Still a man of the people

He is still a man of the people.

This is how the people of Fyzabad feel about their President Anthony Carmona, a son of the historic oil belt in south Trinidad.

Everyone, from the barber who trimmed his hair for the past eight years, a classmate and vendors in the Fyzabad market, described Carmona as “the humblest man” who had not changed despite his elevation to the nation’s highest office.

“From the High Court to the President, Mr Carmona is a humble man,” said Glenford Reid, who went to Santa Flora Government Primary School with Carmona.

Reid, who spoke to Sunday Newsday at the Fyzabad market, rated Carmona’s five-year term in office as “very good’ despite, he said, the attempts by some people to “create bacchanal about him”.

“He do real good. The public don’t know but he is a loving mister. He from the country and country people don’t forget about others. He always giving advice to the young ones whenever he come back home. The man is a real humble man,” he said.

Those words were echoed by Jillian Williams who Sunday Newsday met at Trophy’s barber shop.

“He was straightforward and he was kind hearted and I wish there were more people like him because the office did not change him. We know what kind of person he was before he was elected and he remained the same person he was before,” she said.

Williams said Carmona never used his status as President to get a private hair cut whenever he came to the barber shop and it was crowded with other customers.

“What he would do is wait with the other customers and he would talk to them.

He would listen to them and encourage them to reach their goals,” she said.

Trophy, whose name is Ulric Williams, trimmed Carmona’s hair for the past eight years and said the President would be remembered for his integrity and humility.

“He is one of the most humblest persons I know, with regards to his integrity I don’t see him compromise his integrity at any point in time,” he said. “I have been cutting him and normally when somebody move up in office, they would normally put aside the small people and use persons more up there but he was never like that.”

“Imagine a gentleman attain that level of office and still have that level of humility,” Williams said.

Miss Marie, a market vendor, and one of her customers Ruth De Freitas both saw Carmona as a “friend” of the people of Fyzabad and the southland.

“I was at his inauguration,” a proud Miss Marie said, “and I think he should have gotten a second term.”

“He from a good family and the family does mingle with everybody.”

And regarding criticisms of him, shoe cobbler Ronald Fraser was having none of it when he declared that “everyone who condemn him outta time.”

“Mr Carmona is a beautiful person and them people who criticise him just envy him,” Fraser said, “I think he should have gotten a second term because we need someone who don’t take nonsense.”