SEX, lies and video-tapes, T&T style, could have been the order of the annual general meeting of the Media Association of Trinidad and Tobago (MATT), if the journalists gathered there did not have the genuine interests of the profession at heart.

With the sexy photos circulating on the Internet, at the time that just under two dozen journalists gathered at the PSA rooftop on Abercromby Street, Port of Spain, only two members of the previous executive, led by John Victor, had showed up at the meeting that was called to rescue MATT after two years of mismanagement.

Former vice-president Kevin Garcia and floor member Juhel Brown managed to keep some semblance of continuity and decency for the Association that’s more than two decades old and had been plagued with every imaginable kind of politics.

It was clear that after Victor resigned because he failed to stimulate journalists to attend an AGM, that no one else wanted the wuk.

SAMPSON
NANTON

JOHN VICTOR

Still, he did not even have the decency to attend the meeting to formally hand over the organisation which the deadbeat television broadcaster used over the past two years to improve his profile.

In fact, nobody else on the previous executive knew about the meetings that he attended to represent MATT especially coat tail parties and CSME meetings.

It was all to his benefit.

Indeed, Vice-President Garcia refused outright to comment on reports that he was the man who wrote press releases for the association; there was so much that Victor did not do.

On Saturday morning, however, the Association of Caribbean Media Workers (ACM), with two former MATT presidents (Dale Enoch and Wesley Gibbings) in its executive, came together to rescue the local body.

But it was no easy task.

At least three people, besides Joanne Briggs were nominated for president of MATT, but they all declined the responsibility.

Joanne, therefore, won by default, even though the first release claimed that she was elected unopposed.

Suzette Edwards made a late show sometime after the voting began for the post of assistant secretary and got a 12-2 licking from Atillah Springer.

Every man jack that was nominated for the post of treasurer that was held by Sampson Nanton declined the post.

Eventually Neil Beekee agreed to take the contentious position.

Anthony Gittens landed himself the role of floor member along with Cordielle Street.

But that was the smooth part of the proceedings as it was clear that the people who showed up were on a rescue mission.

For the greater part of the past two years, MATT had been plagued by a lack of transparency and accountability to its membership.

“The demise came about because journalists who criticise their peers always forget that we are working people, with all kinds of strange hours.

“In addition to which there is not one media manager/editor who supports MATT, and the job as president is not a paying one, so that is where I can say John Victor failed,” a source tried to tell me shortly after last Saturday’s meeting.

“But, if you really want to be truthful, it comes down to a lack of initiative on his part and I guess like many others before him, he was in it for the prestige, although he became president by default when after two terms at the helm, Dale Enoch refused to stand again for the post.

“With regards to the actual job, the vice-president and floor members of the past executive had done more substantial work than him, although he showed his face.

“Truthfully, the Media Association collapsed because there was no accountability.

“Previous treasurer, Sampson Nanton, who also failed to show to account for the past two years, was elected by the girls because he has a reputation as a real ‘dude man’, even though he has no financial acumen.

“In fact, he found himself in an embarrassing situation when Juhel Brown as a floor member had to go to Barbados to represent MATT and was given a cheque by Nanton -- which was written incorrectly.

“In fact, Juhel could not get the cheque changed and it turned out that the previous executive led by Enoch never relinquished the account and nobody was aware of that.

“Dale could have still signed cheques and he did not know either.

“Nanton did nothing with the books, really.

“All the donations that we had received are protected in a high interest yielding fund.

“It is there generating wealth even though it is not a lot.

“Even with this state of affairs, Sampson arrogantly threatened to resign, after Dale Enoch as president of the ACM wrote a letter to John Victor expressing concern about the fact that they were unable to call an AGM.

“These fellas were playing wrong and strong because they could not even get a quorum for an executive meeting!

“They refused all invitations from their peers to hand over the books peacefully, refused to engage in dialogue so the people who wanted MATT to move could discover the problems they had to straighten out.

“It reached the stage where members of the former executive had to go to his home to collect the books.

“John and Sampson never changed over from old executive -- and one is to assume they never spent any money from MATT.

“Well, after John resigned the executive was dissolved and they put Kevin Garcia in the position of caretaker to take the organisation to the point of election,” my source explained.

However, the crisis does not end there.

Truth is the newly-elected MATT President, Joanne Briggs, is employed at the government owned CNMG Television Station and they will surely bring pressure to bear on her, once she declares any stand that is against the Government.

Nothing has changed.