New minister ducks questions

BY SEAN NERO
NEWLY-appointed Education Minister Esther Le Gendre stormed past reporters at Crowne Plaza Hotel in Port-of-Spain, yesterday, in an effort to evade answering how 103 pupils at Cap-de-Ville Government Primary School were hospitalised for food poisoning on Wednesday.

Le Gendre, a communications professional, refused to field questions from the media attending the People’s National Movement’s (PNM) Women’s League breakfast meeting at the Wrightson Road hotel.

Rather than apply her oratory skills to indicate likely measures her ministry would effect to prevent a recurrence, Le Gendre showed the benefits of her early morning walks last week at Salybia—where the Patrick Manning-led Cabinet held a retreat.

She bowed her head, crashed through a line of reporters on the first floor of the hotel, trotted down the staircase and hustled her way into the lobby, without even uttering “no comment.”
She was on her way to a Cabinet meeting.

However, her dress code for yesterday’s early morning sprint, to avoid the media, was nothing compared to the sports gear in which media photographers captured her at Salybia.

At yesterday’s PNM Women’s League function, she was elegant in a cream designer suit with matching stocking and shoes, which did not impede her athletic ability.

Dietary Services doing tests
A teacher and 103 pupils at Cap-de-Ville Government Primary School fell ill on Wednesday, after consuming boxed lunches prepared by a caterer for the school feeding programme.

The food was said to be infested with worms. The children were rushed to hospital after they began vomiting, experienced dizziness and stomach cramps. Some were treated at Point Fortin Area Hospital.

Joycelyn Bodden, chairman of the National Schools Dietary Services, sought to assure the public that action would be taken after tests were completed.

She said: “My understanding is we went down to the school, checked the kids and they were discharged. All is well with the kids. We are doing investigations.

“The Ministry of Health went down to the school and took samples of the water. All the checks were made.”

typi fockin cal PNMite.

Dey carry dem fockers down Salybia to teach dem how to lie and make the press lie for you. But she so duncee that she forget how. So she couldnt answer the press.

Fockin nigga know how to dolls off good though, dandy up wid all the brands and make big fockin impression, but the fockin head empty.

Ah feel Dookeran was lecturing to them up dey in Salybia.