After many years and
so many promises, the Steelband
movement is outcast, a Vagrant
and a squatter, in the land
of its birth. The
structural frame of our
Headquarters and Information
Centre on the Churchill
Roosevelt Highway, Orange
Grove, Tacarigua stands
out as living testimony
to this fact.
In spite of his-story
and hers, the evidence is
quite clear in the eye-sore
it sticking out as a mockery
to our aspirations, bare
and naked to the world.
This site brings to my mind,
flashes of a slave block
in the middle of the town’s
square. Every time I look
at it I see my shame, and
feel the pain in my heart
of those who sacrificed
their lives so that Steelband
may live. Why is the Steelband
movement still suffering
in the land of its origin?
The Steel band organization
over the years has been
working and planning in
a timely manner to meet,
manage and carry out all
of its functions. Today,
when the Steelband world
is looking to Pan Trinbago
– The World Governing Body
for the Steel Pan – for
direction, the organization
is struggling for a comfortable
work environment and space
in order to attend to the
business of Pan, as spelt
out in Act 5 of 1986. What a shame? But, it
is our shame. The shame
of the men and women who
have been the flag bearers
of culture in and out of
this blessed land of ours,
long before we became a
nation. And, we have been
bearing this shame amidst
ridicule and fingers of
scorn, misuse and abuse.
Battered and bruised, we
continue to play our part
in soothing the soul of
our nation, in spite of
being a victim of maliciousness
propagated by gossipers
and rumor mongers within
and without. And because
of that, our valiant and
courageous efforts to venture
out at constructing our
Head Quarters to the tune
of $3.9 million dollars
are not being applauded.
The truth is, Pan Trinbago
had applied for fifteen
acres of land and received
from Caroni (1975) Limited
in 2002, through the then
Government, 3.2376 hectares
(8 acres) of land at the
Orange Grove Estate in Trincity.
This was given to Pan Trinbago
for the purpose of establishing
its Headquarters and a Complex
for other income generating
activities. (Not withstanding
the fact, that the parcel
of land given to Pan Trinbago
at William’s Bay Chaguaramas,
by the deceased Prime Minister
Dr. Eric Williams, is to
establish an Entertainment
Centre.)
The parcel
of land was formerly handed
over to Pan Trinbago by
the State in August 2002,
with a lease period of 99
years. The then Prime Minister
indicated that funding for
the completion of the Headquarters
would be made available
should Pan Trinbago present
plans and a budget for its
construction.
Initial
design budget estimated
construction costs was ready
and so presented, and this
catered for a two storey
structure estimated to cost
$ 3.9 million.
Let
us clear the air at this
juncture, of all misinformation
relating to monies made
available and spent by Pan
Trinbago on this ambitious
project. Firstly, Pan Trinbago
never had in its possession
a sum of $7.5 million to
fritter away, as some malicious
detractors would have the
national community believe.
On Tuesday 9th April
2002 at the San Fernando
Room of the Crowne Plaza
Hotel, a symbolic presentation
of a cheque in the sum of
$7.5 million was made to
Pan Trinbago from funds
arising out of the Trinidad
Tesoro Fraud Settlement.
At the said ceremony,
Pan Trinbago presented a
program of projects and
its intended expenditure.
- Pan Yard Improvement.
- Purchase of Real
Estate (Headquarters).
- Pan Trinbago Foundation
Board.
- Steel Pan
Factory.
The actual funds
- $7.5Mm was placed in a
Pan Trinbago Account at
R. B. T. T. with the clear
understanding that all withdrawals
must be approved by the
Ministry of Culture.
With all this checks and
balance put in place by
the Government, it was impossible
for Pan Trinbago to drawdown
and bad spend any part of
the said funds, far less
$7.5Mm.
The cheque
was handed over in April
2002, and in August of the
said year, due to the cries
and expectations of STEELBAND,
the organization wrote the
Permanent Secretary, requesting
a draw down of $4.7Mm to
meet the cost of constructing
Pan Trinbago Headquarters/Cultural
Centre and other Pan Yard
development expenditure.
From this approved
draw down, Pan Trinbago
was able to assist some
Steelband in each region
with improvement to their
facilities. Construction
of facilities for storing
Steelpan Instruments was
done at some Primary Schools,
and Steelpan Instruments
were manufactured and placed
in Schools in each of the
four regions of PanTrinbago.
It was a Pan Trinbago initiative
that started the Pan in
School Project. And as more
demands were made by the
Panist, the Executive thought
it wise to start the Headquarters
Project before the Funds
became exhausted.
It was at this point
that the organization engaged
the services of Architects
and Consultants and Surveyors
and Engineers and Building
Contractors etc.
The initial design of the
Headquarters was to construct
a Two-Story structure estimated
to cost $3,687,778.00 dollars.
However, after being credible
advised, and discussions
were held within the Executive
of Pan Trinbago, the architect
was instructed to incorporate
additional features into
the original design to include
a fully expanded third floor.
This took the estimated
completion cost to $7.5
million TT.
A number of
overtures were made to realize
the extra funding of the
project to no avail. Work started in July
2002, and was aborted in
September 2003, because
the $3.5 million was exhausted
to the extent that Pan Trinbago
owes the contractor for
work done to date.
All this to say that
it is malicious and mischievous
to accuse Pan Trinbago of
squandering $7.5 million
on its incomplete Headquarters
when in fact, if the organization
had that amount of money,
the structure would not
be standing as a mockery
today, to the Steelband
world.
In my conclusion,
I would like to express
the gratitude of Pan Trinbago
Executive, for the Government
intervention to have our
Headquarters completed.
But I am also appealing
for some urgency to the
task, given the work load
of the organization, and
the cramp condition under
which we presently operate.
S.O.S to the
Honorable
Marlene Mc Donald, Minister
of Community Development,
Culture and Gender Affairs.
Pan Trinbago is poise to
take the Steelband Movement
to the next level. That
is, from cultural to Industrial.
The completion of our Headquarters
and Chrome Plating facilities
is vital to the success
of this mission. If Trinidad
and Tobago is to maintain
its reputation as the Mecca
of Steelpan, then this is
most critical to the future.
Let us, Pan Trinbago and
The Ministry of Culture,
work together to develop
this gigantic Industry that
can realize great economic
possibilities for this still
blessed nation of ours.
As Black Stalin say, ‘We
can make it if we try’.
Michael L Joseph
Public Relations Officer
Pan Trinbago
The World
Governing Body for Pan.