall level of inflation, core being a measure that adjusts for volatility and food representing the rate of increase in food prices.

As at September 2017, those inflation figures stood at 1.2 per cent, 1.1 per cent, and 1.8 per cent respectively

The Ministry of Tourism has been hosting a series of tours for the public in order to increase the awareness of our local tourist attractions as well as to provide an opportunity for citizens to become more actively involved in the tourism sector.

On November 25 there was an adventure tour to the L’eau Michel Mud Volcano in Penal.

On the way they stopped at the legendary doubles capital, Debe, to get a taste of why T&T is a spot for the culinary connoisseur.

The tour was expertly guided so participants could gain invaluable information on the hidden gems of our tourism sector. Those who went enjoyed themselves bathing in the mud volcano.

The ministry has joined with our Caribbean neighbours in commemorating Tourism Month with a sustained and heightened focus on the importance of tourism to the national economy during the months of November to December 2017. The primary objectives of Caribbean Tourism Month are to rally the nation behind the tourism sector by highlighting the possible role(s) each person can play in the development of this sector, raising awareness about the diversity of our tourism product and about the tourism sector as a whole.

Global speaker Sandra Ford Walston, known as The Courage Expert, is a human potential consultant who studies courage. She wrote a great article entitled “Practising Spiritual Courage to Find Answers” which I would like to share.

“Looking to retire? Or maybe find a new job? Want to transition to something new? First, start by asking yourself some worthy questions:

• Where do you seek security? Through an attachment to your home? Your ethnic group? Your denomination? Your job title?

• Do you have a staunch attachment to some belief that prevents you from manifesting your courage?

After over 20 years of extensive and original research on a simple word, “courage”, I have been amazed how people have difficulty claiming and applying the original definition of courage, “heart and spirit” (the spirit and the heart are one). Perhaps it’s because no concrete tool has been available to distinguish the actions of courage such as simply the willingness to give yourself permission to claim your courage or instilling self-discipline to finish (or start) a project. Trapped in attachments, our hyper-individualized culture does not support taking time to reflect and notice how often throughout the day we say, “I am so busy...” Then there is the issue of “needing” more and more stuff and activities to confirm our “identities”—the right car, the latest technology gadget, the trendy new workout or incessant text-messaging.

This attachment dilemma starts with a slogan I use in my training programmes that reflects a cultural mantra: “Have, do, be.” Merging your professional and personal life you will find that, with courage, you are able to transcend the “have, do, be” focus of society to achieve the “be, do, have” mode of living that leads to personal fulfillment. In the spirit of “be, do, have” you are making a gift of your life and ultimately, that choice touches all of mankind. This is not an easy task when society values what you have and what you do.

So to begin this type of learning, you need to cultivate a contemplative dimension grounded in a practical conviction of being. In spiritual courage, there is acceptance in every circumstance, including death.

Acceptance should not be confused with resignation; to the contrary, acceptance is the ability to accept what is at each precious moment. You can begin to do this by asking a couple of questions:

“What can I control at this moment?”

“What prompted me to create this circumstance?”

A person aligned with his or her true self accepts rather than resists the answers. They give their fullest attention to their emotions and what lies underneath them.

Ask yourself:

• Do you operate in scarcity mentality and unconsciously stay attached to the almighty pay cheque while your dreams wither for lack of spiritual nourishment?

• Are you willing to let go of your possessive attitude toward everything (or everyone)?

• What do you pine for?

• What thought patterns keep you up at night?

Try making a list of the things to which you are attached. Review the list and assess where and how these attachments found a home in your psyche. After identifying your attachments, the next step is eliminating this draining energy, which requires stopping—taking a step back from the busyness of thinking and doing to allow time for contemplation. Stopping helps you learn to become indifferent to the outcome, which should not be confused with loss of spirit or passion but rather with a keen sense of discernment. Spirit and passion remain constant, only regrets diminish.

The spiritual journey requires being in the present. It is a trust in faith that propels you to continue growing. You become a “witness” to your attachments and learn to self-correct. You surrender your ego to a higher level of consciousness, and you begin to exist in a place “where courage meets grace”. As all this happens, humility steps in to replace arrogance and self-righteousness. The sacred within awakens and reveals your spiritual intelligence.