The WAR ROOM

12/11/2021

11/10/2021

22/06/2021

TUCO is saddened to learn of the passing of prolific song writer and giant in the cultural artform Dr. Winsford Devine known in the fraternity as 'Joker'.

Winsford was born on the 15th August 1943. Originally from Morne Diablo South Trinidad, Devine was exposed to steelband music at a very young age when he played in the village steelband. The leader of the steelband was a cousin of his and he introduced him to reading and writing music.

As he grew older, Devine developed into a self-taught musician. He went on to compose more than 500 calypsoes during a career that spanned over 30 years, beginning in the 1970s. Nicknamed the "Joker," he was the songwriter most sought after by the popular calypsonians.

Although confined to a wheelchair after suffering a stroke in 1998, Devine continued to write the lyrics and music for many calypsoes. The following is a listing by calypsonian of the more popular songs that were penned by Devine:

Mighty Sparrow - Rope; Capitalism Gone Mad; Phillip My Dear; Saltfish;

Marajhin; Survival; Queen of the Bands; Miss Mary; We Pass That Stage; I Diggin' Horrors; Wine Back; Sailing; London Bridge

Crazy - Paul (Yuh Mudder Come); Take A Man; Crazy for Prime Minister; Leaders; We Badder Than Dem; Limbo; Crazy’s C**k Can’t Stand Up

Baron - Feeling It; Jammer; Love and Cherish the Woman

Singing Francine - It's a Shame; St. Peter's Day

Mighty Trini - West Indian Cricket; National Pride

King Austin- Progress

Some of the other calypsonians for whom Devine wrote songs were: Poser; Lord Blakie; Sugar Aloes; Lord Shorty; Machel Montano including many young calypsonians. He also wrote a test piece, "Fire and Steel," for one of the Steelband Music Festivals.

In 1988 Dr. Devine was awarded the Trinidad & Tobago Humming Bird Medal Silver (for Music and the Arts)

In 2017 he an Honorary Graduate, receiving his Doctor of Letters from the University of the West Indies.

Dr. Winsford Devine, we salute you. Thank you for your contribution to the artform and may the ancestors welcome you.

Rest in Peace.

TUCO is saddened to learn of the passing of prolific song writer and giant in the cultural artform Dr. Winsford Devine known in the fraternity as 'Joker'.

Winsford was born on the 15th August 1943. Originally from Morne Diablo South Trinidad, Devine was exposed to steelband music at a very young age when he played in the village steelband. The leader of the steelband was a cousin of his and he introduced him to reading and writing music.

As he grew older, Devine developed into a self-taught musician. He went on to compose more than 500 calypsoes during a career that spanned over 30 years, beginning in the 1970s. Nicknamed the "Joker," he was the songwriter most sought after by the popular calypsonians.

Although confined to a wheelchair after suffering a stroke in 1998, Devine continued to write the lyrics and music for many calypsoes. The following is a listing by calypsonian of the more popular songs that were penned by Devine:

Mighty Sparrow - Rope; Capitalism Gone Mad; Phillip My Dear; Saltfish;

Marajhin; Survival; Queen of the Bands; Miss Mary; We Pass That Stage; I Diggin' Horrors; Wine Back; Sailing; London Bridge

Crazy - Paul (Yuh Mudder Come); Take A Man; Crazy for Prime Minister; Leaders; We Badder Than Dem; Limbo; Crazy’s C**k Can’t Stand Up

Baron - Feeling It; Jammer; Woman

Singing Francine - It's a Shame; St. Peter's Day

Mighty Trini - West Indian Cricket; National Pride

Some of the other calypsonians for whom Devine wrote songs were: Poser; Lord Blakie; Lord Shorty; Machel Montano including many young calypsonians. He also wrote a test piece, "Fire and Steel," for one of the Steelband Music Festivals.

In 1988 Dr. Devine was awarded the Trinidad & Tobago Humming Bird Medal Silver (for Music and the Arts)

In 2017 he an Honorary Graduate, receiving his Doctor of Letters from the University of the West Indies.

Dr. Winsford Devine, we salute you. Thank you for your contribution to the artform and may the ancestors welcome you.

Rest in Peace.

28/05/2021

Tobago House of Assembly Inaugural Bond Issue executed on May 28th 2021.

Details in the Media Release below.

26/05/2021

Media Release: DIGE RESPONDS TO RUMOURS OF RETRENCHMENT AT URP, TOBAGO AMID COVID 19 RESTRICTIONS

22/05/2021

Prime Minister Dr the Hon. Keith Rowley will host the National Day of Prayer tomorrow (Sunday 23rd May, 2021) at 10:00 a.m.

22/05/2021

Prime Minister Dr the Hon. Keith Rowley will host a media conference today (Saturday 22nd May, 2021) at 2:30 p.m. at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s.

Please note that coverage will be carried live on TTT.

19/05/2021

Counselling Surpport Hotline..

17/05/2021

📌 📌

Young men between the ages of 16-35... it’s time to ‘Man Up’!

Have you registered for ‘Man Up’, the Male Mentorship Programme as yet?

Don’t wait any longer! Limited spaces available!

Call now to register!

15/05/2021

PM Media Release

08/05/2021

402 COVID-19 POSITIVE CASES :
7 COVID-19 DEATHS REPORTED TODAY.
COVID-19 DEATHS CROSS 200.
DEATHS NOW AT 203.

07/05/2021

06/05/2021

UPDATE #186 - FOUR (4) PERSONS DISCHARGED; NINE (9) NEW COVID-19 CASES IN TOBAGO. A TOTAL OF SIXTY-ONE (61) ACTIVE CASES ON THE ISLAND.

06/05/2021

May 6th 2021
MEDIA RELEASE

CoP- Ignore False Social Media Posts on Covid-19 and Law Enforcement Issues

Commissioner of Police, Gary Griffith, is advising the public to ignore social media posts which are inaccurate and which can cause unnecessary panic among the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago.

The CoP has taken note of three recent instances where these so-called anonymous social media security sources posted inaccurate information, via WhatsApp and videos.

In the first instance, there was a video posted which showed illegal immigrants running onto the shore, saying it could have been Los Iros, Moruga, Cedros and Icacos. It turned out to be nationals of the Dominican Republic entering Puerto Rico.

In the second instance, social media was abuzz with information that the Prime Minister was going to implement a State of Emergency/Curfew long before he hosted his media conference on May 3rd. This turned out to be false.

In the third incident, a man who claimed to be an insider within the Ministry of National Security, posted audio within the past 24 hours saying he came out of a meeting at the Ministry of National Security with the Telecommunications Department and that the Covid situation was very bad. He even advised people to panic buy. The CoP says there was no such meeting.

Commissioner Griffith says these three incidents could have the effect of creating fear among the population and causing panic buying across the country. The CoP says this would cause the officers of the TTPS to respond to unnecessary matters when they could have been performing their normal activities.

The CoP is advising the public to ignore these false social media posts. He is also asking the public NOT to forward these messages as this could cause further panic among the population. He is also advising the public to ONLY accept information relating to the Covid-19 Pandemic from official sources, such as the Ministry of Health and bulletins from the TTPS.

Corporate Communications Unit
May 6th 2021
END

04/05/2021

What's Your Take?

Opposition Leader Kamla Persad Bissessar says the government has “run out of ideas on how to deal with this health crisis.” In response to the Prime Minister’s press conference this afternoon, the Opposition Leader said that what was most concerning “is the revelation by the Chief Medical Of...

04/05/2021

What's your take?

01/05/2021

As Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago I am duty-bound to caution citizens that unrestrained conduct in public and private settings can and will push the rise of COVID-19 cases.

I have observed statements and criticisms from certain quarters which in my opinion unfortunately and with little use for the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic seek to nit-pick my general statements of caution.

As Prime Minister I respect and support the Constitution, the rule of law and due process and I am insistent that law enforcement must act within the confines of the law.

I am also duty-bound to point out that the laws of our country, including the Public Health Ordinance, the Public Health Regulations, the Police Service Act and other laws can, in certain specific circumstances, cover the enforcement and management of laws in private premises via public health officers with or without aid of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service.

Section 133 of the Public Health Ordinance for example states:

“133. For the purposes of this Part of this Ordinance, any person authorized to act under the provisions hereof or of any regulations made in pursuance of any authority contained in this Part of this Ordinance may at any time, with or without assistance—

(a) enter on lands and buildings and inspect and examine the same and all things thereon or therein;
(b) do on any land or in any building any sanitary or other work authorised or directed;
(c) generally do, with respect to persons, places, land, building, animals, or things, whatever is necessary or expedient in order to carry out the foregoing provisions of this Part of this Ordinance, or any direction or requirement given or arising thereunder. "

It is well known that activities on private properties are abundant and of concern.

Other jurisdictions have implemented States of Emergencies where constitutional rights are suspended and go as far as limiting the number of persons permitted in private settings as well as the nature and type of activities permitted on private properties.

Trinidad and Tobago has obviously not done the same but has instead successfully utilized other measures to manage the pandemic which have thus far resulted in a hard-fought balance between saving lives and livelihoods.

These are exceptional times and I genuinely and deeply commiserate with those in our beloved country who have to shoulder the burden of temporary restrictions and measures.

For those of us who are directly affected, words are of little comfort and this is why the Government has expended billions in financial support which it cannot sustain indefinitely.

We are striving to save lives until the relief of vaccines can give us herd immunity.

We have pushed at every manufacturer and supplier of vaccines and have pending orders submitted across multiple sources. Our vaccination drive has started and is continuing. We have not used unapproved experimental vaccines on our population and are in the same position as our brothers and sisters in the region leading the CARICOM fight for vaccine equality and distribution.

This pandemic will come to an end and the temporary restrictions and hardships will fade away.

I am deeply conscious of the need for survival in every sense of the word.

As Prime Minister I must take the advice of our medical experts and balance all interests. I must ensure that death sentences are not read to thousands by a failure to act and take hard and sometimes unpleasant decisions.

For the next three weeks I am asking the population to limit their movement as best as is possible, including undertaking the task of cooking at home whilst restaurants and bars are temporarily closed.

I respect the roles and views of stakeholder bodies but encourage them to support the general call for compliance and to resist from taking a general and correct statement about the law out of context.

Ultimately our courts will function as the arbiters of any law and its enforcement.

For my part I encourage that the letter of the law be applied and upheld within the spirit of the law.

Let us all see the forest and not just the single tree.

Dr the Hon Keith Rowley
Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago

29/04/2021

BREAKING NEWS

Effective midnight tonight and in force until May 23. These are in addition to the existing health ordinances.

1. ALL restaurants and bars will be closed

2. All shopping malls will be closed

3. All gyms and recreational centers will be closed.

4. All Spas, hair salons, etc will be closed.

5. All Casinos, theaters, cinemas, private clubs etc will be closed.

6. The Public service to operate on an essential services only basis.

7. Air Traffic to Tobago limited to 3 flights per day.

8. The Sea Bridge to operate at 25%

9. No tours of bird sanctuaries or reef destinations will be permitted.

10. All places of worship will be closed.

14/04/2021

To the Muslim community of Trinidad and Tobago, I bring you greetings of peace, Assalamu Alaikum and take this opportunity to wish you Ramadan Mubarak!

The glorious and blessed month of Ramadan is upon us once again as a favour from the Lord, Most High. With it, comes a time for pause, reflection, personal growth and spiritual revolution and rejuvenation.

Fortunate are those who would grab the opportunity to squeeze every drop of extra reward out of this holy season. Ramadan is a time like no other, and so as a nation, we join with our Muslim brothers and sisters in their quest for increased piety and God-consciousness.

Indeed, this is the ultimate goal of fasting, not merely to stay away from food and drink, but to increase our awareness of the Supreme Being.

Almighty God himself says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 verse 183 “O ye who believe, fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may develop taqwa (God consciousness)”.

We therefore collectively pray that as a nation, Ramadan will help us to develop this quality of God-consciousness and to achieve spiritual enlightenment.

It has been one year already since last Ramadan when the country was in lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, our Muslim brothers and sisters were then not allowed to engage in the customary nightly congregational prayers.

We pray that this time around that Almighty God will allow us to be able to avoid any mass spread of this awful virus so that the Muslim community may once again be able to experience that sense of fellowship and community. Let us therefore be reminded to do our part and to follow the health protocols and take all necessary precautions.

I therefore pray that the Muslim community will have a safe, happy and holy Ramadan.

14/04/2021

🇹🇹🇻🇨

12/04/2021

Parts of Barbados look no different to St Vincent which is being smothered by ash from the erupting La Soufriere Volcano. This image is of the Queen Elizabath Hospital in Barbados today.

06/04/2021

News Update:

05/04/2021

Licences that were due to expire on March 31, will be honoured until June 30, the committee said in a public notice.

LIQUOR licences will remain valid for three more months because of difficulties faced in conducting investigations for the licensing committee because of covid19. Licences that were due to expire on March 31, will be honoured until June 30, the committee said in a public notice. The licences referre...

05/04/2021

The National Infrastructure Development Company (Nidco) provided its fourth update on the vessel's journey on Sunday.

It said the Buccoo Reef cleared the canal at 6.30pm.

The HSC Buccoo Reef has passed through the Panama Canal on its way to Trinidad and Tobago. The National Infrastructure Development Company (Nidco) provided its fourth update on the vessel’s journey on Sunday. It said the Buccoo Reef cleared the canal at 6.30pm. “The vessel will now complete the ...

05/04/2021

His brother also drowned years ago.
DETAILS HERE

A fire fighter who went into the choppy waters off Mayaro on Sunday to save bathers who were in difficulty, paid with his life.

03/04/2021

Secretary of Health, Wellness and Family Development Tracy Davidson-Celestine has revealed more than 500 Tobagonians were pre-registered to receive the first doses of 3,000 covid19 vaccines.

COREY CONNELLY and KINNESHA GEORGE Secretary of Health, Wellness and Family Development Tracy Davidson-Celestine has revealed more than 500 Tobagonians were pre-registered to receive the first doses of 3,000 covid19 vaccines. On Wednesday, TT received 33,600 vaccines in the first tranche from the Wo...

03/04/2021

The Prime Minister said he was keeping his eye on what was happening in the Parliament.

As the power-sharing arrangements between the People’s Nation­al Movement (PNM) and the Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP) head to a breakdown, a return to the polls is unavoidable.Prime Minister Dr Keith

03/04/2021

Covid News: 44 NEW CASES