I HAVE fond memories of Patrick Chookolingo who founded the TnT Mirror newspaper 25 years ago.

As a teenager, I worked briefly as a reporter on Penitence Street, San Fernando alongside Harry Sharma, Clevon Raphael, Jeff Hackett, Ainsley Sahai and a couple of others whose names I can’t recollect at this time.

I remember spending little time at the office since I was always sent on assignments. In those days I was paid only for my articles which were published in the newspaper.

After working under Sharma for about four months I decided to approach him to become a fulltime staff reporter.

However, I was told by the then South manager that I must wait a bit longer.I then journeyed to Port-of-Spain to put my case to the big man which happened to be Patrick Chookolingo.

After chatting with him for about 45 minutes, he called the head of the South Bureau and suggested that I be hired as a staff reporter on a fulltime basis.

I knew that my decision to approach Chookolingo would have repercussions.

To make a long story short, I left two months later to study abroad. Until this day, I remember those 45 minutes with Patrick Chookolingo.

He told me that a reporter’s job had no fixed hours since he/she could be called out at anytime of the night or day to cover an important event.

He went on to state that people with hidden agendas may want to decide what should and should not be put into the newspapers.

He told me that I should be fearless in what I do and must not be afraid to state the truth regardless of who I offended.

He spoke briefly about good investigative reporting which he believed would expose the corrupt in society. Some of our present journalists have followed in the footsteps of Chookolingo by exposing a lot of corrupt practises but sadly the authorities have turned a blind eye to their investigations.

Some people who are supposed to investigate and punish crooks are also corrupt and crooked, hence the reason that corruption and mismanagement have continued to grow by leaps and bounds.

DEAR WINSTON DOOKERAN:
I NEED some help.

You see, I am not a university intellectual, nor am I one who speaks from “both sides of my mouth” so when I meet someone who is doing this over and over again, I am left wondering if this is what integrity is all about.

I know for a fact that it has nothing to do with “new politics” because I have already been able to prove to all and sundry that you “fudge” this concept from someone else but did not do such a good job of it, because you have never really and truly been able to translate exactly what the concept of “true politics” is all about.

Now it is reported today that the Congress of the People (COP) eyes Tobago Alliance.
Now tell me, how does this make the continued daily rhetoric that you and other members of your CORPSE have been preaching, i.e. you will have no unity, no alliance with any party/organisation.

Isn’t this what you are talking about. Dookeran, you cannot have it both ways, may I remind you that it was you, the Hon. Winston Dookeran, whose reponse to any type of merger or unity/alliance with any political party as “taking a joke too far”.

Pray tell me, what is this ...?

THE EDITOR:

I LISTENED with my family at Monday Night Forum of the United National Congress (UNC) held in Lopinot.

I do not always have the time to listen the radio and turned on the station in time to hear Basdeo Panday speak.

I was happy to hear that the UNC is joining with other political parties to fight the next election and believes that this new UNC Alliance will attract many thousands new voters.

I plead with members of the Congress of the People (COP) to join this new Alliance so we could move the PNM from power.

Although me and my wife are card holding members of the COP we have decided to support the new UNC Alliance because the COP is just dividing the votes in Tabaquite and the PNM will win this constituency come election day.