Morning Edition: 23rd February 2024

CCNTV6

Watch Morning Edition: 23rd February 2024 - CCNTV6 on Dailymotion

Transcript

00:00:00 and the rest of the world are

00:00:16 Marlon Hopkins and as always,

00:00:20 welcome to the morning edition.

00:00:22 It's Friday 23rd, February 2024.

00:00:24 Thank you very much for joining

00:00:25 us this morning. We do

00:00:26 appreciate it, right? How has

00:00:28 the weather been treating you

00:00:29 so far? It's been pretty

00:00:30 good. It's been a little

00:00:31 bit of a struggle. Yeah. So I

00:00:34 see more and more people

00:00:36 walking around with the masks

00:00:37 and so on. But the this

00:00:40 Saharan dust, what are we

00:00:42 going to do about it? Is there

00:00:44 any resolution to this? Is

00:00:46 there how do we solve this? Or

00:00:48 is this something that we are

00:00:50 going to have to live with? It

00:00:51 would seem that in the past

00:00:53 few months, in the past few

00:00:54 years, we have seen this dust

00:00:58 of the world, right? So how do

00:01:00 we deal with this? Is it going

00:01:02 to be a part of our daily

00:01:03 routine now to go out with the

00:01:05 mask and go out with the

00:01:07 allergy medicine, medication

00:01:10 and so on? You know, that's I

00:01:12 think that's a great question

00:01:15 that we need to ask. Is there

00:01:17 something that our world

00:01:18 leaders can do about it?

00:01:20 Countries can do about it.

00:01:22 You know, something to think

00:01:23 about. Let's check out to see

00:01:24 what's happening on the Daily

00:01:25 Express today. All right. So

00:01:27 schoolboy, 11 shot dead.

00:01:29 Father, sister survived drive

00:01:31 by shooting. Keeping watch,

00:01:34 police and soldiers keep watch

00:01:36 at the scene of yesterday's

00:01:37 shooting at Laventille Road,

00:01:38 East Rye River, East Port of

00:01:39 Spain, which claimed the life

00:01:41 of 11 year old Ezekiel Huggins

00:01:45 and his injured and injured his

00:01:47 father, Akel Fairbin, 39.

00:01:51 Seized a 9mm pistol seized by

00:01:53 police from the two gunmen

00:01:55 involved in yesterday's

00:01:57 incident. I didn't stutter.

00:02:00 11 year old boy killed in

00:02:04 drive by. Right? So police

00:02:08 said at around 4.30 p.m.

00:02:10 Akel Fairbin, 39, his son

00:02:12 Ezekiel, 11, and his 11 year

00:02:15 old and his 15 year old sister

00:02:18 were being driven by their

00:02:19 father in his car through

00:02:21 Laventille Road, East Rye

00:02:22 River. Unknown to him, two

00:02:24 other vehicles were following

00:02:26 his car. Police said that as

00:02:28 Fairbin slowed his car near to

00:02:30 a shop, occupants of one of the

00:02:32 vehicles opened fire on his

00:02:34 vehicle. Both cars sped off.

00:02:36 As we told you earlier, the

00:02:38 police have arrested suspects

00:02:40 in connection with this matter.

00:02:42 Yeah? Again, the Belmont

00:02:45 School remains closed. The

00:02:46 Gloucester Lodge Moravian

00:02:47 Primary School has remained

00:02:48 closed since the murder of 50

00:02:50 year old Amor Howe outside the

00:02:52 school compound on Tuesday

00:02:55 morning. Yeah? Some of what is

00:02:57 happening in Trinidad and

00:02:59 Tobago. You know, I don't like

00:03:00 to share very bad news with you

00:03:02 in the morning, but you know, I

00:03:04 think that I had to, I had to

00:03:05 tell you about this this

00:03:06 morning. Of course, it has been

00:03:07 in the news since last evening,

00:03:10 but serious state of affairs in

00:03:13 Trinidad and Tobago. All right,

00:03:15 let's check out some sport.

00:03:17 Under 20s ready for action,

00:03:19 keeping it serious, fully

00:03:20 concentrated national under 20

00:03:23 goalkeeper Makaya Taylor stops

00:03:25 a low shot during yesterday's

00:03:26 practice session at UEC

00:03:28 Augustine Campus mainfield

00:03:29 ahead of today's opening

00:03:30 conquer calf under 20

00:03:32 championship group D match

00:03:34 against St. Vincent of

00:03:35 Grenadines ever. Hazley

00:03:37 Crawford Stadium and fighting

00:03:39 from behind Red Force

00:03:40 battling hurricanes get 181

00:03:43 run lead after feeling with a

00:03:46 bat for Trinidad and Tobago

00:03:47 Red Force stage a fight back

00:03:49 over ball yesterday to dismiss

00:03:51 hosts Leeward Islands

00:03:52 hurricanes for 318 on the

00:03:55 second day of their third round

00:03:56 West Indies four day

00:03:57 championship match at Warner

00:03:59 Park in St. Kitts. So some of

00:04:01 the stories in the Daily

00:04:03 Express this morning. All

00:04:06 right. So you have your coffee,

00:04:11 you have your tea, get

00:04:12 something to eat. We do have

00:04:13 a very interesting program for

00:04:15 you this morning. We are going

00:04:17 to very short break, right?

00:04:18 We're coming back.

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00:06:09 Do you remember?

00:06:13 Do you remember?

00:06:21 I remember

00:06:25 Do you remember?

00:06:30 I will all begin

00:06:33 It's the first time

00:06:37 I could be here

00:06:40 In the air

00:06:43 In the air

00:06:46 Do you remember?

00:06:52 Do you remember?

00:06:55 Time flies

00:06:58 Do you remember?

00:07:01 Do you remember?

00:07:04 I'm glad you're up again

00:07:07 Do you remember?

00:07:10 Do you remember?

00:07:12 When I was a young boy growing up

00:07:14 in Laventry Road in February

00:07:16 Village in Samoa, I really had no

00:07:18 concept of ever becoming a manager

00:07:20 or having an organization of my

00:07:22 own, or even having my own house.

00:07:24 And a lot of people reached out

00:07:26 and helped me along the way.

00:07:28 People who helped me who I knew,

00:07:30 and for that reason I feel it's

00:07:32 important now that I give back

00:07:34 in any way that I can.

00:07:36 All corporate social responsibility

00:07:38 at the Esquerrez on-site is Habitat for Humanity.

00:07:40 So we are supporting the cause of

00:07:42 alleviating poverty housing.

00:07:44 And really, you don't have to have a whole lot

00:07:46 to be able to give.

00:07:48 Because what you're giving of is your time,

00:07:50 talent, and treasure.

00:07:52 So this is my appeal to you, to get involved

00:07:54 with Habitat, get on board,

00:07:56 and for those of you who have received a lot,

00:07:58 to those who much is given, much is expected.

00:08:00 [Music]

00:08:12 [Music]

00:08:38 And a very special good morning to all of you again.

00:08:40 Thank you very much for joining us on the

00:08:42 Morning Edition.

00:08:44 We do have a lot for you, as I told you earlier

00:08:46 on the program today, but before we do that,

00:08:48 let's look at some other stories in the Daily Express

00:08:50 for today.

00:08:52 Staff shortage at Port of Spain

00:08:54 port leads to delays and traffic.

00:08:56 So a staff shortage

00:08:58 caused by disgruntled employees

00:09:00 at the port of Port of Spain yesterday

00:09:02 resulted in the disruption of all

00:09:04 cargo operations and a

00:09:06 massive traffic jam heading west.

00:09:08 In a media release last night,

00:09:10 the port authority confirmed that

00:09:12 as a result of absenteeism

00:09:14 by equipment operators,

00:09:16 all cargo operations

00:09:18 were disrupted.

00:09:20 Minimal deliveries at the one-stop

00:09:22 barrel shop were facilitated,

00:09:24 and the authority said it expects that

00:09:26 cargo handling operations

00:09:28 shall be fully resumed

00:09:30 today. There were no disruptions

00:09:32 to the inter-island sea bridge

00:09:34 service, all passengers and cargo,

00:09:36 two from Tobago,

00:09:38 were accommodated, the authority

00:09:40 said. So the authority

00:09:42 is expressing optimism

00:09:44 today that the problem

00:09:46 will be resolved and workers will return

00:09:48 to work. Some of the

00:09:50 other stories that we are looking at

00:09:52 in the Daily Express and on the Morning Edition

00:09:54 today. JSC report

00:09:56 urges changes to law for

00:09:58 access to education.

00:10:00 Let migrant children into

00:10:02 schools. Legislative

00:10:04 changes should be undertaken to

00:10:06 remove the obstacles to migrant children

00:10:08 getting access to local schools.

00:10:10 Now, this is the recommendation

00:10:12 of the Joint Select Committee on Human Rights,

00:10:14 Equality and Diversity.

00:10:16 Now, the committee's sixth

00:10:18 report, which was tabled at the Senate

00:10:20 on Tuesday, recommended

00:10:22 that adjustments be made to ensure

00:10:24 that migrant children can access

00:10:26 education in accordance

00:10:28 with international law. I could hear people in

00:10:30 education saying right now,

00:10:32 so you want to allow this? And I have

00:10:34 no problem with this, but of course, we

00:10:36 have been discussing for years now

00:10:38 the challenges facing

00:10:40 education in Trinidad and Tobago.

00:10:42 So if you have

00:10:44 a system that is already overburdened,

00:10:46 how are you going to deal with

00:10:48 migrant children? Yeah? Just

00:10:50 a question I want to ask this morning

00:10:52 because everything

00:10:54 is not perfect

00:10:56 in education. So a lot of things

00:10:58 need to be fixed first

00:11:00 before this is done, and I hope

00:11:02 there is widespread consultation

00:11:04 with the stakeholders in education

00:11:06 so that when this happens,

00:11:08 as I said, I have no problem with it, so

00:11:10 when this happens,

00:11:12 it kicks

00:11:14 in in a smooth way, and no

00:11:16 one is inconvenienced,

00:11:18 and the

00:11:20 service that we are providing is

00:11:22 consistent. All right? Just a few

00:11:24 thoughts on that. Have you all been

00:11:26 looking at what has been happening

00:11:28 with the Miss World competition?

00:11:30 I know back in the day,

00:11:32 all of us would be in front of our

00:11:34 television sets looking to see

00:11:36 what is happening with Miss World

00:11:38 and what is happening with the Miss Universe

00:11:40 competitions. Well, we do have

00:11:42 a representative at the Miss World competition

00:11:44 in India. All right? So Miss

00:11:46 World Trinidad and Tobago, Asha Abrahams

00:11:48 is in the top 25

00:11:50 of the pageant's Head-to-Head

00:11:52 Challenge, part of the 2024

00:11:54 Miss World competition in

00:11:56 India. Now, Abrahams' presentation

00:11:58 of her beauty with a purpose

00:12:00 project yesterday, titled

00:12:02 "Invisible Scars"

00:12:04 earned her a spot in the

00:12:06 competition. Now, the

00:12:08 Head-to-Head Challenge is one of the most

00:12:10 important challenges of the Miss World competition

00:12:12 as through this challenge, the whole

00:12:14 world gets to know the candidates

00:12:16 a little better. The two-

00:12:18 level challenge places the successful

00:12:20 candidates directly in the

00:12:22 top 40.

00:12:24 All right? So, this is

00:12:26 interesting, what is happening with the Miss World

00:12:28 competition. I don't know if we'll return to the

00:12:30 days of all of us being in front of the

00:12:32 television sets looking

00:12:34 at the competition. All right?

00:12:36 But I think that we do

00:12:38 have a very good representative

00:12:40 at the competition this year.

00:12:42 All right? Call for police officers to hold

00:12:44 strain. Over 1,000

00:12:46 cops still to get back pay.

00:12:48 Over 1,000 officers of the Trinidad and

00:12:50 Tobago Police Service are yet to receive

00:12:52 their promised back pay.

00:12:54 Now, this was confirmed by head of the

00:12:56 TTPS's Social and Welfare Association

00:12:58 President,

00:13:00 ASP Gideon

00:13:02 Dixon. All right? So, as I

00:13:04 said, we have a lot for you on the program.

00:13:06 We're still focusing very, very

00:13:08 heavily on this situation concerning

00:13:10 the oil spill in Tobago.

00:13:12 So, when we return, we are going to be

00:13:14 discussing that. We are going to be very short. We're coming back

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00:16:48 Alright, so welcome back everyone.

00:16:50 As I told you earlier, we are going to be heavily

00:16:52 focusing

00:16:54 on the situation in Tobago

00:16:56 concerning the oil spill. We do have

00:16:58 on the line this morning,

00:17:00 Secretary of the

00:17:02 Fishermen and Friends of the Sea, Gary Aboud.

00:17:04 Good morning Mr. Aboud.

00:17:06 Good morning to you and to your audience.

00:17:08 Yes, Gary, always good to speak with you.

00:17:10 Gary, let's look at this

00:17:12 situation in Tobago as you,

00:17:14 I mean this has been going on for maybe about

00:17:16 two weeks now. Let's look at the

00:17:18 overall management of this.

00:17:20 What are your views this morning?

00:17:22 Very, very sad

00:17:24 the way the government has

00:17:26 withheld its troops from us.

00:17:28 Very disappointing in the way that

00:17:30 they have not responded from the very

00:17:32 beginning. It took five days

00:17:34 before they even got booms there.

00:17:36 There's a large

00:17:38 volume of oil that has escaped.

00:17:40 So much information

00:17:42 has been concealed.

00:17:44 We still don't know who the

00:17:46 owners of the vessel are,

00:17:48 where it was going.

00:17:50 I'm saying very openly that

00:17:52 this is not a normal transaction.

00:17:54 Guyana is not

00:17:56 importing crude.

00:17:58 Trinidad is not a net importer

00:18:00 of crude. Where was it

00:18:02 going? Was it embargoed fuel?

00:18:04 It was to be trans-shipped

00:18:06 and sent into a lucrative

00:18:08 North American or European market

00:18:10 under the guise of being

00:18:12 produced in our country

00:18:14 in Guyana.

00:18:16 These are serious allegations and the

00:18:18 government, short-term with great respect,

00:18:20 have said nothing. They have not even

00:18:22 said who the culprits are.

00:18:24 And so we're lost.

00:18:26 We don't know how much fuel

00:18:28 is still stored on the vessel,

00:18:30 how effective the booms have been,

00:18:32 how safe it has been

00:18:34 for the volunteers to be

00:18:36 exposed to this very

00:18:38 thick crude.

00:18:40 In the Gulf of

00:18:42 Mexico, when they had volunteers doing

00:18:44 cleanup, they tested the volunteers

00:18:46 for lung and other degenerative

00:18:48 conditions

00:18:50 for six months after

00:18:52 they completed the

00:18:54 volunteer work because

00:18:56 there's a great concern that

00:18:58 exposure to hydrocarbon can cause

00:19:00 cancer.

00:19:02 So the closing of the school was

00:19:04 good, but there's a lack of

00:19:06 information. Why didn't they

00:19:08 move the residents?

00:19:10 I think, Gary, I think

00:19:12 it is safe to say, according to

00:19:14 or following a statement of the

00:19:16 Works and Transport Minister

00:19:18 yesterday, he said there are lease

00:19:20 and a lot of information,

00:19:22 but they're still trying

00:19:24 to find the owners of

00:19:26 these vessels.

00:19:28 I take it from what the

00:19:30 minister is saying that

00:19:32 there are a lot of parts to this,

00:19:34 but there is great difficulty

00:19:36 in getting information

00:19:38 as to what really

00:19:40 transpired and who are the real players

00:19:42 in all of this.

00:19:44 With great respect to all of the

00:19:46 ministers, I do not

00:19:48 accept that. This is the

00:19:50 era of technology. Everything

00:19:52 is available. Everything.

00:19:54 There are registers of everything that moves,

00:19:56 everything that exists.

00:19:58 I don't buy that.

00:20:00 I don't buy that at all. I suspect

00:20:02 there are senior people involved

00:20:04 and that the truth will

00:20:06 never come out. Mark my words,

00:20:08 you can speak in a month from now.

00:20:10 They've already had two and a half

00:20:12 weeks to dilly-dally and say

00:20:14 they don't know and they don't know.

00:20:16 Let's see what another two and a half weeks will yield

00:20:18 and then let us judge.

00:20:20 The country is not judging. The country

00:20:22 is so lost on this whole...

00:20:24 It's like

00:20:26 the country is being run by the

00:20:28 supporters of Manchester United

00:20:30 and they are playing a game

00:20:32 against another

00:20:34 great British team. And regardless

00:20:36 of what the team does, the

00:20:38 supporters cheer them on.

00:20:40 So there's not that sense of

00:20:42 discretion and decency and

00:20:44 honesty that comes to the table

00:20:46 by the supporters or by the

00:20:48 players. And so we are lost.

00:20:50 We are lost and they give us

00:20:52 what they want, they hide and cover up

00:20:54 and we face the impact.

00:20:56 Would you support,

00:20:58 Gary, a forensic probe

00:21:00 into this incident?

00:21:02 I'm sorry, could you repeat that?

00:21:04 Would you support a forensic probe

00:21:06 into this incident?

00:21:08 Absolutely. From the beginning we

00:21:10 called for third-party investigators

00:21:12 to verify the

00:21:14 source of the oil. The oil

00:21:16 must be fingerprinted. Now the

00:21:18 IMA is saying that it's diesel.

00:21:20 I've been

00:21:22 responding to maybe 200

00:21:24 oil spills in the past 10 years

00:21:26 and this is

00:21:28 so far from what could ever

00:21:30 be considered diesel.

00:21:32 Who exactly could ever say

00:21:34 that this thick, black,

00:21:36 clumpy,

00:21:38 crude could

00:21:40 resemble diesel, which is a

00:21:42 refined and liquid

00:21:44 and easy to spread

00:21:46 substance. This is not diesel.

00:21:48 It was already started.

00:21:50 Absolutely we need third-party investigators.

00:21:52 Absolutely we need

00:21:54 honesty by the respective

00:21:56 government members. They need

00:21:58 transparency. Of course we need transparency.

00:22:00 We are an independent nation

00:22:02 that has been violated.

00:22:04 We have costs of running

00:22:06 to tens of millions.

00:22:08 Fisheries stakeholders have been so

00:22:10 negatively impacted. We cannot

00:22:12 begin to evaluate

00:22:14 the impact on tourism, the amount

00:22:16 of cancellations and disappointments

00:22:18 and

00:22:20 continued bad reputation

00:22:22 that has spread of our

00:22:24 beautiful island that is covered in oil.

00:22:26 No one

00:22:28 is being charged.

00:22:30 In 2013, Petrochin

00:22:32 was charged, but since 2013

00:22:34 we've had literally

00:22:36 thousands of miniature spills.

00:22:38 Many, many spills

00:22:40 and no one has been charged.

00:22:42 And now this one, they don't

00:22:44 even want to identify the culprit

00:22:46 and most

00:22:48 frighteningly

00:22:50 this is not a normal

00:22:52 transaction.

00:22:54 This is something that has been

00:22:56 exposed by an accident

00:22:58 where parties should be

00:23:00 prosecuted by the United

00:23:02 States for violating

00:23:04 their international sanctions

00:23:06 against the country that was exporting

00:23:08 the hydrocarbon.

00:23:10 It has been alleged, and I've said it

00:23:12 from the very beginning, that we

00:23:14 suspect this oil has emanated

00:23:16 from Venezuela,

00:23:18 sent to Panama to have documentation

00:23:20 stamped and re-exported

00:23:22 from Panama as if it passed

00:23:24 through Panama but didn't.

00:23:26 This is embargoed oil

00:23:28 that is being sent to the United

00:23:30 States or to Europe, to countries

00:23:32 where the value

00:23:34 is substantially more

00:23:36 than would be obtained

00:23:38 in the South. And it's a

00:23:40 simple business transaction, but who are the

00:23:42 culprits? Who are the customs officials

00:23:44 and the ministers who are instructing

00:23:46 the authorization to change

00:23:48 the documentation of country of origin?

00:23:50 This is major

00:23:52 international corruption.

00:23:54 And if Interpol is not already

00:23:56 involved, why have

00:23:58 they become involved?

00:24:00 Gary, am I interpreting you

00:24:02 well

00:24:04 by saying this? That you believe

00:24:06 that this is as

00:24:08 a result of some

00:24:10 sort of criminal act that

00:24:12 was taking place?

00:24:14 Absolutely.

00:24:16 And this whole question of cocaine

00:24:18 drifting out of the vessel,

00:24:20 is it really

00:24:22 that cocaine was in the vessel?

00:24:24 Or did some involved party

00:24:26 want to camouflage the entire

00:24:28 smoky

00:24:30 water, they used to call it a red herring.

00:24:32 I don't know if you know where the term

00:24:34 red herring came from, but

00:24:36 it's the cocaine

00:24:38 on the vessel that

00:24:40 was found floating near to the vessel

00:24:42 of a red herring?

00:24:44 Or was the vessel really being

00:24:46 used to transship

00:24:48 Latin American cocaine?

00:24:50 I mean,

00:24:52 there are

00:24:54 too many questions.

00:24:56 That world should have been pulled over

00:24:58 the national eye.

00:25:00 That everything is okay, it's been cleaned up.

00:25:02 Now they're saying they've invited

00:25:04 international assistants

00:25:06 to assist.

00:25:08 Well, from the first day,

00:25:10 why didn't you invite

00:25:12 international assistants? They couldn't identify

00:25:14 so many things.

00:25:16 We've never had technical expertise

00:25:18 with a vessel that is

00:25:20 flipped like this.

00:25:22 If anything is flipped from now until we go,

00:25:24 who are the experts in Trinidad and Tobago

00:25:26 that they were relying on from day one?

00:25:28 Why did it take until day

00:25:30 16 to announce

00:25:32 that we're going to get international assistants?

00:25:34 Which leads me to this

00:25:36 question, Gary, because the

00:25:38 authorities have adopted

00:25:40 a tier two approach

00:25:42 as we look as to

00:25:44 what has transpired with this

00:25:46 situation.

00:25:48 Is there a need to, you think,

00:25:50 seek international help

00:25:52 and so move to tier three?

00:25:54 For parts of Tobago

00:25:58 that were vulnerable

00:26:00 and exposed, this

00:26:02 should have been tier three from day one.

00:26:04 For the schools that are

00:26:06 exposed, this should have been tier three

00:26:08 for those areas from the

00:26:10 first day. The second thing is

00:26:12 from the first day we

00:26:14 said that the volume

00:26:16 of oil that is going to be contained

00:26:18 on a vessel like this,

00:26:20 and we suspected it was a

00:26:22 storage or carrying unit,

00:26:24 that the volume of oil will

00:26:26 go into international waters.

00:26:28 Why was there no response?

00:26:30 It took them five

00:26:32 days from the first day we

00:26:34 called on an emergency response

00:26:36 to safeguard Caricom.

00:26:38 If the water,

00:26:40 instead of going due west,

00:26:42 had went in a more

00:26:44 north, easterly direction

00:26:46 and washed that

00:26:48 volume of oil, we measured

00:26:50 it on an international

00:26:52 measurement scale of a satellite

00:26:54 imagery, which we have.

00:26:56 The volume of oil

00:26:58 that has gone north,

00:27:00 that missed Venice,

00:27:02 Renido,

00:27:04 measures

00:27:06 42 times the size

00:27:08 of the Queen's Park savannah.

00:27:10 It's approximately 12,800

00:27:12 acres

00:27:14 in thick, heavy

00:27:16 crude. Now if it were

00:27:18 diesel, it would not

00:27:20 be thick. So why

00:27:22 is the IMA saying that it's diesel?

00:27:24 Where is the accountability?

00:27:26 Who exactly in the IMA

00:27:28 did the study to determine

00:27:30 that the fuel is diesel? Where is

00:27:32 a copy of that report? What's the name

00:27:34 of the technical scientists? Would they

00:27:36 put their professional credibility

00:27:38 on the line? Or is the

00:27:40 institution of

00:27:42 intermarine affairs

00:27:44 being used to whitewash

00:27:46 a critical cover-up

00:27:48 of responsible

00:27:50 parties who are

00:27:52 importing and re-exporting

00:27:54 crude

00:27:56 to avoid an embargo?

00:27:58 If you would allow me to

00:28:00 just refer to a statement that came

00:28:02 from the Ministry of Works and Transport,

00:28:04 and it's in response to

00:28:06 what you spoke about, expertise.

00:28:08 They're saying that

00:28:10 a marine services company

00:28:12 with extensive experience

00:28:14 in emergency response and preparedness

00:28:16 within the international maritime

00:28:18 and energy

00:28:20 sectors has been secured.

00:28:22 It said the response team engaged

00:28:24 by the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries

00:28:26 includes a salvage master,

00:28:28 naval architect,

00:28:30 and association of diving contractors,

00:28:32 international divers, skilled

00:28:34 in low to zero visibility

00:28:36 diving.

00:28:38 They also said a further report,

00:28:40 or said further,

00:28:42 to support their efforts,

00:28:44 sonar technology will be

00:28:46 deployed in Tobago to aid

00:28:48 in the emergency response.

00:28:50 That's

00:28:52 how to

00:28:54 congratulate them.

00:28:56 But why not on the second day?

00:28:58 What will the government hope

00:29:00 to achieve by waiting

00:29:02 so long?

00:29:04 That's the point. Absolutely

00:29:06 we don't have the technical capacity

00:29:08 to respond to an event like

00:29:10 this, but we knew that on the first

00:29:12 day. And then what about

00:29:14 finding out

00:29:16 about casualties

00:29:18 on the vessel? And what about

00:29:20 the issue of flags of convenience?

00:29:22 The fact that

00:29:24 all of these international fleets

00:29:26 avoid

00:29:28 do not employ

00:29:30 local people, do not

00:29:32 comply with any requirement

00:29:34 for labor protection

00:29:36 representation,

00:29:38 no OSHA, no environmental

00:29:40 regulations, no decommissioning,

00:29:42 no standards for

00:29:44 toilets or feeding,

00:29:46 no minimum wage for their workers.

00:29:48 And all of these international

00:29:50 fleets are given these flags

00:29:52 of convenience willy-nilly.

00:29:54 St. Vincent is a famous port of

00:29:56 flags of convenience. St. Vincent,

00:29:58 Belize,

00:30:00 and Bahamas

00:30:02 are Caribbean leaders.

00:30:04 And these are all given under the table

00:30:06 and I'm saying to you that this is a

00:30:08 clandestine manner in which

00:30:10 monies are paid

00:30:12 not necessarily into the treasury

00:30:14 of these third world nations

00:30:16 that issue these international

00:30:18 flags, which

00:30:20 cause these international

00:30:22 companies to evade

00:30:24 hundreds of millions of

00:30:26 US dollars in taxes.

00:30:28 Let me ask this question. What does

00:30:30 this say about our preparedness

00:30:32 as it relates to dealing with

00:30:34 disasters such as this?

00:30:36 Well,

00:30:38 since 2013 we have a

00:30:42 national oil emergency

00:30:44 contingency plan. It's in

00:30:46 January of 2014. Kamala

00:30:48 was in power then. I mean,

00:30:50 this is just

00:30:52 so disappointing. It's like a

00:30:54 wake-up call for the entire

00:30:56 region because

00:30:58 the different things that are happening here. One is

00:31:00 that even though we are

00:31:02 120 years of

00:31:04 since 1908

00:31:06 we've come to our

00:31:08 first well and we

00:31:10 have had so many oil

00:31:12 spills. We've had a chairman of the

00:31:14 EMA saying that we have

00:31:16 20,000 slow leaks in the Gulf

00:31:18 of Fara because of faulty

00:31:20 pipelines. And there's this

00:31:22 general disregard why

00:31:24 cancer grows.

00:31:26 Cancer is real. What

00:31:28 is it that we are doing that are causing

00:31:30 so many of our children,

00:31:32 so many of our young people

00:31:34 to get so many varieties of

00:31:36 cancer? Is it hydrocarbon

00:31:38 exposure? Is it heavy metal

00:31:40 exposure in the food that we eat?

00:31:42 And yes, certainly we're not

00:31:44 prepared. But

00:31:46 when we just sit back and get anxiety,

00:31:48 shouldn't we all be taking

00:31:50 an interest

00:31:52 and having a say?

00:31:54 When we sit in a taxi, when we sit with our

00:31:56 families over a meal,

00:31:58 is it that FFOS and

00:32:00 carrier food must become a household joke

00:32:02 of constantly knocking on

00:32:04 a door hopelessly attempting

00:32:06 to wake a population from a

00:32:08 slumber of

00:32:10 lackadaisical, of

00:32:12 false insecurity? We

00:32:14 are making sick. And

00:32:16 sicker and sicker we are.

00:32:18 And there are causes and reasons.

00:32:20 And this oil spill is a small

00:32:22 example of the type of

00:32:24 lack of awareness,

00:32:26 lack of consciousness.

00:32:28 I appreciate you calling, but how

00:32:30 many of your audience have switched the station

00:32:32 because they don't want to hear about it? They want

00:32:34 good news. They want something to

00:32:36 inspire them. But there's no

00:32:38 inspiration when there is

00:32:40 delinquency. Gary, I

00:32:42 think we have about maybe two more minutes again.

00:32:44 What

00:32:46 should be the

00:32:48 response of the

00:32:50 authorities, let's say,

00:32:52 now and in the next few

00:32:54 days to satisfy

00:32:56 really?

00:32:58 He's gone. He's gone. All right. So

00:33:00 we have lost him. All right.

00:33:02 So we have been speaking to

00:33:04 Gary Abood. You know, Gary,

00:33:06 he has been around for a

00:33:08 while now speaking about the

00:33:10 environment and really concerned as

00:33:12 to what has been happening

00:33:14 with the environment. Are we going to try

00:33:16 to get him back? Or that's going to be

00:33:18 it for that interview. Gary,

00:33:20 if you're viewing us, if

00:33:22 you're listening, thank you very much

00:33:24 for your perspective this morning. We are going to

00:33:26 have a very short break, everybody. We're coming back.

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00:35:00 wonderful day.

00:35:02 Many parents say, "I get

00:35:04 licks and I turn out fine."

00:35:06 But did you really? Was that

00:35:08 kind of discipline the most effective

00:35:10 and helpful? Or did it instill

00:35:12 fear and intimidation instead?

00:35:14 [Music]

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00:35:26 also take the time to teach them

00:35:28 what is appropriate behavior to

00:35:30 help them learn what to do differently

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00:35:34 Try to be

00:35:36 in control of your emotions before

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00:35:46 child's age.

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00:36:24 Welcome back everyone.

00:36:26 So whose information was leaked and

00:36:28 who's responsible? Those are the

00:36:30 questions now being asked as the

00:36:32 TSTD cyber attack

00:36:34 or questions

00:36:36 concerning the cyber attack

00:36:38 continue. All right. So we do

00:36:40 have on the line this morning the

00:36:42 General Secretary of

00:36:44 the Communication Workers Union

00:36:46 Ms. Joanne Ogier. Ms. Ogier,

00:36:48 good morning and thank you very much for joining us.

00:36:50 Good morning, Malan.

00:36:52 Good morning, Srinidhar and Sebago.

00:36:54 Well, Ms. Ogier, we saw your

00:36:56 news conference a few days ago. A number

00:36:58 of things would have been said.

00:37:00 Of course, it follows a number

00:37:02 of claims from the former CEO

00:37:04 Lisa A. Gard and former

00:37:06 Chief Financial Officer Shiva Ramnarine

00:37:08 at a recent JSC

00:37:10 meeting.

00:37:12 Since those claims

00:37:14 of your organization, the claims

00:37:16 of the former CEO and Chief Financial

00:37:18 Officer, has there been any latest

00:37:20 development concerning

00:37:22 TSTD and this issue?

00:37:24 As far as

00:37:26 I understand, Malan, no.

00:37:28 The only thing that has been

00:37:30 spun in the public domain

00:37:32 would be the accusations and the allegations.

00:37:34 I am waiting to see if there will be

00:37:36 another call to account by the Joint Select

00:37:38 Committee now to have the Board of

00:37:40 Directors answer for the allegations in the public

00:37:42 domain made by both the former

00:37:44 CEO and CFO. But outside

00:37:46 of that, no. No latest developments.

00:37:48 So there has been no

00:37:50 attempt by the

00:37:52 TSTD Board to respond

00:37:54 to these allegations?

00:37:56 Well, where I sit, I

00:37:58 wouldn't be able to answer that.

00:38:00 But you think that there is a need

00:38:02 for the TSTD Board to respond?

00:38:04 Of course.

00:38:06 There must be, in all fairness

00:38:08 to the Board, they must have the opportunity

00:38:10 and the right to be heard. That's the

00:38:12 principles and rules of natural justice.

00:38:14 And the allegations made by

00:38:16 both officers, the CFO

00:38:18 and the CEO, they are incriminating

00:38:20 to say the least. Because if the former

00:38:22 CEO is now saying that it is

00:38:24 alleged that she was muzzled, Malan, that's a

00:38:26 very strong accusation.

00:38:28 And she pointedly

00:38:30 expressed this to the Board,

00:38:32 more so the Chairman of the Board, which is

00:38:34 Mr. Sean Roach. So he should

00:38:36 now be given the opportunity to

00:38:38 respond and an in-depth investigation

00:38:40 should be held.

00:38:42 These are serious accusations.

00:38:44 But in light

00:38:46 of what has been said

00:38:48 about this Board,

00:38:50 there is

00:38:52 a feeling that

00:38:54 this Board no

00:38:56 longer has, let's

00:38:58 say, moral authority

00:39:00 to sit at

00:39:02 this time at TSTT. Do you agree

00:39:04 with the view that the Board should be

00:39:06 removed?

00:39:08 Totally. And the reason

00:39:10 I would support that removal

00:39:12 and removal could be looked at

00:39:14 in both ways. One, just an easy

00:39:16 way out and no sense of

00:39:18 accountability for anything

00:39:20 that they are culpable of. But

00:39:22 the Board has a responsibility.

00:39:24 They are the conduit between the

00:39:26 CEO, the former

00:39:28 CEO, and the line minister, which

00:39:30 is the Minister of Public Utilities.

00:39:32 If at some point the information

00:39:34 from the CEO made its

00:39:36 way to the Chairman, and I have to call it

00:39:38 Chairman because it wouldn't be the Board

00:39:40 reporting to the Minister, it would be the Chairman.

00:39:42 If that information or communique

00:39:44 that is in question right now was distorted,

00:39:46 there must be some form

00:39:48 of accountability from his

00:39:50 part as well as we

00:39:52 also heard the allegation

00:39:54 of a Board, a Director

00:39:56 on the Board, having contracts

00:39:58 to see about emergency with

00:40:00 generators at Nelson Exchange.

00:40:02 This is corruption.

00:40:04 If it is true, so there must be

00:40:06 an investigation. I'm not

00:40:08 just calling for their heads

00:40:10 to roll and for them to be dismissed just like that

00:40:12 unjustly. Have a thorough

00:40:14 and a comprehensive investigation.

00:40:16 And once the findings

00:40:18 are so, as it pertains

00:40:20 to the utterances of Mr. Ramnarayan,

00:40:22 they all have to go to collective responsibility,

00:40:24 Mala. Yeah, well I know that the

00:40:26 Minister of Public Utilities has confirmed

00:40:28 that an investigation is underway.

00:40:30 Also, he has even

00:40:32 made,

00:40:34 offered

00:40:36 himself to

00:40:38 appear before a JSC to speak

00:40:40 about this matter, but in the

00:40:42 interim, you believe that

00:40:44 because of what has been said over

00:40:46 the past few days, that something

00:40:48 has to be said

00:40:50 about this matter.

00:40:52 It has to be. It has to be.

00:40:54 So Mala, just as we know

00:40:56 in TSTT, if something

00:40:58 happens, there are measures that

00:41:00 there would be measures that to be taken

00:41:02 into consideration. Similarly,

00:41:04 the Board, now we can't have

00:41:06 an ungovernable institution,

00:41:08 right? So we cannot just ask them

00:41:10 prematurely to remove themselves.

00:41:12 But the investigation, Mala, that

00:41:14 the Minister of Public Utilities is now

00:41:16 speaking about, when will that investigation

00:41:18 start? And we know how investigations

00:41:20 go on in this company. Two years

00:41:22 plus we're waiting for a fit for purpose

00:41:24 report. Two years now we're waiting

00:41:26 for investigation into a forensic audit.

00:41:28 So when will this investigation

00:41:30 start and what will be the findings?

00:41:32 Who are the persons tasked with doing

00:41:34 the investigation? You see,

00:41:36 too many times we hear investigation,

00:41:38 investigation, investigation, audit,

00:41:40 audit, audit, but where are the reports?

00:41:42 Where are the findings?

00:41:44 How has

00:41:46 this impacted staff at all?

00:41:48 It has demoralized

00:41:50 staff, continuously so.

00:41:52 We are already, and I say I because

00:41:54 I am on secondment to the Communication Workers' Union,

00:41:56 so I'm still an employee of TSTT.

00:41:58 But we are demoralized.

00:42:00 Since some of

00:42:02 my members have been retrenched in

00:42:04 2018 and 2022, it is

00:42:06 worse now. They have three and four

00:42:08 and five jobs, no training,

00:42:10 no uniforms, and now to hear this,

00:42:12 we are looking at an instable company,

00:42:14 a rudderless ship, no vision,

00:42:16 no mission. So

00:42:18 the entire

00:42:20 aura in the company

00:42:22 is one of what will

00:42:24 happen next. Will the company close down?

00:42:26 Will Amplia take over? What is

00:42:28 going on in TSTT? Are we

00:42:30 really making profit? Would we have

00:42:32 jobs to sustain us for the next five to ten

00:42:34 years? Would we be able to retire?

00:42:36 Those are the questions that, you know,

00:42:38 and that's the feeling within the company.

00:42:40 Nothing for the employees but

00:42:42 uncertainty. And what

00:42:44 about the image of the company? Has

00:42:46 it been hit by these allegations?

00:42:48 Of course. Of course,

00:42:50 Marlon. It has been further hit,

00:42:52 and I would say further hit because the image of the

00:42:54 company right now is one that

00:42:56 I don't want to do business with TSTT

00:42:58 anymore. I cannot even get good service.

00:43:00 When you're

00:43:02 traveling, when you're

00:43:04 traversing on the road,

00:43:06 the data is horrible.

00:43:08 Calls are dropping. Bills, you can't

00:43:10 pay your bills on time with the ransomware

00:43:12 or the malware, whatever they claim it was.

00:43:14 Persons weren't able to pay their bills.

00:43:16 Customers are not getting the type

00:43:18 of experience that they boasted about,

00:43:20 this customer experience that TSTT

00:43:22 is still talking about.

00:43:24 We don't have it anymore. We don't have

00:43:26 it anymore at all. I was

00:43:28 reading a report where it was

00:43:30 reporting that millions of

00:43:32 dollars would have been spent

00:43:34 by TSTT to prevent

00:43:36 attacks such as

00:43:38 V's.

00:43:40 Now that you have this

00:43:42 situation, what does it

00:43:44 say if we are spending millions

00:43:46 of dollars to protect the

00:43:48 company and then you have

00:43:50 incidents such as V's taking place?

00:43:52 I'm happy that you said that, Marlon,

00:43:54 because it is alleged, and I like to use the word

00:43:56 alleged because the former CEO sent

00:43:58 two pre-action protocol letters to the

00:44:00 Communication Workers' Union. I have to be very

00:44:02 guarded in my utterances.

00:44:04 It is alleged that 22 million was

00:44:06 expended from the company

00:44:08 as he stated, he meaning

00:44:10 Mr. Ramnarayan at the JVSC.

00:44:12 I'm asking, and I want to pointedly ask

00:44:14 Mr. Ramnarayan and the company,

00:44:16 22 million expended.

00:44:18 At what time did they spend this 22 million?

00:44:20 We had an attack

00:44:22 in 2022, and I want to ask the

00:44:24 company, out of that 22 million dollars

00:44:26 expended, how much money

00:44:28 was taken from

00:44:30 that

00:44:32 expenditure to ensure

00:44:34 that another ransomware

00:44:36 didn't occur in 2023?

00:44:38 Out of that 22 million dollars,

00:44:40 how much was spent to actually protect

00:44:42 the network? How come that happened

00:44:44 again in 2023?

00:44:46 Further, Marlon, we're looking at money.

00:44:48 Let's look at the recommendations.

00:44:50 Checkpoint would have given them a recommendation

00:44:52 in 2022.

00:44:54 Any of the recommendations were taken?

00:44:56 And again, Marlon, just before you

00:44:58 move on, I just want to touch on something as well.

00:45:00 We are hearing in the public domain about

00:45:02 through the GSE about

00:45:04 our administrator.

00:45:06 I want to clearly say,

00:45:08 do not let us point fingers

00:45:10 at the administrator, because I don't want

00:45:12 him or her to be the fall

00:45:14 guy. We have to ask the question,

00:45:16 how safe was the network?

00:45:18 What about the firewall?

00:45:20 Was the firewall so protected for

00:45:22 incoming and outgoing,

00:45:24 inbound and outbound traffic?

00:45:26 How did it actually reach the admin?

00:45:28 She is just a pawn.

00:45:30 In this situation, the third

00:45:32 party vendor or the channel support.

00:45:34 It is also alleged

00:45:36 that they are not supposed to store

00:45:38 information. It is alleged

00:45:40 that TSTT cautioned them about that.

00:45:42 Where's the noncompliance between that

00:45:44 person or that company and

00:45:46 TSTT? These are the questions that you're not

00:45:48 hearing, Marlon. You're just hearing

00:45:50 in the GSE, corruption,

00:45:52 this admin, and ransomware.

00:45:54 And fingers pointing to

00:45:56 deflect blame and responsibility.

00:45:58 Ms. Oji, what you're telling us

00:46:00 this morning, and judging

00:46:02 from what we have heard at the

00:46:04 GSE, it seems to be a very

00:46:06 messy situation.

00:46:08 It is. It is.

00:46:10 It is. And more so, Marlon,

00:46:12 I mean,

00:46:14 in the hollow chambers of parliament

00:46:16 where there is privilege, a lot of things

00:46:18 could be said, and you are guided

00:46:20 and guarded by privilege. But

00:46:22 you see, the question begs again,

00:46:24 and I want to say this publicly.

00:46:26 If you were the former

00:46:28 CEO and CFO

00:46:30 and all this corruption was taking

00:46:32 place in TSTT, whilst

00:46:34 you were there, the question begs,

00:46:36 wasn't it your responsibility

00:46:38 to report such corruption?

00:46:40 Why, if persons,

00:46:42 you served your authority, as it

00:46:44 pertains to the CEO, the former CEO,

00:46:46 Ms. Agard, and you sat there

00:46:48 as the sitting CEO,

00:46:50 after this happened, no action

00:46:52 took place? But here we are hearing

00:46:54 an admin pointing fingers at

00:46:56 an administrator who was locked out for

00:46:58 six days and nine days. And I am

00:47:00 challenging the company

00:47:02 to show the GSE

00:47:04 if they are called to account again before the

00:47:06 GSE, where in the checkpoint report

00:47:08 says that.

00:47:10 Because I have seen the report, and I have not

00:47:12 seen that. So I do not want

00:47:14 the administrator to be a fall guy.

00:47:16 There are bigger questions that need to be

00:47:18 asked.

00:47:20 Ms. Oji, is this a matter for the

00:47:22 police service? Because judging

00:47:24 from some of the things that the

00:47:26 former chief financial officer

00:47:28 has said, Mr. Shiva Ram Narain,

00:47:30 it would seem

00:47:32 that some of the things

00:47:34 allegedly taking

00:47:36 place at TSTT

00:47:38 were of a criminal nature?

00:47:40 Of course, Marlon.

00:47:42 Of course. So I was told that the

00:47:44 ransomware attack was reported

00:47:46 to the TTPS,

00:47:48 the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service.

00:47:50 So that is just that part of it.

00:47:52 But Marlon, more so,

00:47:54 before we reach to that type

00:47:56 of reporting to the police,

00:47:58 I want to say,

00:48:00 had it been for the

00:48:02 forensic audit in February

00:48:04 15, 2022,

00:48:06 had the Minister of Finance and

00:48:08 Cooperation, Soon, the Honorable

00:48:10 Colm Imble, if he

00:48:12 gave the assurance for three weeks

00:48:14 to have the report from this forensic

00:48:16 audit, if that actually

00:48:18 was then, I am

00:48:20 highly doubtful that all this

00:48:22 corruption that the former CFO

00:48:24 is now reporting, who has

00:48:26 the bravado all of a sudden to report

00:48:28 this corruption? It may not

00:48:30 have happened. So I am putting

00:48:32 part of the blame, or 90

00:48:34 percent of the blame, at the feet

00:48:36 of the Minister of Finance and

00:48:38 Cooperation, Soon, for misleading

00:48:40 and having a meeting, which I call

00:48:42 a farce, in 2022

00:48:44 to fool the CWU

00:48:46 and think that, okay, we are having

00:48:48 an audit. But here, in

00:48:50 2024, a former

00:48:52 CFO is speaking about fraud

00:48:54 for the years going by.

00:48:56 So, of course, it is

00:48:58 something that we should bring

00:49:00 to the police, to the fraud squad,

00:49:02 and whoever

00:49:04 is culpable, yes,

00:49:06 and that is what I said in my press

00:49:08 conference, if they were unjustly

00:49:10 enriched by corruption, of course,

00:49:12 Marlon, of course,

00:49:14 So, is there need for, you think,

00:49:16 greater checks and balances at

00:49:18 TSTT? Because, I mean,

00:49:20 TSTT has been in the news for

00:49:22 a number of years now.

00:49:24 We have heard

00:49:26 similar type allegations

00:49:28 about

00:49:30 TSTT. So is there a greater need

00:49:32 for checks and balances,

00:49:34 accountability? Is there

00:49:36 need to, I don't know,

00:49:38 maybe we need to

00:49:40 get better persons

00:49:42 to be employed at TSTT?

00:49:44 So, Marlon,

00:49:46 you couldn't have said it better,

00:49:48 because I am of the firm view

00:49:50 that we have square pegs in

00:49:52 wrong holes, and no offense

00:49:54 to the chairman, but the chairman

00:49:56 owns a different

00:49:58 line of business, and I am questioning

00:50:00 you cannot put a plumber

00:50:02 to run a telecommunications company.

00:50:04 This is just an example I'm using.

00:50:06 We have managers and senior

00:50:08 managers who do not

00:50:10 display the

00:50:12 type of knowledge and expertise

00:50:14 in the areas. They are not subject

00:50:16 matter experts for the areas that they

00:50:18 are in. And that is the greatest

00:50:20 problem that we are having. We have

00:50:22 been asking about this for years.

00:50:24 But you are correct, Marlon,

00:50:26 the guard is guarding themselves.

00:50:28 There is no one to be held accountable.

00:50:30 There is no audit.

00:50:32 I mean, at our level,

00:50:34 we can't see their performance of results.

00:50:36 They're giving themselves bonuses.

00:50:38 How could you award yourself a bonus

00:50:40 and you're not performing?

00:50:42 There's no form of accountability,

00:50:44 none, and we have inept managers,

00:50:46 and this hasn't been happening now, Marlon.

00:50:48 This has been happening from time

00:50:50 immemorial. No accountability.

00:50:52 They are not competent

00:50:54 enough to run the business. They do not

00:50:56 even understand the business.

00:50:58 And that is where the problem starts.

00:51:00 And it will never end.

00:51:02 And I want to say this too, Marlon.

00:51:04 We're speaking about fit for purpose.

00:51:06 I was on another committee. They said they

00:51:08 wasn't going to do a not-so-deep

00:51:10 dive. But apparently they're still diving.

00:51:12 And I want to tell the public

00:51:14 the only thing the union

00:51:16 could see and say from

00:51:18 this fit for purpose committee,

00:51:20 the only persons apparently

00:51:22 who are not fit for purpose are the staff that you

00:51:24 retrenched because you retrenched staff

00:51:26 in 2018. You retrenched staff

00:51:28 in 2022. You depleted the

00:51:30 organization. We have a skeletal staff.

00:51:32 Nobody to say about this.

00:51:34 Nobody to say about that.

00:51:36 True natural attrition. They're going home.

00:51:38 All the persons with institutional

00:51:40 knowledge, they are leaving the company.

00:51:42 So the only persons who are not

00:51:44 fit for purpose were the persons you retrenched.

00:51:46 And let me say this again.

00:51:48 And I want to say this without

00:51:50 fear of being contradicted.

00:51:52 They retrenched a senior

00:51:54 manager who was responsible for

00:51:56 PR, public relations.

00:51:58 She did an excellent job. So you

00:52:00 paid her in the excess of how much million

00:52:02 to go home. And who did you

00:52:04 bring? You brought Kamal Georges.

00:52:06 So you retrenched somebody saying

00:52:08 the position is redundant and you created

00:52:10 a position now and you brought in

00:52:12 Kamal Georges. And I want to say this and I don't

00:52:14 want to get you in trouble Marlon because as I told

00:52:16 you, reaction protocol letters

00:52:18 fly. What has Kamal

00:52:20 Georges done and contributed

00:52:22 to the organization?

00:52:24 And these are the kind of wanton wastage

00:52:26 and corruption happening in TSTT.

00:52:28 But I wait to see the

00:52:30 investigation from the public.

00:52:32 Mr. G, I just have about one

00:52:34 minute again.

00:52:36 What do you think has to be done

00:52:38 almost immediately

00:52:40 to satisfy

00:52:42 one, the union,

00:52:44 to satisfy TSTT

00:52:46 shareholders, to satisfy members

00:52:48 of the public, to satisfy customers

00:52:50 of TSTT?

00:52:52 So Marlon, what

00:52:56 I would want might be realistic.

00:52:58 But they have to try to call

00:53:00 an emergency meeting

00:53:02 maybe at the joint

00:53:04 select committee to have persons

00:53:06 answer these allegations starting with the board.

00:53:08 And if, as

00:53:10 I said, if it is so that they have to

00:53:12 remove the board, bring competent persons.

00:53:14 Bring competent persons who are not

00:53:16 self-serving their interests.

00:53:18 And for the customers, give us a

00:53:20 frictionless customer service. Give us

00:53:22 what we are paying for. Put persons

00:53:24 there to run the operations

00:53:26 and give us that frictionless experience.

00:53:28 Return the trust. And

00:53:30 more so, pay attention

00:53:32 to your network. Pay attention to your network.

00:53:34 It is bigger than you seem.

00:53:36 And have the right and competent persons

00:53:38 to run the establishment. That's all I can ask.

00:53:40 Yeah. Joanne Ogier, it was a pleasure

00:53:42 speaking with you this morning. Thank you very much.

00:53:44 Thank you, Marlon. No problem. Thank you.

00:53:46 Have a good day.

00:53:48 It's time for another break. We also have

00:53:50 some news for you, right? We're coming back, everybody.

00:53:52 [Music]

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00:56:22 Good morning, I am

00:56:34 Anselm Gibbs with a news

00:56:36 update. As cleanup operations

00:56:38 continue in Tobago,

00:56:40 authorities are still trying to find

00:56:42 the owners of the overturned

00:56:44 vessel involved.

00:56:46 We have a lot of information,

00:56:48 however, information

00:56:50 has to be verified, and because

00:56:52 we are the Maritime Services Division

00:56:54 and the regulators, they cannot

00:56:56 just speculate and they cannot

00:56:58 confirm

00:57:00 any information until

00:57:02 they have the things like

00:57:04 the IMO numbers and so on

00:57:06 the vessel. So we have

00:57:08 leads, we have a lot of information,

00:57:10 but we are not

00:57:12 in the

00:57:14 program of speculating

00:57:16 and so we have a responsibility

00:57:18 to whatever we put out

00:57:20 will only be

00:57:22 information that has been verified.

00:57:24 The United

00:57:26 National Congress is calling

00:57:28 on the board and management of

00:57:30 TSTT to come clean

00:57:32 on correspondence involving

00:57:34 last year's cyber attack.

00:57:36 The opposition says freedom

00:57:38 of information requests

00:57:40 have been filed. We would like

00:57:42 copies of all board minutes

00:57:44 for the months of

00:57:46 October, November,

00:57:48 December,

00:57:50 January and February

00:57:52 during and post

00:57:54 the cyber attack and the

00:57:56 decisions that were made by the board

00:57:58 regarding the handling

00:58:00 of the cyber attack.

00:58:02 And in the

00:58:04 weather forecast, mainly sunny

00:58:06 and at times breezy conditions

00:58:08 can be expected, apart from

00:58:10 one or two brief isolated

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00:58:14 to moderate in open waters

00:58:16 with swells approaching one and

00:58:18 a half meters. All

00:58:20 marine users are however asked

00:58:22 to exercise caution, especially

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00:58:26 as spring tide is in effect.

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01:02:09 A message from the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service.

01:02:13 [Music]

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01:02:22 [Music]

01:02:50 All right, so welcome back, everyone.

01:02:53 We do have a lot for you still on the program this morning,

01:02:57 but there's a very interesting story in the Daily Express today.

01:03:01 Teacher accused of slapping student.

01:03:04 Father sues state.

01:03:06 So a lawsuit for assault and battery has been filed against the state

01:03:09 by the father of a schoolboy who was allegedly slapped by a teacher

01:03:13 for using his cellular phone.

01:03:15 The civil claim was filed on Wednesday by attorneys representing the boy

01:03:19 and his father following the incident that took place at a secondary school

01:03:23 in Woodbrook last November.

01:03:26 Even though a police report had been filed to date, it remains incomplete,

01:03:30 and it is not known whether any internal investigation had been launched

01:03:35 by the school.

01:03:37 So that's going to be--let's see how that turns out.

01:03:41 Another interesting story for you, and it's something that we have been

01:03:45 speaking about for a while now in Trinidad and Tobago.

01:03:48 The police have said in the past that they have a handle on the situation,

01:03:53 but apparently it still continues, and I'm speaking about the issue of extortion.

01:03:59 So opposition MP Dr. Rudal Munilal has called for the establishment

01:04:02 of a special extortion unit within the police service to deal with criminals

01:04:07 demanding tax from the business community.

01:04:11 Now, in a release on Wednesday, Munilal said,

01:04:14 "The outplaying of businessman Kelvin Muhammad for refusing to support

01:04:19 extortionists again exposes how dangerous and widespread this form of crime

01:04:25 has become."

01:04:27 Now, Muhammad was a hardworking businessman of Crown Trace Enterprise

01:04:31 who, according to his relatives, had refused to pay a tax to gangsters, he said.

01:04:37 He was shot dead on Monday.

01:04:40 Munilal said, "There are increasing reports from various areas of the country

01:04:44 of gangsters extorting monthly sums from business operators in return for not

01:04:50 murdering or kidnapping them."

01:04:53 He further added that business leaders are reporting that some extortionists

01:04:59 are demanding up to $30,000 a month--$30,000 a month in exchange for protection,

01:05:08 adding that some business communities are instituting measures to secure their

01:05:13 safety and that of family members.

01:05:17 All right, so as I said, it's a problem that we have been trying to grapple with

01:05:23 over the years in Trinidad and Tobago concerning this.

01:05:26 There seems to be a spike, a rise.

01:05:29 It seems to have come back, so I don't have to tell the authorities it is

01:05:33 something that they have to deal with.

01:05:36 All right, so again, we're just giving you some details of some of the stories

01:05:41 in The Daily Express today as we wait on our other interview that we do have for you.

01:05:48 All right, so dad dies after trying to stop son's fight.

01:05:53 An 89-year-old man who attempted to part a fight between his two sons

01:05:58 suffered fatal injuries in the process.

01:06:02 Samuel Kahn of Main Road, Palmist, Londonville, was said to have been at his

01:06:07 home on February 12th with other relatives when at around 8:30 p.m.

01:06:12 he observed two of his children arguing.

01:06:16 The argument became physical, and Kahn attempted to intervene when one of the

01:06:21 sons collided with Kahn and he fell, hitting the concrete floor.

01:06:27 Of course, the emergency health services were notified and Kahn was taken for

01:06:32 treatment at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex where he died subsequently.

01:06:38 All right?

01:06:41 I can't really say more except to really think about the impact that this has had

01:06:47 on the family, right, where this would have happened.

01:06:53 All right, just touching on the oil spill in Tobago again, and while speaking with

01:07:00 Gary Abood this morning, I did speak a little bit about this, this forensic probe

01:07:05 into the oil spill.

01:07:07 So Opposition Senator Wade Mark has called for an independent forensic expert to

01:07:12 examine the circumstances surrounding the oil spill in the waters of Tobago.

01:07:17 Now Mark was speaking at a news conference yesterday.

01:07:21 According to him, how a vessel was able to enter our waters and was undetected.

01:07:26 What is the role of the TFG Marine headed by Trafigura?

01:07:32 And we also want to know what are the lessons we have to learn to avoid any

01:07:36 repetition of this in the future.

01:07:39 That's according to Wade Mark.

01:07:41 All right?

01:07:42 So we're moving on to our interview for this morning.

01:07:46 We are speaking about the Health and Wellness Exposition.

01:07:51 All right, we do have on the line at this time Shereen Mungal,

01:07:54 founding editor of You, the Caribbean Health Digest.

01:07:59 Shereen, good morning.

01:08:01 Hi, good morning.

01:08:02 Thank you so much for having me this morning, Marlon.

01:08:04 Appreciate it.

01:08:05 Of course, Shereen.

01:08:06 All right, well, tell us about the exposition.

01:08:09 Okay, so this is our comeback installment of the You Health and Wellness Exposition.

01:08:15 We've held this event for several consecutive years in the past,

01:08:18 with 2015 being our last year.

01:08:21 The exposition was sort of derivative from our digest,

01:08:25 our You Health and Wellness Digest, called You, the Caribbean Health Digest.

01:08:29 And we felt that there was a need for a credible source of health information

01:08:34 as it related to Caribbean people.

01:08:36 And as a result of our publication,

01:08:38 we decided to bring organizations and individuals together under one platform.

01:08:43 So our comeback installment is very exciting.

01:08:46 We have close to, well, actually over 50 exhibitors,

01:08:50 all coming to present themselves to the population at the Hyatt on Monday

01:08:53 to Wednesday of next week.

01:08:55 Yeah.

01:08:56 So is it that I suspect companies are going to come there with all of their wares,

01:09:03 equipment, if it is medication, too, and people who attend,

01:09:08 there may be the opportunity or there will be the opportunity for various tests

01:09:14 to be conducted on them and so on?

01:09:16 Yeah, absolutely.

01:09:17 So these 50 exhibitors we talk about are organizations that come from within

01:09:21 the health and wellness sector.

01:09:23 So they're product companies, health food companies, private hospital facilities,

01:09:29 financial organizations.

01:09:31 We have three main themes for this year's event, Marlon,

01:09:34 and the overarching umbrella is mental health and wellness.

01:09:39 We're also focusing.

01:09:40 So while the exhibition is happening, for free, mind you,

01:09:44 to the population open from 9 to 7,

01:09:46 we have several key discussions that will be taking place with key players

01:09:51 and key stakeholders in the sector.

01:09:53 So on one of the days we're hosting a panel discussion discussing the role

01:10:00 technology plays in NCD management.

01:10:03 On another day we're focusing on fertility and technology.

01:10:08 And one that's very close to me is a youth and mental wellness forum

01:10:12 where we are bringing high school students from across the country

01:10:15 to discuss areas of mental wellness, financial literacy,

01:10:20 and environmental well-being.

01:10:22 Yeah.

01:10:23 Let's speak a little bit about mental health because I think in recent times

01:10:31 there has been great interest as to what is happening with people in Trinidad

01:10:38 and Tobago and abroad concerning their mental health.

01:10:43 What would have influenced your decision to take this path, re-mental health?

01:10:51 Well, like you said, it's a topic that is on everybody's mind

01:10:55 and we really feel that we needed to bring it to the forefront.

01:10:59 And so we are tackling it at varying levels.

01:11:04 So during our exposition we are going to have like psychologists

01:11:08 and counselors on our interactive zone throughout the day talking about

01:11:12 mental health and wellness.

01:11:14 You hear a lot about people with anxiety,

01:11:17 and it may not have been a subject of the past,

01:11:19 but the world has changed so much and we all suffer from some form of mental

01:11:26 condition, whether it be that we are stressed because of the, I don't know,

01:11:31 the environment or so many factors that influence our mental health

01:11:36 and well-being.

01:11:37 So we are also here to learn.

01:11:39 I'm certainly not a professional when it comes to mental health,

01:11:42 but we are going to have several professionals, several experts coming

01:11:46 from different sectors in the country to sort of bring some life to that topic

01:11:52 and more awareness about it.

01:11:54 Yeah, and speaking about awareness, you think, Shireen,

01:11:58 that people are more willing to speak about it, read mental health,

01:12:03 because you know in the past that has been sort of a taboo where if you speak

01:12:08 about it people feel you're soft, people feel you're going mad,

01:12:12 people all sorts of things they want to say about you.

01:12:15 Is it you feel that people are speaking about it more?

01:12:18 Is it being more exposed through social media, via social media?

01:12:25 You think that people feel more comfortable now to speak about it?

01:12:31 Yeah, you sort of answered your question there, Marlon,

01:12:34 because you're absolutely right.

01:12:36 Sorry, Shireen, sorry.

01:12:37 No, no, no, I mean I wouldn't have put it any differently.

01:12:41 Like I said, I'm not the expert when it comes to mental health,

01:12:44 but we know enough.

01:12:45 I mean we've been publishing this health magazine for many, many years,

01:12:48 and obviously we've learned a lot being in the company of experts

01:12:53 and medical professionals.

01:12:55 But you're right, there are stigmas attached to so many health issues,

01:13:00 including fertility, which is one we're focusing on at the Expo,

01:13:03 because Barbara with Fertility is one of our partners.

01:13:05 But I totally think that we have a bigger voice now,

01:13:09 and social media has allowed us to do that,

01:13:11 despite there being some disadvantages to it.

01:13:14 But I do feel that people are more open to discussing,

01:13:17 even things like cancer.

01:13:19 Before people would hardly talk about it.

01:13:21 It would be a secret.

01:13:22 And I've had the benefit of working alongside the Cancer Society

01:13:25 for several years, and we have seen how much people are open to talking

01:13:29 and how much they understand that by sharing information,

01:13:32 they get more information and they can help others along the way as well.

01:13:37 We encourage cancer survivors, for example, to talk about their journey

01:13:40 so that they can empower others.

01:13:43 Let's talk a little bit about the Caribbean Health Digest.

01:13:48 Why this, Shireen?

01:13:50 There are a number of avenues that you could have gone into.

01:13:57 Why the Health Digest?

01:14:00 Well, I think initially I was saying that it came from a recognized need

01:14:05 for a credible source of health information, and this was back in 2008.

01:14:09 I know we have access to so much more now with technology and social media

01:14:13 and so on.

01:14:14 But that's where it came from.

01:14:15 But it really was deeper than that.

01:14:18 It was more about just disseminating information for us.

01:14:21 It was about us playing a part as a corporate citizen so that we can create

01:14:28 healthier people and communities, and we feel we can do that

01:14:31 with education and information.

01:14:33 Yeah.

01:14:34 Shireen, where can people see the information, access the information?

01:14:40 Well, here's the thing.

01:14:41 We transitioned our publication into a digital space in 2021.

01:14:46 Like I said, we launched in 2008.

01:14:48 So it exists.

01:14:50 In fact, our magazine shares the company of international publications

01:14:54 like Men's Health and Women's Health, Oprah Magazine, because we are

01:14:58 hosted on one of the world's top digital newsstands called Magster.

01:15:03 But it's also accessible through our website, which is you--well, what is it?

01:15:08 YouHealthDigest.com.

01:15:09 Sorry, I slipped before a moment.

01:15:12 But I want people to know that if they come to the Expo this year,

01:15:17 between Monday and Wednesday, we actually have physical copies of the magazine

01:15:22 that we will be distributing.

01:15:24 We publish the newest issue of the magazine, and we'll be happy to share it

01:15:28 with everybody so they can interact with the feel and the look of the

01:15:31 publication.

01:15:33 Yeah. Is there a cost to this?

01:15:35 Nope. Our magazine is absolutely free.

01:15:37 The exposition is absolutely free to the population.

01:15:40 Like you said before, screening, samples, giveaways, demonstrations,

01:15:45 and more than anything, knowledge and information.

01:15:48 So we really want the population--we want that to resonate in everybody's

01:15:51 head and mind so that they can find themselves down at the Hyatt on Monday

01:15:54 to Wednesday next week.

01:15:56 No cost, free.

01:15:58 Yeah. Wednesday next--what time, Shireen?

01:16:00 So the Expo is going to be open to the public from 9 to 7 every day,

01:16:04 so they're pretty long hours.

01:16:06 We really wanted to give our partners and exhibitors the opportunity to engage

01:16:09 with the end consumer and the population.

01:16:13 So, yeah, we go until 7 every day, and we really want to encourage people

01:16:19 to come and learn.

01:16:21 Yeah. And I'm seeing here that over the years that the Expo has attracted

01:16:29 thousands and thousands of visitors, right?

01:16:32 Yeah. We recorded close to 6,000 people in 2015, and now with access to social

01:16:38 media, we're hoping to exceed those numbers, and we're really looking forward

01:16:43 to meet and greet with everybody and to share as much as we can.

01:16:47 Yeah. And I suspect, Shireen, it is not only people receiving tests and so on,

01:16:55 but it provides an opportunity for education and even an opportunity to find out,

01:17:08 because of the health professionals that are going to be there,

01:17:11 if you are suffering with something.

01:17:15 Yeah, because we don't know exactly what--well, we don't know what all the

01:17:20 services that are going to be offered in the booth, so there may be companies

01:17:23 there who offer a particular product, but they will have a medical profession

01:17:28 at their booth as well so that they can do consultations.

01:17:31 I mean, we have one of our colleagues, Dr. LeBlanc, she's going to be doing

01:17:37 acupuncture demonstrations and cupping demonstrations.

01:17:40 So it's a holistic wellness environment, if I may say so.

01:17:45 So there are many different offerings, and, I mean, to be part of it

01:17:49 and to experience it, the only way you can do that is really come to the expo

01:17:55 and see what we have to offer.

01:17:56 And this is going to continue to be an annual event, by the way.

01:17:59 Yeah, an annual event.

01:18:01 Yeah, and I want to stick up and to say that our Ministry of Health

01:18:05 has always been a partner with us for this event.

01:18:10 The Honorable Minister will be speaking at the opening ceremony on Monday,

01:18:14 and the Ministry of Health will be there offering certain screening services

01:18:18 and demonstrations.

01:18:20 They said giveaways, so, you know, bear that in mind when you're coming.

01:18:25 Yeah.

01:18:26 So how much people are you catering for, or is it the more the merrier?

01:18:31 Absolutely, yeah.

01:18:32 It's open.

01:18:33 It's open to the public for free.

01:18:34 I mean, we--last expo in 2015, so many people came from south,

01:18:40 despite this being in Port of Spain, and they utilized the water service

01:18:43 and they came to the hire, they spent the day, and then they went back up.

01:18:46 So, I mean, there are no limits.

01:18:49 There's no registration fee.

01:18:51 We just take a quick survey as you enter so that we understand the visitors.

01:18:56 And, yeah, we're really excited, if I may say so, about the three days

01:19:02 that we hired this year and our comeback installment of the Health and Wellness Expo.

01:19:07 Yeah.

01:19:08 And this information that you are going to gather also,

01:19:11 does that influence for future events what people may be interested in

01:19:19 so that you tailor the exposition in such a way to meet the demands

01:19:24 of the persons who are attending or who will be attending?

01:19:29 You answered the other question, Marlon.

01:19:31 Absolutely.

01:19:32 That is exactly what it is.

01:19:34 We're collecting information because we want to learn more about the visitor.

01:19:37 We want to learn more about the consumer so that we can tailor--I'm using your word here--

01:19:42 tailor to the needs of our visitors.

01:19:45 So there will be simple questions, you know, like, obviously,

01:19:48 we want to know what part of the country you're from.

01:19:50 We want to know what your health interests are, more than anything.

01:19:55 Yeah.

01:19:56 Shireen, while we wind down on our interview for this morning,

01:20:01 is there anything else you'd like to tell us?

01:20:04 Let me just give you guys, your viewers, our number, 280-3353.

01:20:11 I mentioned earlier that there will be several panel discussions.

01:20:15 The youth forum has completely been booked out by the schools,

01:20:18 but the other two forums, there may be spaces available.

01:20:21 It's by invitation only.

01:20:23 We do have some spaces for the NCD management and technology

01:20:26 and the fertility panel discussion.

01:20:29 So there may be listeners and viewers interested.

01:20:31 Please call us, and we would be happy to try to accommodate.

01:20:34 Yeah, Shireen, it was a pleasure speaking with you.

01:20:36 Thank you very much for the information, and we wish you all the best on the exposition.

01:20:41 Thank you. Thank you so much.

01:20:42 Bye for now.

01:20:43 Appreciate it.

01:20:44 Okay, so we are going to a very short break.

01:20:45 We'll be coming back, everybody.

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01:21:49 Cecilia, I'm Every Woman, a performance autobiography at the Central Bank Auditorium,

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01:22:00 Tickets, general admission, $200, special reserve, $250.

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01:22:34 [music]

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01:22:41 [music]

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01:23:32 I believe that this could be the turning point in your very life.

01:23:36 Join me every second and fourth Sunday of the month at 6 a.m.

01:23:40 for a dynamic Turning Point moment in your life.

01:23:44 The Lord bless you. Have a wonderful day.

01:23:47 [music]

01:23:48 Slavery, a terrible time in our history.

01:23:52 The kidnapping, buying and selling of people for profit.

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01:24:42 [music]

01:25:11 All right, so welcome back everyone.

01:25:13 Well, everybody wants to be a superstar.

01:25:16 We do have on the line this morning Pastor Dion Thomas.

01:25:19 He is the senior pastor of the King's Sanctuary Church in Kingston, Jamaica.

01:25:25 Pastor Thomas, good morning.

01:25:27 Good morning. Good morning. Good to be with you guys today.

01:25:29 Of course. Well, Pastor Thomas, let's speak about everybody wants to be a superstar.

01:25:35 Yes. I'm so excited to have this production in Trinidad.

01:25:42 It really is going to be a time of excellence, a time of musical excellence, a time of extremely good ministry.

01:25:52 We have some outstanding guys who will be ministering in song, ministering on their instruments.

01:25:59 We're talking about top-notch violinists, pianists, drummers, singers.

01:26:06 I'd argue that probably the best singer in the world, trained at the ABRCM level, Dr. Marcelle Thomas.

01:26:15 Went to Berkeley as well, and she has really dedicated her time to use it for the Lord.

01:26:20 She's on the team and should be there as well.

01:26:23 And we have a bunch of young, really vibrant people for the Lord, you know, acting out in drama as well.

01:26:30 And just a combination of music and excellent drama, really bringing across a very clear message of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

01:26:37 Yeah. Of course, Pastor, you have been doing this for about 20-something years now.

01:26:42 What are you all trying to achieve by this event?

01:26:46 Well, you know, one of the things that we're commanded in the Word of God is to go out in the world and to make disciples.

01:26:51 You know, I've been coming to Trinidad and ministering for over 20 years, about 19 years to be exact.

01:26:57 I've come twice per year, and I've always loved Trinidad.

01:27:01 We've bonded very well with many Trinidadians and Tobegonians, if I'm pronouncing that correctly.

01:27:06 And, you know, when their students come across to Jamaica for, for example, medicine or geology,

01:27:11 we, as a church in Jamaica, and it started as a Bible study in Jamaica, we'd always meet the Trinids.

01:27:19 And we just built a very good bond with this, with a very, with a couple of these guys.

01:27:24 And so, you know, coming to Trinidad is really, our aim is always to minister effectively, to spread the gospel as far as we can spread it.

01:27:33 And since we have this direct relationship with Trinidad, we definitely want to maximize it to the best of our ability.

01:27:40 Yeah. Pastor, who is the event for?

01:27:48 Anybody, anybody and everybody. It's a family oriented thing. There's nothing vulgar.

01:27:54 There's nothing in it that's going to be, you know, displeasing to the eye or a turn off to the age group.

01:28:01 Really, it is not immature so that the older ones can't really love it.

01:28:06 It's not, it's not so mature that the young ones can't enjoy it.

01:28:09 It really is a family oriented event.

01:28:13 And God, a clean, a wholesome fun. What you can expect from this is a lot of laughter, a lot of musical excellence, a whole heap of just good times.

01:28:24 And, you know, it really was fun when we did it in Jamaica. And I'm sure it's going to be fun in Trinidad as well.

01:28:30 Yeah. Pastor says a whole heap of good times. Pastor, we're coming, we're coming.

01:28:35 If you put it that way, we have no choice, Pastor.

01:28:38 But, Pastor, because of the you think that the challenges being faced in Jamaica and the challenges being faced in Trinidad and Tobago,

01:28:50 they are the same and that what is being done in Jamaica and your work in Jamaica, it can be transferred into Trinidad and Tobago and be absorbed in a palatable way?

01:29:13 Definitely. Definitely. Well, one thing we love about the gospel is that it can reach all cultures, all nations, all peoples, all tribes.

01:29:23 It really is about the love that the Lord has for somebody. In every nation, you have people who need to be healed.

01:29:30 In every nation, you have people who have been disappointed. In every nation, you have people who need hope.

01:29:36 In every nation, you have people who need a better tomorrow.

01:29:39 And in every nation, then every nation needs the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

01:29:44 So, yeah, man, while there might be differences in culture, and we love the Trinidad culture, we love many things about Trinidad.

01:29:50 I love many things about Trinidad. I'd love to introduce some of my Jamaican friends to more of the culture in Trinidad.

01:29:56 And when I say the culture, I'm talking about your good food and a good vibe.

01:30:00 I've always been treated well when I've come to Trinidad. Always. Every single time I've been there, I've been treated very well.

01:30:06 And, you know, I speak highly of Trinidad in Jamaica. My Trinidadian friends here in Jamaica, they are very good friends.

01:30:13 You know, so we have a—there are great similarities. And as I said before, the Trinids who come to Jamaica,

01:30:19 we have a lot of Trinids in the King's Sanctuary at church.

01:30:22 So we have a good relationship, and we have found that the same problems that we have,

01:30:29 they are definitely pervasive and ubiquitous. And, you know, our Savior definitely solves them.

01:30:35 And the Word of God, you know, is really fit for all generations and all people.

01:30:39 And as long as it's brought across in an excellent manner, that's what we're about.

01:30:43 We're really about glorifying the Lord by using our talents and abilities in an excellent manner.

01:30:48 And that really does, you know, minister all across the world. In Trinidad, in the USA, in the European countries, all over.

01:30:56 We have found a similar result.

01:30:58 Yeah. But, you know, Pastor, speaking about your work, your ministry that you all have been doing,

01:31:06 what do you think are some of the main challenges? Because you are taking the Word all across the world.

01:31:14 What are some of the major challenges you think that we are facing right now?

01:31:19 Some of the major challenges we are facing is men have not aligned themselves in such a way that the order of their life is correct.

01:31:27 A lot of men, if we could correct the family structure and have men who have aligned themselves with the Lord in such a way that they love their wives,

01:31:37 they get married, they love their wives, and they pass on a godly heritage to their children, you transform a lot of cultures.

01:31:43 I would say that is one of the main things. A lot of men, leaders who have totally kind of lost their way.

01:31:50 And I think if we could correct the home, the home, the family structure, we would definitely cause a great dent in some of the problems that we are seeing nationally and internationally as well.

01:32:01 So that's one of our main emphases as well, to really challenge the men to really align themselves in a proper order for their lives.

01:32:11 Yeah. Pastor, we're looking at some of your books here, 21 Days to Sexual Purity, 21 Days to Overcoming Procrastination, 21 Days, 10 Knowing God's Will, and 21 Days to Forgiveness.

01:32:25 Tell us a little bit about these books, Pastor.

01:32:27 All right. Now, each of those books, they're biblically grounded books that help somebody in the direction that they're struggling in.

01:32:33 The latest one that I did was 21 Days to Overcoming Pornography. Now, pornography is a very addictive, I'd call it quote unquote drug, in which I give you three things very quickly that can damage the brain.

01:32:45 So I take it from a biblical perspective, but I also include the physiology of what is happening when the person is, you know, indulging in something that is of a pornography nature.

01:32:55 So you have, for example, the raffine nuclei that can be stimulated in the brain when they're watching pornography, and that can cause a person to lead into depression.

01:33:02 You have the damage to the prefrontal cortex, and you also have the production of a transcription factor called Delta FosB.

01:33:08 All of these things are kind of relayed in such a way that a person understands physiologically what is happening to them, and then they're given the solution biblically, how do I get out of this?

01:33:18 So each particular book, the 10, what you mentioned, the 10 biblical laws of wealth that speak. So what does the Word of God say about wealth?

01:33:25 So sexual purity, yes, forgiveness. So it is a structured way for somebody to actually go through day by day over 21 days and really improve in that area.

01:33:38 So each book is in a, the chapters are written in such a way that there is something to help you to improve in that particular area over 21 days.

01:33:48 Right. So is it then, Pastor, that the books, they are written in a way that people of other faiths can understand what you're saying and the messages can be used in a general sense?

01:34:03 Most definitely. I'd love every single person to read it. What God puts across in His Word makes sense. And somebody can say, "Okay, I don't believe in Christianity."

01:34:18 Good. But read it. Check the information. Balance that. Find out what exactly don't you believe, what exactly don't you agree with.

01:34:28 And I think that's the perspective that we have to come with in looking at information. We have to see where we meet, where we don't meet, and then we have to ask the question, "Why don't we meet there?"

01:34:38 And I think if we can get that conversation going, we can really, that would be a very good conversation I'd love to have with anybody who does not agree with the Christian faith.

01:34:47 It would be a beautiful conversation. But I think we have to have it from the perspective of what exactly don't you agree with and see if we can really take our time and walk through those disagreements.

01:34:57 Yeah, Pastor, I want to quote you here because I think it is a very interesting point, a simple point, but an interesting point.

01:35:09 And I think that more people need to believe in this point. He believes, that is you, that everyone has a God-given gift.

01:35:19 And I think, Pastor, that a lot of us, we just don't realize that. So we do not capitalize on it. We do not nurture it because we don't believe that we do have it.

01:35:33 And sometimes that is what is contributing to a lot of the hopelessness in communities.

01:35:40 Definitely, definitely. I totally agree with you right there. Everybody has a God-given gift. Romans 12 tells us that each man has been given a gift according to the measure of his faith.

01:35:52 Everybody has a God-given gift. And sometimes why a gift is so easily overlooked is because it is a gift. It is so natural to you. It is such a natural ability.

01:36:02 And you know, anybody who is struggling to know their God-given gift, there's a book for it as well, 21 Days to Know God's Will.

01:36:08 But one of the things I'll give you very quickly is recognizing doors of opportunity. Doors of opportunity. Your gift opens doors.

01:36:16 And sometimes when somebody is not aware of what their gift thing is, they can look at over the course of their life, what door has constantly opened for you?

01:36:25 And that would help the person to be redirected. So, oh, I need to pay attention right there. Also, look at the questions that people ask you.

01:36:32 Not everybody gets asked the same questions. Some people, you know, whether you're qualified or not, some people can recognize your expertise and your giftedness in a particular area.

01:36:43 And they will ask you a particular. So pay attention not just in answering the question, but pay attention to the types of questions people will ask you.

01:36:52 Because they're recognizing something about you where they're asking you that particular question.

01:36:57 So, yeah, man, I agree with you wholeheartedly that if a person can find their gift and really hone it and develop it to such a high level, you know, yeah, man, it would be really beautiful to see every single person doing that.

01:37:10 Yeah. And you see, the reason why I asked that, Pastor, is because some of the same problems that you experience in Jamaica, young people and criminal activity, those are some of the same problems we experience in Trinidad and Tobago.

01:37:28 And in that respect, we are very, very similar. And that's why I asked that question, because that recognition of your gift has to has to happen at a very early stage in life.

01:37:41 Right, Pastor? Definitely. I totally agree with that. And one of the things that not but add, you know, one of the ways in which we can recognize this gift is in the family structure.

01:37:53 You know, the family, the daddy and the mommy, you know, really play a powerful role in nurturing and developing and honing and identifying those gifts in that kid.

01:38:03 So, yeah, man, I definitely agree with you on if the child owns it very early in life. Yeah, man.

01:38:10 And the other thing that we can speak on as well, or just to mention as well, is that the gift comes from someone, comes from the giver.

01:38:17 And when that's and that's important, you know, one of the first verses in the Bible that's solved him as a child, it comes from Ecclesiastes.

01:38:23 It says, "Remember now your creator in the days of your youth." And that really is a beautiful instruction to know the Lord from your early, because the Lord is a revealer of the gifts.

01:38:33 You know, he's the one who exposes to us what exactly have I given you. So if there's an early attachment to him, to our Savior Jesus Christ, then there will always be a revelation of what God has given to you.

01:38:45 And I think that connection is very important with the gift and the giver.

01:38:49 Yeah, and I know, Pastor, I've been I've been laying on the questions and we've been speaking about a number of social issues this morning.

01:38:57 Pastor, I promise I have one more social question, social related question for you, and then we are going to get back to the to the event,

01:39:07 because I want you to speak about the importance of a higher being in an individual's life, because some young people, other people in society, you may speak to them and they do not believe in a higher being.

01:39:23 They do not believe in religion. They do not believe in faith. I want you to speak about the benefit of that.

01:39:31 Yeah, man, I love that question. The benefit of it, number one, you know, I remember as a young child seeing a chicken being slaughtered, you know, it was going to be plucked and the head was cut off.

01:39:44 And I was amazed as a kid to see when the head was removed that the chicken ran around, ran around. I was so shocked at it. And it stayed with me.

01:39:52 And later in life, it showed me that, you know, I remember the Lord really connecting that to me to show that that's what we are without our head. And our head is our Savior, Jesus Christ.

01:40:02 Without the Lord, we are moving around in circles aimlessly. We won't accomplish anything of real worth because we are detached from our source.

01:40:12 You know, a verse that stands out to us in Psalm 100, it says, "You have not created." We have not created ourselves, but we have been created by the Lord.

01:40:22 And in Colossians, it says, "We have been created. All things were created by him and for him."

01:40:27 So it's very important to recognize that we're not coming from slime, as some evolutionists might think. We're not coming from the wind. We're not coming from a big bang theory.

01:40:39 We're coming from a designer who is very wise. And when you understand that, you'll recognize that there must be an attachment to that person in order for you to really find your purpose in life.

01:40:53 So, you know, one of the things that really takes away from somebody believing in the Lord is really not seeing good examples.

01:41:02 And that's one of the things that we have to be very careful of as believers and as Christians. We have to be careful of walking in such a way that our light shines, that people can see, you know, that person is different because the Lord is with them.

01:41:13 And I think that's one of the things that our Savior has commanded us to do, to let your light so shine before men that they may see, not just hear what you are saying, but see your example.

01:41:24 And the Bible says, "They will glorify your heavenly Father."

01:41:27 So I think it's very important for people to see the example of people who walk with the Lord, and it will help them to want to look to the Lord.

01:41:35 But when they don't see it, when they don't see a good example, it's a turn off.

01:41:39 And that's one of the things that we have to be as people who believe in the Lord, we have to be very careful of the example that we model before others, because that is what will help others to actually believe.

01:41:49 That plays a role in helping people to believe in the Lord.

01:41:52 Pastor, you're preaching, you're preaching this morning, Pastor.

01:41:57 Let's begin. Let's return to where we began this morning.

01:42:03 Pastor, everybody wants to be a superstar.

01:42:07 Tell us about the event again, Pastor, and all of the additional information you want to give us.

01:42:11 Yeah, man. So everybody wants to be a superstar.

01:42:14 It's going to be a fun, loaded, filled with laughter.

01:42:18 The Trinidadians are going to find this very amazingly funny and entertaining and Christ-centered production.

01:42:28 The excellent musicians are going to be there. You have top-notch violinists coming.

01:42:32 We're talking about trained violinists at the highest level who have dedicated their gift to using for the Lord.

01:42:37 We're talking about singers that are going to be world-class.

01:42:42 Actors that are gifted in their field and really can bring across a message with a lot of joy.

01:42:48 And a lot of really sturdy emotions.

01:42:52 And the message is very clear.

01:42:54 So you're going to be seeing what I would call a production of extreme excellence.

01:43:00 That's what I would call it. A production of extreme excellence where the message is going to be very clear.

01:43:05 I don't want to give away everything, but the details are on the tickets.

01:43:09 I don't have all that before me right now. We're going to be in Tobago.

01:43:13 And I know it's going to be a good time. We've already gotten that venue booked out.

01:43:16 We want to fill it out. And we are definitely doing everything that we can do to make sure that Trinidad and Tobago enjoys this product to the fullest.

01:43:25 Yeah. Pastor, it's two events you're having.

01:43:29 Yeah, it's the same event on two different days.

01:43:32 Yeah. So it's on the 29th and 30th of March.

01:43:37 Of March. Exactly.

01:43:39 Yeah. All right. So it's going to be held at Shore Park Cultural Complex.

01:43:43 And of course, the tickets are 200 tt for adults, 100 tt for children.

01:43:49 Yeah. Right. Yes. And people can get additional information via your website and Facebook page.

01:43:55 Right. They can. And also for little babies, they are free.

01:44:00 You know, for zero to two years, that would be free for those little kids.

01:44:07 Yeah. All right. That's good to know, Pastor.

01:44:10 So, you know, I'm talking about, Pastor, it was it was a pleasure speaking with you this morning.

01:44:19 And we wish you all the best for your for your both events.

01:44:23 Thank you very much. Thank you so much for having me. All the best.

01:44:26 All right. Bye for now. All right. We are going to break.

01:44:28 Everybody coming back.

01:44:48 Plumbing problems. Don't guess.

01:44:52 Call plumbing solutions at six to eight for six for six.

01:44:58 Proud to be serving Trinidad and Tobago for over 20 years.

01:45:01 We do it all. Maintenance and repairs.

01:45:05 New construction. Sewer lines.

01:45:08 Inspection. Drain cleaning.

01:45:11 Leak detection. We are licensed and insured.

01:45:15 So call plumbing solutions at six to eight for six for six.

01:45:19 Do you want to give your child the best start in life?

01:45:22 Use Astamine C. Every child needs a protective shield against infections.

01:45:26 Astamine C contains the eight essential amino acids plus vitamin C,

01:45:30 which promotes healthy growth and brain development,

01:45:33 builds immune system, muscles and bones, ensures protein formation in the body.

01:45:37 Good for formula fed babies, low birth weight babies and improves appetite.

01:45:41 Babies just love the taste.

01:45:43 Give your child the best start in life.

01:45:45 Use Astamine C drops available at all leading pharmacies nationwide.

01:45:51 The world is in crisis.

01:45:53 Distressing news are flowing from every quarter in the society.

01:45:58 And the hearts of many are failing them for fear.

01:46:02 However, in the midst of these alarming conditions come good news.

01:46:08 Jesus Christ saves, keeps and satisfies.

01:46:13 This is the message of Daybreak.

01:46:16 [Music]

01:46:23 Slavery, a terrible time in our history.

01:46:27 The kidnapping, buying and selling of people for profit,

01:46:31 the exploitation of another human being.

01:46:34 It still exists today. It has a new name.

01:46:37 Human trafficking.

01:46:39 Anyone can be a victim.

01:46:41 There is forced labor.

01:46:44 Sexual exploitation and domestic servitude.

01:46:50 Human trafficking is a worldwide problem and an emerging concern for us here in Trinidad and Tobago.

01:46:57 If you know of or suspect human trafficking activity,

01:47:00 call the counter trafficking hotline at 800-4CTU or 800-4288.

01:47:07 Human trafficking is a crime.

01:47:10 Identify it. Report it. Stop it.

01:47:13 A message from the counter trafficking unit of the Ministry of National Security.

01:47:18 [Music]

01:47:30 Welcome back everyone. We do have some local news for you.

01:47:33 [Music]

01:47:39 Good morning. I am Anselm Gibbs with a news update.

01:47:43 As cleanup operations continue in Tobago,

01:47:46 authorities are still trying to find the owners of the overturned vessel involved.

01:47:51 We do have a lot of information.

01:47:54 However, information has to be verified.

01:47:57 And because we are the Maritime Service Division, the regulators,

01:48:01 they cannot just speculate and they cannot confirm any information

01:48:07 until they have the things like the IMO numbers and so on the vessel.

01:48:12 So we have leads. We have a lot of information.

01:48:16 But we are not in the, that whole program of speculating.

01:48:22 And so we have a responsibility.

01:48:24 So whatever we put out will only be information that have been verified.

01:48:31 The United National Congress is calling on the board and management of TSTT

01:48:37 to come clean on correspondence involving last year's cyber attack.

01:48:42 The opposition says freedom of information requests have been filed.

01:48:47 We would like copies of all board minutes for the months of October, November,

01:48:55 December, January and February during and post the cyber attack

01:49:02 and the decisions that were made by the board regarding the handling of the cyber attack.

01:49:08 And in the weather forecast, mainly sunny and at times breezy conditions can be expected

01:49:15 apart from one or two brief isolated showers.

01:49:19 Seas are smooth to moderate in open waters with swells approaching one and a half meters.

01:49:25 All marine users are however asked to exercise caution,

01:49:29 especially during high tides as spring tide is in effect.

01:49:34 You ever try talking to your child and there's a total and complete misunderstanding

01:49:43 and it turns out to be into a shouting match?

01:49:46 Be mindful of what you say and more importantly how you say what you say.

01:49:51 Today I want to share with you just a few thoughts on communication.

01:49:57 To build healthy parent-child relations, communication is not an option.

01:50:02 Effective communication is the lifeblood of good relationship between parents and children.

01:50:08 Please listen attentively to your child.

01:50:11 Everyone hears but not everybody listens.

01:50:14 Listen actively.

01:50:16 Use language they can understand.

01:50:19 Use language that is appropriate for their age.

01:50:21 And make sure that when you're speaking, be very clear and be very, very specific.

01:50:27 So what does behave good mean?

01:50:29 What does stop behaving badly mean?

01:50:31 Be very clear and be very specific.

01:50:34 Please do not use any derogatory words to them at all, at all, at all.

01:50:38 Use kind language because that helps to set a positive tone in the house.

01:50:43 Express your feelings and your satisfaction to the situation

01:50:47 and of course, please encourage your children to do so as well.

01:50:51 Remember, the conversation should be, "Children, we love you.

01:50:57 We love you and we respect you.

01:50:59 Do the best you can. It's all that you can do."

01:51:01 Be mindful of what you say and how you say it.

01:51:05 If you found this useful, please share and like and follow our profile for more parenting tips.

01:51:11 The letter for today is C for communication.

01:51:14 Hi, I'm Apostle DeVince welcoming you to my television broadcast, Turning Point.

01:51:21 I believe that this could be the turning point in your very life.

01:51:24 Join me every second and fourth Sunday of the month at 6 a.m.

01:51:29 for a dynamic turning point moment in your life.

01:51:32 The Lord bless you. Have a wonderful day.

01:51:36 [Music]

01:51:44 [Music]

01:52:14 [Music]

01:52:38 [Music]

01:52:49 Welcome back everybody. We just have about a minute again, but I want to show this to you.

01:52:54 Yeah? You notice the characters there?

01:52:57 And I mean it in a good way, not characters in a bad sense, but in a good way, right?

01:53:02 So diplomatic talks, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, right, receives Guyana's new ambassador to Venezuela,

01:53:08 Richard Van West Charles at Miraflores Presidential Palace Caracas, Venezuela on Tuesday.

01:53:14 Now Venezuela and Guyana have been embroiled in a controversy over Venezuela's move to seize Guyana's Esequibo region.

01:53:21 Tensions were lessened following a meeting in St. Vincent at which Venezuela promised to back off.

01:53:28 So I suspect this is good news, yeah, for not only the people of Guyana, but for an easing of tensions within the region.

01:53:38 All right, so that's good news there.

01:53:40 Okay. All right, so that's going to do it for our program for today.

01:53:44 Thank you to our viewers this morning. We do appreciate it.

01:53:49 Thank you to all of the persons who appeared on the program this morning.

01:53:52 It has been a very interesting program.

01:53:54 I'll see you all next week, right?

01:53:56 But before we do that, we have this for you.

01:53:59 We leave you with this image.

01:54:01 It's from Chagoramas, the yachts at Chagoramas, and it's from Ronald Daniel.

01:54:07 Ronald, very special good morning to you.

01:54:10 And again, thank you to all of the persons who continue to send us their photographs.

01:54:16 Have a good weekend, everybody.

01:54:18 Yeah, see you on Monday. Bye for now.

01:54:21 [Music]

01:54:49 ♪ Link is up ♪

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