Ferdie Ferreira is not the only PNMite with concerns about the PNM Government's performance and leadership. Ferreira—the PNM foundation member whose 2012 endorsement of Keith Rowley for Prime Minister ended up in Rowley's autobiography—has, with some deep concern, altered his view.

"I backed him unswervingly in a 2012 Guardian acticle," Ferreira said yesterday.

"Unfortunately both myself and T&T continue to await the standard of leadership we expected when Dr Rowley assumed office."

While he emphasised he was not "disappointed," Ferreira was among several PNMites expressing concerns about Government's two-year stint.

Ferreira, a foundation PNMite of 1956 vintage, added, "Under their inherited circumstances, Government hasn't done badly. It's one thing to have manifesto promises; another to enter office and realise you can't implement them.

"Unfortunately Dr Rowley assumed office as the most experienced politician in T&T—a background in Government, Opposition, the Senate—I'd said that in May 2012 .

"One would have expected him to be in a better position to empathise with the standards of leadership required to deal with the current situation. But I'm still awaiting fulfillment of expectations. Our greatest expectations of him as the most qualified leader haven't been met.

"However, he has three years to meet requirements. I hope he'll apply the appropriate standards to meet the electorate's expectations—I continue to have greatest expectations of him."

Late former leader Patrick Manning's San Fernando East constituency is among PNM's strongest. Constituency chairman Kennedy Fleming believes areas of Government operation require more attention.

"We needed to tell the population what our Vision 2030 really encompassed and how we'd move from A to B. This wasn’t clear.

"Government needs to defend its objectives and convey it so citizens can understand. A piss-poor job has been done on that aspect. Plus, with limited resources, it’s important recommendations we chose are ones that reinvigorate and regenerate revenue.”

Fleming is concerned at over-detachment from the public.

“Yes, we don’t have money. People know that, but we can’t keep repeating it all the time. We need polices that give hope and not false hope. I don’t think we’re giving them hope. We need to do a better job of guiding people in all aspects.

"We also need to examine how we govern and the direction in which our leaders operate. If we don’t have the experience and expertise, please encamp with the people who have necessary skill sets to help guide us. And we must be able to accept criticism, reflect and see if it’s true or not.”

Former PNM youth officer, Dane Wilson, staunch 2010 campaigner, believes Government is doing what is necessary.

"But some mistakes have been made. Recent reviews were not unanticipated as Government approaches mid-term. The administration just needs to be a little more straightforward and communicate better on the economy's true state.

"Still, elected and appointed members also need to pull their weight and not depend on the Prime Minister and Finance Minister to handle everything.”

Wilson is perturbed with Tobago House of Assembly chief secretary Kelvin Charles’ non-appearance during the recent Joint Select Committee's scrutiny of the ferry service.

“It demonstrated lack of commitment, ‘spine,’ if you will. It was disrespectful to Parliament's JSC and PNMites who elected him to stand for Tobago and its issues. The ferry problem is Tobago's biggest. He had a right to be there even if not answering queries. Representation involves broad duty.”

While Wilson said PNM’s leadership was “doing the right things to stabilise T&T, they’re somewhat disconnected from what’s happening on the ‘ground’.

"You see it when you hear what the average person says compared to what Government says. The party also needs to have units functioning and fill the general secretary’s post.”

Ex PNM Minister Conrad Enill maintains the eight he gave on Government's performance, "given all the crap they've had to handle".

"Performance is based on how external global environments impact locally, and if T&T's population had to make the same adjustment as others similarly challenged, we may not have been.

"But we may need to adjust if external environments change T&T's service delivery infrastructure. So yes, Government needs to re-examine delivery mechanism, changing them to respond to new environments.

"We need management in sync with the external environment. Particularly, the Prime Minister needs to decide who's Government CEO. The PM isn't the CEO who handles day-to-day issues. Dr Lenny Saith was CEO of the last PNM Government."

The son of a Pleasantville businessman has been whisked away from his home by gunmen wearing police tactical gear. The abduction was similar to the disappearance of hairstylist Ria Sookdeo almost a year ago.

The search for Clint Beharry went late into last night. Video footage from the Born Free Recreation Bar in Blitz Village, Pleasantville, showed two men dressed in police uniform running into a premises with firearms in their hands. Two minutes later, the suspects and a third gunman wearing a blue jersey walked out with Beharry in handcuffs. One of the gunmen was holding a box. The gunmen sped off with Beharry in a silver Nissan AD Wagon. Relatives declined to speak to the media yesterday.

Investigators said there was no warrant for Beharry's arrest executed yesterday and they did not believe that that the men dressed in uniform were police. While no motive was revealed for his abduction, investigators are probing whether it was related to him witnessing the murder of a relative.

On September 22, 2016, Sookdeo, 34, a hairstylist, dropped off her two children at the Picton Presbyterian Primary School. As she drove her red Nissan X-Trail to Picton Estate Drive to turn, a black Nissan X-Trail SUV pulled up behind, blocking her path. Two men wearing tactical gear forced her out of her SUV and into theirs and drove off.

She has not been seen or heard from since.

KEVON FELMINE

kevon.felmine@guardian.co.tt

A thunderstorm in Port-of-Spain, lasting less than 30 minutes, caused the drainage to overflow in Belmont, Queen's Park Savannah, St Clair, and South Quay. Along Colville Street, Tragarete Road and Ariapita Avenue, the roads had disappeared and a river took its place. Pedestrians who took cover outside businesses were forced to wade through the flood and motorists had to find alternative routes.

And while the US National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration predicted 11-17 named storms for the 2017 hurricane season, Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan said it was impossible to engineer solutions to mitigate the kind of weather brought by Hurricane Irma.

Although Sinanan, who was touring the Fyzabad constituency yesterday, was not asked about the Port-of-Spain flooding, he said the ministry continued to clear watercourses to lessen the effects of flooding.

"The engineering that has to take place for these levels of storm is virtually impossible. Basically what we’re doing is precaution and then we want to be a lot more proactive."

Asked if the country was in a better position to withstand a storm, Sinanan said his ministry will try to be as prepared as possible. He said T&T needs to learn from the experiences of its storm-ravaged neighbours as given the current weather patterns, "it is only a matter of time before something serious hit us". (See Pages A 8, editorial on A 16)

KEVON FELMINE

kevon.felmine@guardian.co.tt

Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan says he has been concerned about the operations of the Port Authority of T&T (Patt) since he became a minister.

The Joint Select Committee's (JSC) investigation into the procurement of the Cabo Star and the Ocean Flower 2 raises serious questions about the conduct of the Patt,.

Sinanan said while he could not comment on the JSC until the probe was complete, he was interested in the outcome as both line minister and citizen and added that he does not expect the outcome to be pleasing.

"I am really looking forward to the results because I think coming out of this JSC, it will tell us exactly what problems we have at the Port of Port-of-Spain that have been there for quite a while. It is time that we do something about it. I have been concerned since one week after I became minister. I raised that the port was in a mess and the problems that we are experiencing now were inevitable," Sinanan said.

Last week, Energy Minister and JSC member Franklin Khan said based on the information being shared in the probe, there was no discipline and no governance at Patt.

Asked whether there would be any management changes if they were found wanting, Sinanan said, "As the minister that is way out of my league. There is a board in place and I expect that when the report comes in, the board will look at it and the board will make the decisions to take the port from where it is to where a port should be."

Asked what would happen if the problem was at the board level, he said he will wait for the report before making any statement.

The brutal murder of former director of the National Museum and Art Gallery Dr Claire Broadbridge at her Fondes Amandes St Ann’s home last week Saturday continues to transfix the nation as her death has sparked outrage and discussions about the perception of the Government’s inability to deal with crime in the country.

Her death triggers the grisly benchmark to the 2001 triple murder of British national John Cropper, 59; his mother-in-law Maggie Lee, 83, and sister-in-law Lynette Lithgow-Pearson, 51, a former BBC television broadcaster, at Cropper’s Mt Anne Drive, Second Avenue, Cascade home.

The St Ann’s/Cascade area has recorded more gruesome homicides that many people have forgotten about.

• Retired Neal and Massy manager Clyde Commissiong, 80, and his 79-year-old wife, Denise, were killed after robbers stormed their Riverside Road, Cascade home on January 30, 2007.

• Brentor Straker, 29, of Cascade, was shot and killed at Mt Hololo Road in St Ann’s, on May 12, 2009. Police said he had been a suspect in the murder of 34-year-old Roberta Patterson, who was found dead near a river at Fondes Amandes Road in St Ann’s, on April 29, 2009.

• Eighty-two-year-old retired businessman Ousman Ali, the founder of the Medicine Chest Pharmacy at West Mall, was strangled at his Coblentz, Cascade home on September 1, 2011.

• Timothy Clarke, 30, was shot in his bed at his Ariapita Road, St Ann’s, apartment and his girlfriend Crystal Grey sustained a gunshot wound to her leg on May 6, 2013.

• “Big Brent” Miller, 38, survived an assassination attempt while driving along St Ann’s Road around 10.30 am on August 23, 2013. He was ambushed by two gunmen who shot him in the chest, arm and lower back.

• Cascade pensioner Donaldson Mottley, 67, was found murdered at his Hislop Trace home in March 2016.

• PH taxi driver Colin “Crabby” Harewood, 35, from Casablanca Road, Cascade, was shot and killed near his home on March 22, 2016.

• Motape Hutchinson, 30, of Ariapita Road, St Ann’s, was shot to death on the roadway on August 1, 2016.

Fear among residents, the elderly at greater risk

The Guardian reported in 2012 and 2014 that residents from St Ann’s/Cascade, an area known for its lush vegetation, quiet and peaceful, had been the victims of violence, frequent robberies and home invasions.

No one is immune from the ravages of crime in the area—from large companies, small mom-and-pop establishments to individuals.A 54-year-old St Ann’s resident who was chopped about his body in a robbery in 2014 said he along with members of the St Ann’s/Cascade community were saddened by Broadbridge’s death.

He said there was a pervading fear among residents, especially among the elderly who were “jumpy” when they heard the news how Broadbridge was murdered.

The resident said that there seemed to be a trend to attack the more vulnerable and he warned his aged and retiree friends to be more careful.

After his attack he stopped wearing jewelry. But he said most of the serious crimes were committed by “outside people”.

He said a police post should be re-established by Queen’s Hall as was done in the past because when it was stationed there the incidents of break-ins were drastically reduced.

The man said when former prime minister Patrick Manning was in office, there were regular security patrols around the area and robberies were halted at the nearby shops.

He said a police presence—on foot and vehicle patrols— will reassure residents.

A local branch of a coffee shop chain, several food places and shops in the neighbourhood have all been the victims of armed holdups which included some of their customers.

Once such victim is lifestyle blogger Michelle Eng Leang who had a cutlass placed to her throat while the assailant took her cellphone and cash from her when she went to buy a juice for her son at a neighbourhood shop in St Ann’s in August.

Eng leang said “I lived in London for eight years and returned in 2011. I came out of one of the train stations affected by the bombings in July 5, 2005, and was living in east London during the acid attacks by gangs in 2011 and I did not feel as scared then as I do now.

“Since the incident I haven’t walked the street and would only go out to shop with my husband. The area has so many outdoor venues but I can’t take my son out because I’m scared.”

On Broadbridge’s murder Eng Leang asked what did the 80-year-old woman do to have her throat slit to make it so unforgivable to end her life when she was in her last glory innings.

Cascade resident Claudia Sheppard, 78, who had been living in Cascade for 50 years had her house burgled twice with six other attempts all in the same year in 2008.

The retired principal said perpetrators gained easy access from the Lady Young Road and the Morvant/Laventille area to perpetrate their crimes in Idlewild and the Cascade area.

Sheppard said two elderly residents residing in the development houses on the adjacent hillside were attacked and she knew of one resident who had his dogs poisoned.

She said the majority of these crimes were not committed by the young men from the area as she knew them all growing up as little boys.

Sheppard said they were more into PH driving, would not commit such gruesome crimes and would quicker look to protect residents.

She said areas like Knightsbridge and Idlewild in Cascade had their fair share of break-ins.

Sheppard said during the last administration when several members from the now disbanded Community Comfort Patrols (CCP) were stationed at Idlewild and did patrols in the area, incidents of break-ins and criminal activity were reduced.

She said they were a great help to the community and residents.

Sheppard said now that the patrols were removed the residents felt more vulnerable.

She said virtually every house in the area had burglar proofing and since the break-ins she had hardened her house with added security such as replacing her louvre windows with metal windows, increased the height of her wall, installed deadbolts, padlocked her garden gate and was one of the first early adopters of Blink Vigilance’s security system.

Sheppard said one resident resorted to hiring security guards, while some were forced to find other ways to protect their families and homes.

MP for Port-of-Spain North/St Ann’s West Stuart Young did not return the Sunday Guardian’s calls yesterday.

A Congress of the People (COP) executive member resigned yesterday as conflict over the eligibility of Nicole Dyer Griffith to run for the leadership of the party continues. Sangetta Ramnanan said she was disappointed and saddened by what the party had become.

“To me the party I joined now no longer exists. Up to the lead up of the last political election I thought we had a platform on which we fought for and we could build . . . but the need for power and the thirst for power among certain people is degrading our party and brought it to the level that we had to go to the court to deal with internal issues.

“This opened my eyes that the party is no more. The values which I stood for no longer exists to exists in in the COP. The name of the COP is now laughed at,” Ramnanan said.

Sources said a former MP who is a party member expressed disappointment and even described yesterday’s meeting as a charade. COP member Jean-Paul Pouchet, who also attended the meeting, said he too was concerned about yesterday’s proceedings.

However COP chairman Jamieson Bahadur said the meeting went smoothly. He said November 19 is the date for selection of a political leader and the party’s national elections will take place on December 10.

Asked whether Dyer Griffith was at the meeting, Bahadur said she is not a member of the party and has to reapply following which it will be decided whether she will be accepted by the executive.

Contacted for comment, Dyer Griffith said: “I find this quite amazing because many months ago I submitted my application and I was interviewed by the political leader, the deputy political leader and the general secretary and I received a letter confirming my acceptance to the organisation.

“I also received a membership card and my name was also placed back on the list of the COP.”

She said she was also accepted as a candidate in the political leader election.

Dyer Griffith said she is still awaiting the decision of the court on the issue of her eligibility to contest the leadership polls.

Last month COP political leader Dr Anirudh Mahabir and general secretary lyde Weatherhead resigned over ongoing legal drama within the party, specifically High Court proceedings challenging the candidacy of Dyer Griffith and the right of 34 other people to vote in the election.

A 57-year-old Petit Valley woman is fighting for her life after she was shot in the abdomen during a shootout between a retired police officer and two bandits on Saturday afternoon.

The incident occurred at around 5 pm when former Police Social and Welfare Association president Emerald Bruce was at his bar on Morne Coco Road, Petit Valley. Two armed men entered the premises and Bruce, who was at a nearby shed, engaged in a shootout with them.

Lotto operator Acquron Alexander was shot and the robbers stole an undisclosed sum of cash.

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley’s planned return to T&T today has been delayed by Hurricane Irma which rampaged through Florida between yesterday and early this morning.

Dr Rowley, who was due to return home via Miami, will now return tomorrow via New York, the Office of the Prime Minister has confirmed.

He had gone to the United States for a medical check-up on September 1 and the OPM said he had completed his medical examinations and was returning home.

“His return is being diverted due to Hurricane Irma. Dr Rowley will now return to T&T early Tuesday morning via a Caribbean Airlines flight through New York,” an OPM release stated

All transport to Florida has been suspended since the weekend due to the hurricane. Winds of 95 mph were reported at Miami International Airport at the peak of Irma’s passage through that city yesterday.

Miami, which dodged an initially-projected direct hit, still sustained a severe battering from winds, rains and storm surges.

US television footage showed three foot high flood waters from nearby Biscayne Bay storm surges flowing through Miami’s Brickell Avenue, including property at 999 Brickell. The next property, 1000 Brickell Avenue, houses T&T’s Miami consulate.

Acting Foreign Affairs Minister Stuart Young said: “I had given instructions on Wednesday to evacuate the consulate. Employees number about 10 people and their families. “

Also affected by Irma was the wife of the President, Reema Carmona, who had been scheduled to return from Belize late last week via Miami. She was able to return home last Saturday via another route.

T&T national Anton Boodan, who has lived for 12 years in Clearwater, 20 miles from Tampa, said the shift of storm direction caught some Trinis in the area by surprise.

Boodan, whose home borders areas which were evacuated, said: “By the time I got to the store to buy materials to board up my house, there wasn’t a screw or a piece of plywood left.”

UNC MP Barry Padarath, who has been in Broward County since last week, described the situation as very grim.

“Many families, I spoke to are concerned and uncertain what life will be like post-hurricane as they left everything behind in evacuating,” he said.

Padarath, who said some Trinis had been advertising hurricane parties and limes, said he was trying to get a flight home.

The new look T&T Guardian came off with a bang yesterday as commuters, motorists and other pedestrians traversing through City Gate in Port-of-Spain, Busy Corner in Chaguanas and Library Corner in San Fernando were eager to have a read.

At City Gate, Guardian Media Ltd personalities, Jason “JW” Williams and Ancil Blaze, also known as “Blaze” who chaired yesterday’s road show to promote the new paper, drew a favourable crowd as excited fans also stopped to pose for souvenir selfies.

Several people who perused the paper said what immediately struck them was the “magazine look and feel.”

Many also complimented the large photo of a smiling T&T Knight Riders on the front which they said displayed “positive news” as opposed to all the negativity currently taking place in the country.

At Busy Corner, Chaguanas, the new look T&T Guardian was the talk everywhere.

Though the promotional event got off to a late start because of the inclement weather members of the public were intent on getting their free copy as Sangeet 106.1 FM announcer Rashmie Singh and DJ Din (Dinesh Maharaj) and other members of staff handed out several copies to passers-by.

Member of the public were only to happy to get a copy of the T&T Guardian to see what story was on the new front page.

Students on their way to school also took a copies and raved about the new font used, picture and the design on the front page.

Several readers said they usually listened to Sangeet 106.1 FM. They were also happy to take “selfies” with Singh and Maharaj.

“I read more online. It is not clustered and you could see the report of the news,” said Max Davis of Chase Village, Chaguanas.

Matthew Bino, another reader said: “That better. I read what’s happening day to-day.”

When Sandra Sankar, of Chaguanas, and Reuben Augustine, of Five Rivers, looked at the new package they said: “Yes, I read it.”

Another reader, Sheila Morali, of Chaguanas asked if there were more promotions occurring saying she was an avid reader.

PC Keston Sobers and Sgt Love Maloney, of the Chaguanas Police Station, were also recipients of the Guardian.

In San Fernando, copies of the new look paper were going like hot bread

The GML team led by Vibe CT 105.1 FM announcer Natalie Morales brought excitement to commuters, motorists and students experienced the usual Monday blues of shaking off the weekend.

With music filling the air at Library Corner, several readers found excitement in the brand new look and immediately started reading on the pavement. Even the taxi drivers that got free copies sat in their cars and found numerous topics to discussed with their riders.

Even readers who were loyal to other newspapers found the change refreshing and were considering either changing their choice for news or adding it to their delivery.

“It looked interesting and I like the pictures in the paper. I think the front page has a wonderful picture but I will definitely keep the centre page picture of the cricketers in my room,” Mervyn Mayers said.

Parbatie Boodram said the new look made the paper seem more enticing to pick up at the stands.

“Sometimes I read the Guardian and other times I read the other papers but this is now more encouraging to look at. I like the new paper,” Boodram said.

Alvin Keane, who usually purchases the Newsday, said he would be checking out the Guardian more frequently now and it found the paper much improved.

By mid morning, hundreds of copies were in the hands of readers and the streets were filled with people reading the Guardian.

The launch continues today in Arima, City Gate and Busy Corner.

The T&T Guardian newspaper is celebrating 100 years this month.

Government's winding up petition for CL Financial (CLF) has been postponed due to issues with legal representation for a group of the company's shareholders, who are opposed to the move.

The shareholders sought an adjournment when the petition, in which Government is asking the court to appoint liquidators to sell the company's assets to recoup the $15 billion injected into CLF's subsidiary Clico since 2009, came up for hearing in the Port-of-Spain High Court yesterday morning.

Presiding Judge Kevin Ramcharan acceded to the shareholders' request for time to hire a new legal team and adjourned the case to tomorrow morning.

However, he ordered the shareholders to pay the State's legal costs for yesterday's wasted hearing.

If the shareholders are able to clarify their representation in time for tomorrow's hearing, they will then have to justify why their opinions should be considered by Ramcharan before he determines the petition.

Ramcharan noted that the petition had to be dealt with expeditiously as he had deemed it fit to be heard during the Judiciary's annual vacation period.

"We will sit as long as possible on Wednesday to complete this," Ramcharan said.

While Ramcharan was considering the request made by the group of minority shareholders led by Kirk Carpenter, he also referred to similar issues with representation for CLF majority shareholder and former chairman Lawrence Duprey.

Correspondence sent to Ramcharan from the shareholders' former lawyer John Jeremie, SC, stated that his (Jeremie) continued involvement in the case was contingent on the participation of Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj, SC.

Ramcharan noted that Maharaj's instructing attorney Ronnie Bissessar had written to the court indicating that he would not be part of the petition as they had not been retained by Durprey's holding firm Dalco for the hearings.

The move for an adjournment was strongly opposed by the Government's lawyer Deborah Peake, SC, who described it as "nonsense, unsatisfactory, inconvenient and prejudicial."

Peake said that the shareholders had enough time to prepare since the Court of Appeal appointed provisional liquidators Hugh Dickson and Marcus Wide of international accounting firm Grant Thornton in July.

As part of its order the Appeal Court restricted the powers of the provisional liquidators, only allowing them to take control and audit the company's assets in preparation for the proposed liquidation.

In a preliminary report, submitted last month, Wide noted that the company had a $4.594 billion dollar debt to its creditors in addition to its obligations to the Government over its bail-out of Clico.

The company only has $90 million in its management accounts, according to Wide.

Members of the public were taken by surprise yesterday when they arrived at the San Fernando Magistrates’ Court (old court) only to learn that it had been temporarily relocated.

Apart from a notice stuck on the building, security officers were advising the public of the change and directing them where to go.

Talk had been circulating for weeks that the old court was going to be relocated for about a week but there was no confirmation.

A public notice about the court’s relocation in Sunday’s paper states, “The public is being advised that the building

known as the San Fernando Magistrates’ Court (Old Court), located at the corner of Knox and Harris Streets, San Fernando, will be temporarily

relocated to the Supreme Court Building, San Fernando located at Harris Promenade, San Fernando and the building known as the San Fernando

Magistrates’ Court (Madinah Building), located at No 7 Court Street, San Fernando from Monday September 11, 2017 to Sunday October 8, 2017.”

The notice further stated that the relocation was necessary in order to conduct urgent repairs to the roof of the old court building. “The Judiciary seeks

the understanding of the public in its efforts to provide a safe environment for all of its customers and staff, and regrets any inconvenience caused,” the

notice stated.

According to notice, the First Magistrates Court will now be heard at the San Fernando Supreme Court between 9 am to 4 pm.

The other magistrates courts, including the Second, Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Courts, will be heard from from 12 pm to 4 pm Monday to Friday at the

Madinah Building. Cash services, including the payment of fines and compensation for those old courts will be done between 12 pm and 3 pm while

all other registry services will take place from 12 pm to 4 pm. Other cash services for the two courts at Madinah Building, including the paying of traffic

tickets, fines and maintenance, can be done between 8 am and 11 am .

Opposition leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar yesterday asked mourners to ensure that the eight-year-old son of Lance Cpl Marcus Gay grows up knowing that his father was a hero.

Persad-Bissessar was among scores of people, including several arms of the protective services, who packed the St Christopher's Anglican Church in Siparia to bade farewell to Gay who was murdered in the line of work last week Tuesday in Moruga.

Describing him as a hero, Persad-Bissessar said Gay made the ultimate sacrifice in service of his country and deserved a hero send off. "

Persad-Bissessar, a close friend of Gay's mother-in-law, Kim Quashie, said "When I heard about the passing of Lance Cpl Marcus Gay, killed in the line of duty, doing his job in service of his country, I felt great sadness and fear."

Asking that Gay's legacy be honoured, she said, "We have to do our path to ensure that his son grows up knowing he is loved and most importantly knowing that his father was and is a hero, a man we can all be proud of, a man his son can emulate, a man who gave the ultimate sacrifice for his country."

In the homily, Father Aaron Charles said Gay's death left the entire community, including the church where he also served as the captain of the football team, sad. "Sad because of his personalities, the way he lived and how his life was taken away.

"This is a lesson for all of us, like Jesus, Marcus died in service to his country and it is a call for us as a nation to begin to serve again," he said.

Gay's colleague Sheldon Dougan said Gay enlisted in the Defence Force in 2005. "His basic military training coupled with his character and personal drive to become the best solider ever was the foundation of his development into the exemplar military professional he was."

Cindy-ann Smith said her brother lived a life to the fullest and was devoted to his family.

David Scanterbury of the National Security Officers Foundation, also paid tribute to Gay.

Following the service a street procession, with Gay's casket transported in a gun carriage, was held from the church to the cemetery. Media photographers, however, were put out of the church compound by military officers who also hassled them while they were taking photos of the procession.

Twelve T&T nationals who became stranded in St Maarten and the British Virgin Islands after the passage of Hurricane Irma were airlifted out of those islands yesterday.

The rescue exercise was co-ordinated by the Ministry of Foreign and Caricom Affairs and Ministry of National Security.

A release from the National Security Ministry yesterday said the Government, in conjunction with the government of Antigua and Barbuda and T&T's National Helicopter Services Limited, made arrangements to airlift nationals who had provided them with their information from St Maarten yesterday. However, the T&T Guardian was told that these nationals will be returning to Trinidad today.

An official request is also being made to the British government for assistance with respect to the evacuation of T&T nationals in the BVI, the release said.

Meanwhile, T&T nationals and other regional citizens who survived Irma's passage began arriving on flights at the Piarco International Airport last night, some of them just happy to be alive after experiencing one of the deadliest hurricanes to hit the region.

Antiguan cosmetologist Angie Skerritt said last night she was encouraged by the outpouring of love from the Antiguans to their fellow countrymen and women from sister-isle Barbuda, which was completely destroyed by Irma.

Speaking to the T&T Guardian minutes after disembarking Caribbean Airlines flight BW459 from Antigua, Skerritt thanked God that Antigua did not suffer the extent of infrastructural damage that Barbuda did.

“It was scary but it was not what we anticipated. We had very high winds but no rain. Thank God we survived,” Skerritt said.

“All Antiguans came out with clothes, foodstuff and water for the people of Barbuda. They were comforted, motivated and gave love and faith and that by itself was encouraging to me,” she added.

Skerritt is originally from St Vincent but now lives in Cedar Valley, Antigua. She decided to come to Trinidad on vacation for the rest of this week.

Architect Newton Charles, also of Antigua, said his Hurricane Irma experience caused much anxiety.

“Prior to the hurricane we were getting reports of the intensity of the storm, which was our first of that magnitude. I’m into building codes and our buildings are built to stand up to maximum 150 mph winds not as much as 185 mph and a Category 5,” Charles said.

“I thought nothing is going to stand but we made it through. Sad state for Barbuda though.”

Antiguan Nakeebah James a student here in Trinidad, said she was terrified during the hurricane’s passage.

“I went home for vacation. It was frightening, but thank God I am able to return to my studies.”

Meanwhile, Trinidadian Alicia Thompson was glad to be home although Dominica was spared Irma's wrath.

Returning from Dominica through Antigua and Barbuda last night on Liat flight LI309, Thompson, of San Juan, said after surviving Irma unscathed, setting foot on T&T soil had taken on a new meaning.

She said her experience of Irma was still a very scary one.

"I never looked at weather news like that when I was in Dominica before, because I wanted to know what's happening and which hurricane is going to hit," Thompson said.

She has been trying to return to Trinidad since last Friday, but only managed to get a flight out of Dominica yesterday evening. That flight went to Antigua before arriving in Trinidad.

"It was a bit fearful for me because we don't be on so much of an alert as the islands up north," she said.

A T&T national who wished not to be identified said he came in through Antigua from Jamaica and was “just lucky to escape Hurricane Irma in its entirety.”

Guardian Media managing director Lucio Mesquita wants Trinidad and Tobago to come on board to help those affected by Hurricane Irma.

He made the call as Guardian Media, in partnership with the American Chamber of Commerce Trinidad and Tobago (AMCHAM) and Pan American Development Foundation (PADF), continued their drive to raise funds to help those islands affected.

Guardian Media is the parent company of the T&T Guardian, CNC3 and the Trinidad Broadcasting Network.

Mesquita said yesterday he was pleased to be partnering to help with relief efforts, adding it is a funding raising initiative where people can use their credit or debit cards to make donations.

“You help with cash and what we are doing is helping the organisations that are experienced in relief efforts,” Mesquita said.

On why they were asking people to donate cash at the moment, Mesquita said: “I am sure there will be the moment very soon where people will be asked to donate goods, but this will happen when the aid agencies let us know what type of goods they are looking for.”

He said people often collect things for relief efforts from the bottom of their hearts to donate, but it does not help and the thrust is to get things that are desperately needed.

However, he said the current relief partnership campaign will not stop at just collecting cash donations and as part of the ANSA McAL Group, the T&T Guardian will co-ordinate efforts for other items that can be used in the relief for hurricane victims.

Mesquita said when situations of disaster arrive, you must look for the best way to help and allow everyone to contribute in a way that really helps every single person affected.

At least 11 people were killed on Saint Martin and Saint Barts, four in the US Virgin Islands, four in the British Virgin Islands, and one each in Barbuda, Anguilla and Barbados.

“It’s hard not to be touched by the level of destruction on many of the islands. Trinidad and Tobago is not always quite in the path of hurricanes but the hurricanes have been here before, so we have to put ourselves in their positions and how awful it can be,” he said.

He said every donation counts and wants citizens to follow the Guardian Media companies to learn more about how to donate and help those affected.

PADF, which has worked to rebuild devastated communities across the Americas, has created a special portal for any financial contributions.

Join us and make a difference by going to: http://www.padf.org/irmaamchamtt to make a donation.

Oilfield Workers Trade Union (OWTU) president general Ancel Roget says heads must roll following the findings of an internal Petrotrin audit which showed operators were being paid for oil they did not produce.

“The OWTU has been consistently raising this issue about lease operators stealing Petrotrin’s oil and billing them (Petrotrin) for oil that they do not produce.

“We always say it is a corrupt arrangement with some top people and it does not do Petrotrin any good,” Roget said in a telephone interview, hours after Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar claimed one operator had been paid US$11.5 million by Petrotrin for oil it had not produced.

Roget wants the Fraud Squad to get involved, saying the internal audit is not good enough “as there would be a cover-up.”

He also wants Petrotrin to properly investigate the audit’s final report.

“Not just audit within the company…an independent auditor ought to audit those claims and to bring to the books all of those who are found to be culpable.

“We suspect because of who is involved in the company that they want to keep it under wraps. We are against that. We are calling for some action on that. Heads must roll. We are going to turn this place upside down because it is really bad.”

Roget estimates that Petrotrin has been losing “billions of barrels of crude oil annually” through the scandal.

Roget said what he also learned was that former Petrotrin chairman Andrew Jupiter “was hounded out of office by the PNM Government,” although he believed Jupiter was the best man for the job due to his wealth of knowledge in the energy sector.

Calls to Jupiter’s phone went straight to voice message yesterday.

Energy Minister Franklin Khan said yesterday he was “troubled” that cash-strapped state-owned Petrotrin had paid for hundreds of barrels of crude oil it did not receive.

Khan made the comment at a press conference at his Port-of-Spain office, one day after Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar raised the issue.

Following a UNC congress no Sunday, Persad-Bissessar said according to a Petrotrin internal audit report, there was a significant difference between the quantity of oil it was purchasing from operators A and V Oil and Gas Drilling managed by Haniff Baksh and the amount it had received from its Pointe-a Pierre refinery. She said the audit team found that Petrotrin was paying the operator for oil it did not produce or “fake oil” since October 2016. It was estimated that for the period January to June of 2017, Petrotrin would have over paid the company US$11.5 million which was in excess of TT$80 million.

Khan said while he was troubled Petrotrin paid for oil it never got, Persad-Bissessar’s attempt to implicate him, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and the People’s National Movement in the matter was “unfounded and ill-advised.”

Asked if PNM had received money from Baksh or his company, Khan said, “Not to my knowledge.”

Asked whether Baksh is a friend of Rowley, which Persad-Bissessar had alluded to, Khan said he could not speak on behalf of the PM. Asked if Baksh was his friend, Khan said, “I know him as an operator in Petrotrin. I worked at Petrotrin. And he (Baksh) has been a contractor in the energy sector for a while, but I would not say we are friends.”

He also confirmed that Baksh’s daughter Allyson Baksh is a PNM senator. Khan said he also had no knowledge the previous board resigned based on the findings of the draft audit.

If the matter comes down to over claiming of oil, Khan said Petrotrin will have to seek legal advice. He said over the years there had been similar complaints with other operators leading to several investigations but nothing was proven. But he said the audit showed Petrotrin needed to “tighten up” on its systems of oil transfer, the accurate measurement of oil produced and shipped and leakages.

Khan admitted to praising the operator few weeks ago because they were recording significant increases in their production.

“At that point in time I thought it was reflective of a system that was working. I make no apologies for that as line minister, I deal with the facts that are before me.”

He added: “I want to give the country the assurance that we would not sweep it under the carpet and it is fully being investigated.”

Khan said the company was granted an incremental production service contract by Petrotrin in 2009, but in January of 2017, Petrotrin commissioned an internal audit into the discovery that there was a “discrepancy between the quantity of oil the refinery was receiving and the quantity of oil that exploration and production claimed to be shipping.”

Following the audit, a draft report was received by the ministry on August 4 and a final report was completed at the end of August and submitted to Petrotrin’s management. Khan said report will be reviewed by an audit committee of the new board, who will make final recommendations on a way forward and what action was necessary. He said he expected the final report in a few days.

Board meets on issue

In a release issued yesterday, Petrotrin’s manager of corporate communications Gillian Friday confirmed the investigation was in progress.

She said it was focused on the volumes for fiscal 2017 and the Ministry of Energy had been informed. She said Petrotrin’s production fields are predominantly in south Trinidad and production from both land and marine was approximately 44,500 barrels daily, which represents more than half of its local crude oil production.

Friday said the matter was reviewed by the new board at a meeting with management yesterday and the board noted the institution of more robust internal controls while the investigations are continuing. In addition, Friday said management has been mandated to apprise the board on a regular basis of the progress of its activities to resolve the issue and ensure greater assurance of production volumes.

There was a low-keyed observance of the disastrous events September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, at the US Embassy in Port-of-Spain.

The United States flag outside the embassy flew at half-staff in keeping with a proclamation from President Donald Trump and staffers observed a minute of silence at 8.46 am, the time when the first terrorist-piloted plane slammed into the north tower of the World Trade Center 16 years ago.

Embassy officials said other than that no other activity was planned.

In the US itself, hundreds of family members, survivors, rescuers and officials gathered at the World Trade Center for a ceremony that began with a moment of silence and tolling bells.

Relatives read out the names of the nearly 3,000 people killed when terrorist-piloted planes hit the twin towers of the center, the Pentagon and a Pennsylvania field, hurling America into a new consciousness of the threat of global terrorism.

Many of the 3,000 people who died that day were immigrants who were living the American dream.

Among them were 14 Trinidadians who worked at the two collapsed towers. Their ages ranged from 28 to 59, all of them had gone to work at the World Trade Center. They are: Conrad Cottoy, Rena Sam-Dinoo, Glenroy Neblett, Winston Arthur Grant, Clara Hinds, Stephen Joseph, Paula Morales, Jerome Nedd, Oscar Nesbitt, Anthony Portillo, Vishnoo Ramsaroop, Goumatie Thackurdeen, Boyie Mohammed and Joan Francis.

A Trinidadian woman, who asked only to be identified as Natalie, said yesterday she had a lot to be “thankful” for.

At the time of the terrorist attack 16 years ago, Natalie was employed at the Empire Blue Cross-Blue Shield in the North Tower. On the morning of the terrorist attack, she said she experienced “an inexplicable delay, which saved my life.”

As she was rushing to leave home for work, Natalie said she got a call from a friend who worked on Canal Street telling her that “two planes had crashed into the two towers of the World Trade Center and they collapsed.”

After turning on the TV, she recalled: “I started screaming and crying. I felt a sense of terror, shock and disbelief.”

She added: “I cried for months for those who died and for God’s grace in my life.”

A businessman yesterday shot and killed a bandit who held him up as he was on his way to the bank.

According to police reports around 6.30 am, Mahadeo Gosein, 54, was leaving his Sixth Avenue, Barataria home and business, Sixth Avenue Supermarket, when three men dressed in Community-Based Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme (CEPEP) uniforms stopped him and took an undisclosed sum of cash.

Gosein was shot by what relatives suspect was a shotgun, but then pulled out his licensed firearm and returned fire, killing Allan Walker. This was the second time Gosein had shot an armed bandit.

In February 2007, 19-year-old Reuben Thomas, of La Brea, was shot by Gosein during a robbery attempt.

Gosein’s brother Ravindranath said the father of two girls was on his way to the bank when he was attacked. He said he heard a gunshot and then six to seven more and when he rushed outside he saw his brother bleeding and the dead bandit at the side of the road.

Ravindranath said his brother was operated on and was warded in a serious condition at the Intensive Care Unit at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mt Hope.

The dead man, who was identified by his aunt Michelle Walker, was a father of one from Second Caledonia, Morvant, and was was released from prison in May after serving time for arms and ammunition charges.

“I tired talk to him about the life he was living. I not going and put water in my mouth and say he was a good boy. He was a pest, I tired talk to him about leaving people thing alone,” Walker said.

“Yesterday (Sunday) I talk to him and he tell me he get a work in CEPEP starting Monday. That is the job he get?”

Head of the Southern Division and Gold Commander in charge of last Saturday’s Caribbean Premier League final, Senior Supt Zamsheed Mohammed, is maintaining there was adequate police presence during the match at the Brian Lara Stadium.

Scores of fans complained about being stuck in traffic for as long as two hours before reaching the venue to see the Trinbago Knight Riders earn their second CPL title in five years with a three-wicket win over the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots.

There were also complaints of a lack of police presence on the highway, resulting in chaos as errant drivers drove on the shoulder in order to get to the Tarouba stadium.

Contacted yesterday, however, Mohammed said the sanctioned strength for the match was 144 police officers, which was more than enough as officers were deployed both externally and internally at the venue, which the organiser said was at its full 15,000 capacity for the game.

“During the event I was at the operations centre and I also did some visits around and based on what I saw there was minimal traffic congestion because we had assistance from parking attendants,” Mohammed told the T&T Guardian.

“There was also signage along the highways indicating which lane to take. Prior to the game all the parking was filled and we had no choice but to use the bypass road. We had at least 50 officers outside the venue.”

But former national security minister Gary Griffith yesterday called for total overhaul of the extra duty allowance system in the Police and Fire Services. Officers are paid an extra duty allowance to provide security at events, as requested by an organiser.

Griffith, who owns a private security firm and is also the consultant for the T&T Football Association and the T&T Cricket Board, said, “All the police do is stay on the outskirts, the corners and the corridors to watch the event. There must be a total audit to deal with major events, because it cannot be himself unto himself.”

He said at international matches held at Wembley, police would not be in the venue but rather outside to direct traffic.

“But some of the police here don’t want to do that because they want to see the game. In the CPL game there was a blatant absence of police officers to assist in traffic control and that’s what caused major traffic congestion,” Griffith added.

United National Congress MP Barry Padarath is anxious to return home following Hurricane Irma’s passage through Florida, where T&T-born residents are now cleaning up and repairing post-Irma.

The Category Four hurricane rampaged through Florida last Sunday, boiling down to a Category One storm on reaching Tampa on Sunday night. Two deaths were reported. About 6 million Floridians were without power up to yesterday, according to reports.

“Oh my God—we were pounded from 3 am Sunday to 3 am yesterday—we dodged a bullet,” said Ft Lauderdale resident Oma Harry, originally from Penal.

“I feel like someone beat me up—so much stress! Hurricane Andrew passed quickly, but whenever you thought Irma was over, it just started back up again. It took so long! A lady nearby who couldn’t get into a shelter tried to stay in her car during the storm, but a tree fell on the car, trapping her inside.”

Harry added: “Tornado alerts were going off on our phones constantly. Our swimming pool almost overflowed into the house. We have many broken trees, one cut our house off from the road. It was just horrible!”

Harry said Joyce’s Roti Ship in Lauderhill was used as a hurricane shelter.

MP Padarath, who was staying in Orlando, which was hit by severe flooding, said at least ten houses near him lost roofs. Power and phones were also out.

“I’m anxious to come home once airport operations begin. The level of preparedness and dissemination of information was a good eye opener, which I think we in T&T need.”

Anton Boodan, outside Tampa, had expected the worst since his home wasn’t hurricane-proofed. Yesterday, he said, “Luckily, only some roof shingles were lost since Irma weakened.”

After 90mph winds in West Palm Beach, the Alexander family left there yesterday morning to return to Miami, where their house sustained some water damage.

In Gainsville, Ed Roberts and T&T-born wife Alisha weren’t affected, “but a Trinidadian a few houses away had a tree fall on his house and his car.”

Judith Whittingham and her husband, who were at an Orlando seniors community, said, “Boy, did we ever have heavy winds! Haven’t seen anything like this and we experienced Hurricane Andrew.”

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, whose return after his US medical check-up had to detour around Miami due to Irma, is expected home early this morning.