Today, April 21, 2019, Christians in TT celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
On this date, citizens of TT also mark the 49th anniversary of the declaration of the state of emergency in 1970 which was a major tool of the Williams government to crush the 1970 Revolution.
Today, we remember the army mutiny which began that morning. We also remember the roundup and detention of scores of detainees who were targeted by the state as the leaders of NJAC and the 1970 Revolution.
We also recall, on this occasion, how the youth of this country rose up in the most powerful challenge to the governance status quo since the Butler Riots of 1937.
Only 8 years after Independence in 1962, the population, disappointed at the failure of the promise of Independence to materialise. The symbols of Independence were there, but, the essence was not.
The economy was still vastly owned by foreign interests, the promised access to jobs didn’t happen. The economy was in recession due to declining oil prices. The country was still dependent on the energy sector and the scandals were mounting in big state-funded projects.
Even, the optics of the employment in the banks and other sectors remained visibly unchanged. The masses of black people felt excluded and discriminated against.
The majority of the population were disappointed and discontent.
1962 - Significant Beginning of Project Independence
The year 1962, was the beginning of Project Independence for this country.
On the one hand, it was the nation-building project led by the PNM with Dr. Eric Williams at the head.
Williams declared “Massa Day Done”, but, pursued the same old industrialisation by invitation policy that began under colonial rule. Huge investments in capital intensive industries enjoying tax breaks under pioneer status produced profits for their owners.
They failed to create jobs for the unemployed youth
On the other, in 1962 another process, called Project Independence, began with the participation of scores of this nation’s best intellectuals, artists, social workers, professionals and ordinary citizens in an organisation, named Pegasus, founded by Geddes Granger (later Makandal Daaga).
Pegasus had several sector specialist committees, Arts and Culture, Sports, Social, Project Port of Spain and Project Independence. It also established several branches in communities across both Trinidad and Tobago.
Out of this first organisation for people-driven development of this country came several activities and project plans including:

• Debates and panel discussions involving the country’s finest minds on topics ranging from local to international developments
• The introduction of a Model United Nations involving secondary school students
• The first ever National Awards at Independence time in 1966 at Queen’s Hall following up on its Cultural Awards begun several years earlier
• Free concerts at the Town Hall featuring the cultural contributions of the various ethnic groups for the creation of a unity of spirit among TT’s citizens
• Plans for:
  • A National Stadium for which land was offered by the Trincity Development Company
  • A national sports policy
  • A National Arts Centre proposed for the Princess Building Grounds
  • A Port of Spain Plan aimed at redesign and reconstruction of the nation’s capital city
  • Proposals for the development of a national social development programme
• Project Independence with the objective of fostering a sense of National Purpose. “National purpose must precede and influence sectional interests and this alone will lead to resolute endeavour on the part of all individuals and groups to work for the general welfare, development and happiness of the whole nation of Trinidad and Tobago” – Pegasus Introductory paper to Project Independence.

All of the plans and projects developed by Pegasus, were taken over by the Government and frustrated or abandoned.
Many years later, a national stadium was built in Port of Spain, NAPA was built on the same site proposed by Pegasus for the National Arts Centre and the city of Port of Spain is yet to be revitalised in the way Pegasus envisaged.
Our nation-building project was reclaimed in 1970 as there was a renewed demand for Power to the People.
1970 was a call for another movement for the people to design the future development of the nation as Pegasus had begun to do in 1962.
Just as the work of Pegasus was usurped by the Williams government in the 1960’s, so too, the demands of the people in 1970 were taken over by the PNM and turned into its own programme which never met the expectation of the people.
Project Independence in the hands of various governments since has been characterised by a series of booms and busts, an economy never restructured for diversification promised by Williams on the even of Independence in 1974.
The people had a taste of deciding their own future and the nation’s future in the work of Pegasus and still demand their role in decision-making on all matters affecting their lives and the future of Trinidad and Tobago.
Forty-nine years after 1970, the National Purpose is still to be realised.
 
Clyde A. Weatherhead
A Citizen Fighting for the
Realisation of the National Purpose
Through Democratic Renewal to
Empower the People
 
21 April 2019

Yesterday, at the turning of the sod for a segment of the Valencia-Too highway project, in a kind of bizarre drama, the Works and Transport Minister, Sinanan, told constituents of Toco-Sangre Grande to “fight back if the Opposition tries to stop the $196M..project”. (http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/sinanan-tells-tocomanzanilla-constituents-.2.811290.bf3927b0a7)
Not to be outdone, the PM in his turn at the microphone declared that the Highway is part of a road network to “the pro­posed To­co Port which will pro­vide fish­ing fa­cil­i­ties, a two storey ad­min­is­tra­tive build­ing, a ma­ri­na for 30 plea­sure ves­sels, boat lifts, car­go stor­age, 300-pas­sen­ger wait­ing lounge, cus­toms of­fice and a coast guard fa­cil­i­ty. A ho­tel will al­so be built to at­tract tourist”.  (http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/oil-and-gas-opportunities-for-toco-region-rowley-6.2.811289.b48ac265ec)
He went on, “The north­east re­gion of Trinidad has the po­ten­tial to be­come a gas and oil in­dus­try sim­i­lar to Point Ga­le­o­ta and Guayagua­yare which can pro­vide a bet­ter qual­i­ty of life for cit­i­zens who live be­low the eco­nom­ic pyra­mid”.
He elaborated “We have drilling tak­ing place off­shores. To­co could eas­i­ly be­come a jump­ing off point to our east­ern re­serves as we ex­plore and as we are suc­cess­ful go­ing for­ward. The best part of the ocean is East of us.”
He added, “…the To­co port will be used to ser­vice the seabridge to To­ba­go, which spans 27 miles, us­ing the US $17.4 mil­lion Galleons Pas­sage”.
Flashback to 2000, July 28 to be exact and the same Keith Rowley, then in Opposition, spoke in Parliament about the Panday Government’s plan to build a port in Toco and have a Toco-Tobago ferry.
He had this to say: “The basis for this port is some Tobago to Toco ferry. Nobody in Tobago wants it; nobody in Toco wants it; nobody in Tobago or Toco appreciates it; but that is the grease to have the product created. Do you know who is doing this? The Cabinet. By saying that it is a Tobago to Toco ferry, the Government is giving the impression that it is a public purpose and, under that category, the Government is now going to proceed to take away people's homes to create this port.
  “So, here we have a situation where those who are living on the land enjoying it now, protected by the law, the Government is seeking to find a mechanism to acquire their land, then give that land to other private citizens to make money. I tell you, Mr. Speaker, this Toco ferry port has nothing to do with the people of Tobago and Toco.
“It has to do with creating a landing and jumping off point for the oil industry off the East Coast and the Government knows that. There are six oil companies now off the East Coast that can use that facility and if you look in the document, you will see it there. From BHP Petroleum, to Enron, to British Gas, to Exxon, to Elf Petroleum—all these are new names in our industry in the last 10 years—friends of the Government.
“That is supposed to make us all happy, then he tells me I must not talk about corruption and accuse the Government of corruption; we must only talk about mechanisms. We have mechanisms; we have laws and you all are breaking the laws to carry out your corrupt act. [Desk thumping]”. (Hansard, July 28, 2000, pp 775-6) http://www.ttparliament.org/hansards/hh20000728.pdf
The desk thumping recorded in Hansard was his Opposition colleagues supporting him lustily.
The Twirly Jig on a Fig Skin
So let’s examine, the utterances of 2000 and 2019.
In 2000, Keith Rowley accused the UNC of corruptly taking land from citizens to “create” a “jumping off point” for the East Coast oil industry. In 2019, the same Keith Rowley, will take land in the same place and give “access” and “Toco could easing become a jumping off point to our eastern reserves…” which “the Governent will go out to bid for..”. 
So taking Toco people’s land to create a jumping off point for gas multinational was corrupt in 2000 under UNC, but, miraculously it simply an “opportunity for the Toco region” in 2019 and under the PNM.
Sorry, Sir, if it was corrupt to give the multinationals a jumping off point in 2000, IT IS CORRUPT to give them the same jumping off point in 2019.
In 2000, Keith Rowley said “this Toco ferry port has nothing to do with the people of Tobago and Toco”. In 2019, the same Keith Rowley says the same ferry port “will be used to ser­vice the seabridge to To­ba­go” and close “the gap be­tween To­ba­go and To­co”.
What magical transformation! A useless corrupt project to build a port for a Toco-Tobago ferry service which nobody wanted in 2000 and which Keith Rowley vehemently opposed in 2000, suddenly becomes “…how you de­vel­op a coun­try...”in 2019.
How? Why? Because I Keith Rowley say so.
But he says, “I am in no pop­u­lar­i­ty con­test with these is­sues”.
So why the jig on a fig skin, the big about turn about the same port, the same ferry, the same jumping off point for the oil and gas barons?? WHY??
And as for corruption, you boast that the Galleons Passage “would be the per­fect trans­porta­tion means to im­prove the seabridge ser­vice”.
Which the same Galleons Passage procured by a sub-committee of the Cabinet contrary to the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act which you have ensured is not operational, even though proclaimed a long time ago.
Smells like corruption to me.
Like you said on July 28, 2000, Dr. Keith Rowley you telling me “I must not talk about corruption and accuse the Government of corruption”.
If this was corruption then, add the improper procurement process for the Galleons Package, and this is worse corruption in 2019.
Then you in the Opposition, called on people to oppose the Government project to build the port in Toco.
Now, your Works Minister telling the same people to “fight back if the Opposition tries to stop the…project”.
I am confident the people of Toco-Sangre Grande, Tobago and the entire country will not fall for this kind of deception and be fooled by the political games that you politicians play.
 
Clyde Weatherhead
A Citizen Fighting for
Good Governance and an
End to Political Tricks
28 March 2019

Government-appointed Chairman of state-owned-enterprise Trinidad Petroleum Holdings Ltd (TPHL) which replaced Petrotrin announced moves to put Paria Fuel Trading, a TPHL subsidiary, up for sale.
Chairman Espinet suggested that Paria Fuel is unprofitable and not of strategic importance.
Once Espinet’s announcement of issuing Request for Proposals for purchase of Paria, appeared in the national media, the Energy Minister responded almost immediately declaring Paria Fuel is a ‘strategic State asset’ and divestment of the company “is not within the current mandate of the Government to TPHL”.
In a follow-up article Energy Minister Franklin Khan said he had directed Paria Fuel’s parent company, Trinidad Petroleum Holdings Ltd (TPH), “to withdraw and retract any advertisement or Request for Proposals that may have been inadvertently issued for the sale of the Paria Fuel Trading Company Ltd.”.
So here is a tale that goes like this – This must go. We selling it. No No No…you eh selling nutten.
This would be a comedy if were not so serious.
How does a Government-appointed agent decide to dispense with a state-owned company, apparently without the approval of the relevant Minister or Government?
How does that Chairman issue an RFP for sale of a state-owned-enterprise (SOE) contrary to the policy of the Government and without the line Minister not even being aware of this decision or action?
Sounds like an Antsy story of the dog and its tail and who wagging who; if that is what really happened.
Either the Chairman seriously overstepping his authority or the Minister totally out of the loop.
Whichever it may be, if that is the truth at all and not just the parody for public consumption, there is a bigger question.
The Public Procurement law which remains on paper only also directs how the disposal of state assets is to be conducted and accounted for.
The fact that his law remains unimplemented facilitates these bizarre episodes of arbitrary dealing with Public Property to facilitate Private Right to the detriment of Public Right.
Let us not lose sight of this most vital matter under the glare of contrived drama.
Unless we are all totally stupid, no one can believe, based on what we know about how Government and State business is done, based on our own experience of these matters, that an RFP for the sale of an SOE can be issued ‘inadvertently’- by mistake or vaps.
Or, is it a case that the tail (Chairman) is not just wagging the dog (the Government) but the tail is acting on the instructions of the Dog Owner – the 1% controllers of economic and political power – the Parasitic Oligarchy.
We have been told another tale – that the state is a neutral entity standing above particular interests within the body politic.
The truth is that the state is an instrument of the rich and powerful to facilitate their control and safeguard their interests.
Sometimes those that the state serves decide to take matters into their own hands or the hands of particular agents they recruit.
If Espinet was in fact acting very deliberately on the instructions of the Private Right Interest, this spells a most serious step in the direction of the Parasitic Oligarchy seeking to impose its dictate on society directly (without the intermediary of its state apparatus).
This development calls for the staunchest vigilance and action to prevent the establishment of a draconian and authoritarian form of rule based on Private Right over Public Right that the world knows as Fascism.
Clyde Weatherhead
A Citizen Fighting for
Democratic Renewal of
Our Society.
19 March 2019