Category Archives: General T&T

General T&T, T&TEC

Hire T&TEC, Irfaan

By Raffique Shah
October 10, 2024

Raffique ShahThere I was, citizen Shah, last week Wednesday night, having secured the best seats money could never buy to watch my team, Trinbago Knight Riders, register a flogging on rivals Barbados Royals in a virtual semi-final of the Caribbean Professional League 2024, when it happened.

Not that an electricity failure was unexpected. I know a thing or three about such mundane matters because I have taken the pain to study it as I wrote many articles on power generation and consumption as Trinidad would go on to become one of the most industrialised countries in this part of the world. I was also a director on the Plipdeco Estate board where the then biggest power generation company, PowerGen, was located.
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General T&T

On being relevant

By Dr Selwyn R. Cudjoe
October 01, 2024

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeOn Republic Day, letter writer Nigel Seenathsingh scolded me for “attacking” his leaders.

On that same day the Express published a full-page story about a PNM senator in a domestic violence matter.

The Express editorialised the following day: “Given the lead story in yesterday’s Express about a protection order placed by the court against Government Senator Laurel Lezama-Lee Sing, and not pronouncing on either innocence or guilt, it is assumed that domestic violence against both men and women will be a part of the discussion” at the AG’s consultation on domestic violence.
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Agriculture, Food, General T&T

Rowley’s ‘sexy’ agriculture

By Raffique Shah
October 01, 2024

Raffique ShahSome day last week, several of my one-time associates and long-time friends managed to breach the hurdles TSTT has implanted on my ancient landline to isolate me from what passes for civilisation today. They called to ask if I heard Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley crowing like a “fowl-cock” when he rolled out a new programme his Government was about to embark on, one tag-line proclaiming: “Making agriculture sexy!”
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General T&T, PNM, Politics

Time for PNM members to speak up

By Dr Selwyn R. Cudjoe
September 25, 2024

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeThere he was, resplendent amidst the splendour of the PNM Women’s League as he asked their members to get ready for the 2025 election. Acting as the titular head of the party in the absence of the Leader of Our Grief and in the presence of his “political Mother” (Camille Robinson-Regis), he signified his desire to achieve his next career objective: the leader of the storied People’s National Movement.

In his elation, he didn’t tell these women what to expect from a reincarnated party under his leadership. Nor, for that matter, did he tell them how he hopes to reverse the downward slide of the nation. A protégé of his leader, crafted in his style and embodying his essence, Young was a parody of the man he was hoping to replace.
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General T&T, Health

When madness is not gladness

By Raffique Shah
September 25, 2024

Raffique ShahOnce upon a time not so very long ago, Trinidad and Tobago had a handful of older citizens, alive, if not kicking. Many were reclusive, perhaps eccentric. So it seemed, anyway. Mostly they would stay by themselves, hardly mix even with others of similar age. And, since it seemed difficult to get a word out of them, far less the mangoes from the trees in their yards, one would just steer clear of them.
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Culture, General T&T

Pan and T&T’s coat of arms

By Dr Selwyn R. Cudjoe
September 18, 2024

PART II

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeIn 1962 when Trinidad and Tobago went into business as a nation, it formed a committee “to select the symbols that would be representative of the people of Trinidad and Tobago”. It produced our coat of arms.

Those representative symbols consisted of a palm tree at the top that was taken from Tobago’s coat of arms (Tobago was annexed to Trinidad in 1889), three gold ships that Columbus is reputed to have used when he visited (or saw the island in 1498), two hummingbirds (Trinidad was sometimes referred to as the “Land of the Hummingbird”), and its motto, “Together we aspire, Together we achieve.”
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General T&T, Politics, UNC

Ignore my advice, MP Paray

By Raffique Shah
September 18, 2024

Raffique ShahTo listen to MP Rushton Paray tell his story, citizens who have lived through 15 years or more of political machinations will be excused for making out that he believes the hogwash he is spouting.

More than that, he appears to believe we will be convinced his is a political drama unparalleled in the history of the nation. Somebody or bodies should save Mr Paray from making an ox of himself.
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Culture, General T&T

Pan and the coat of arms: the imaginary

By Dr Selwyn R. Cudjoe
September 11, 2024

PART I

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeI am always amazed at the presumptions that we, African people, make about the cultures of others and why we feel that they should adopt them as their own.

The Leader of our Grief says that pan, our national instrument, should be placed on our coat of arms because it’s T&T’s cultural gift to the world. Without consulting anyone, he goes to a PNM convention and declares that by Republic Day (September 24) the measure would be brought to the Legislative Council and it would be a done deal.
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Crime in T&T, General T&T, Politics

Wayy Sah! Ah want dat

By Raffique Shah
September 11, 2024

Raffique ShahOn the unusual occasion that I venture out of the sanctuary that is my humble home, I would invariably encounter people who ask about my health, a formality they usually dispense with before I can answer them. Two out of three of them would hurriedly shift focus to the subject they likely want to talk about, or likelier give me their opinion: crime.

We all know that crime as an issue did not start yesterday. Sure, it reached crisis proportions a few years ago in this country. But it was always an issue that politicians and citizens who form the electorate can vent their spleen on, and many times cast their votes on.
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General T&T

Duprey and the demise of black business

By Dr Selwyn R. Cudjoe
September 05, 2024

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeI was a member of the Central Bank board when Lawrence Duprey’s case came to its attention. Amid the charges and counter charges, it was difficult for the board to obtain CLICO financial records, which would have allowed us to see what was taking place within his company. Aware of its responsibility, the board felt it had to act. It acted, and the rest is history.
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