Republic Day National Awards for 65: ORTT for 3 sons of the soil

THREE people will be awarded the Order of the Republic of TT (ORTT) at today’s Republic Day awards ceremony. The ORTT is this country's highest award.

The three are former National Gas Company (NGC) president Mark Loquan, UWI engineer Prof Patrick Hosein, and veteran attorney Russel Martineau, SC.

Loquan will receive the ORTT for national service in the areas of energy and steelpan innovation. His wife Patricia gave the following message on his behalf, when Newsday reached out to him for comment on September 23, as she noted he was unwell.

“I am deeply honoured and humbled by this recognition of my service in the best interests of national development in the energy sector, and for my long-standing work in building sustainability for our national instrument, the steelpan.”

The Office of the President (OTP), which issued a press release on September 23, outlining the names and contributions of 65 people who will received national awards on Republic Day, said Loquan has been a highly respected senior leader in the energy sector for the last two decades. It said he has made huge contributions to the industry through both his direct professional career at Yara, NGC, and his contribution to wider industry initiatives and developments.

It said Loquan is universally known and loved throughout the steelpan and music industry.

The UWI, St Augustine campus educator Prof Patrick Hosein will receive the ORTT for service in the sphere of technology, innovation and engineering. The OTP said Hosein’s professional excellence is characterised by his transformative contributions to telecommunications engineering, his advocacy for multi-stakeholder collaboration, and his commitment to fostering inclusivity and innovation in the digital landscape.

Martineau, who will receive the ORTT for outstanding national service in the field of law, has been practising law since 1972. In 1981 he was appointed a senator and attorney general until 1986. In 1993 he was awarded Senior Counsel status and is a past president of the Law Association.

Apart from three people being awarded the ORTT, there will also be 11 Chaconia Medal Gold awardees, seven Chaconia Medal Silver, 18 Hummingbird Gold, 15 Hummingbird Silver, eight Medal of Merit Gold, one Medal of Merit Silver, one Medal for Development of Women Gold and one Medal for Development of Women Bronze, awardees.

Of note is the award to two former police commissioners – Stephen Williams and James Philbert, and former assistant commissioner of police Joanne James for national security and public service.

GRATITUDE

The overwhelming feeling on the part of the awardees was that of gratitude.

Chaconia Medal Gold awardee Anon Naipaul, chairman of Xtra Foods Supermarket, was awarded in the sphere of business.

“I accept this award with great humility and gratitude. I thank God for his benevolence and guidance and I thank our citizens and our leaders for this recognition. This will inspire and give me the impetus to do more for our country. I dedicate this award to all of my diligent and caring employees and loyal customers of Xtra Foods.”

Former Director of Banyan Productions, Dr Christopher Laird, a Chaconia Medal Gold awardee, said "I am surprised, grateful, proud and greatly honoured to have the value of my work recognised by my country.”

Diabetes Association president Dr Andrew Dhanoo said he was thankful for the honour. He will receive a Chaconia Medal Silver for health care and volunteerism.

“After ten years of work in the Diabetes Association, it really does represent the key work that is so strong in the Diabetes Association, because it’s all of the hundreds of volunteers, the thousands of members and the members of the board who would have worked with me over the last ten years. Without them we couldn’t have done any of the work that we accomplished. It really is for them and for the organisation I accept this honour.”

Chairman of KC Confectionery Ltd Imran Khan will receive a Chaconia Medal Silver for business.

“It is a privilege to receive an award. It comes with a lot of hard work, dedication and commitment.”

Pan Trinbago president Beverley Ramsey-Moore will receive a Hummingbird Gold for culture/arts/community development. She said she was elated not only for herself but the organisation she leads.

“Pan Trinbago has definitely come of age in terms of the leader being acknowledged for the work we have done here in TT. Especially as a female, it is indeed a glass ceiling that was broken in 2018, and we are taking this organisation from zero to hero at this time.

“It is indeed an opportunity for other women to come on-board, for other women to be proud, to go brave despite the detractors, despite the haters, go forward strong and accomplish, so it is indeed an inspiration for all the women in pan and all the young people involved, and an example of receiving your roses while alive.”

BP Renegades Steel Orchestra leader Duvone Stewart will receive a Hummingbird Medal Silver for culture and the arts.

“This recognition really means the world to me to the point that I couldn’t have achieved as much as I have achieved without the unwavering support of the many incredible people that have graced my life. I have this instrument at heart for the last 40 years, it’s the only thing I knew and it’s the only thing I know, and it’s the only thing I will continue doing for my country. Being one of the preachers in the cause of steelpan going globally, and I will always continue to do this as long as I have life, health, and strength.”

Author, researcher and journalist Nasser Khan will receive a Hummingbird Medal Silver for education and literacy. He said he was blessed and humbled by the honour.

“It’s been a 20-year journey and I want to say to young people it’s never too late to find you, find a passion that you loved doing. I’ve been really blessed, I’ve been supported by my family and especially corporate TT in achieving these educational documents, books, I think I’ve done about 32, and assisted in about 23 other publications all on topics such as culture and the arts, Heroes of TT agriculture, sports, especially cricket, and so on. It’s been really humbling and truly a blessed honour. So I’m thankful to those who made the decision I am deserving and I am truly humbled.”

The OTP said ORTT recipient Sydney Martineau, Chaconia Medal Silver recipient Nazir Khan, and Public Service Medal of Merit Gold Stephanie Lewis will be "unavoidably absent" at today’s ceremony. –
Additional reporting by RYAN HAMILTON-DAVIS

THE HONOURS LIST

ORTT (03)

Mark Loquan

Russel Martineau

Prof Patrick Hosein

CHACONIA MEDAL GOLD (11)

Dr Anne Marion Osborne (posthumously) for Music (Pianoforte and Steelpan)

Anon Naipaul for Business

Dr Christopher Laird for Film Industry

Eustace Nancis for Business and Community Service

Karen Darbasie for Banking and Finance

Marilyn Stollmeyer for Health and Education

Mohan Persad for Business and Community Service

Lt Col (Ret) A.R Morris Baden Semper for Public Service

Dr Robert Jeffrey Edwards for Medicine/ Community

Dr Ruth Lindyann Bodden-Rich (posthumously) for Culture and the Arts (Music)

Sandra Pyke-Anthony for Community Development

CHACONIA MEDAL SILVER (07)

Dr Andrew Dhanoo for Health care and Volunteerism

Imran Khan for Business

James Philbert for National Security and Public Service

Joanne James for National Security and Public Service

Linda Hewitt (posthumously) for Statistics and Community Service

Nazir Khan for Business

Stephen Williams for National Security and Public Service

HUMMINGBIRD GOLD (18)

Amjad Ali for Business

Arlene Alleyne-Daniel for Culture/Arts/Community Development

Beverly Ramsey-Moore for Culture/Arts/Community Development

Dr Elaine Iton for Health and Community Development

Dr Gillian Paul (posthumously) for Education

Glen De Souza for Culture

Dr James Armstrong for Arts and Public Service

Kenwyn Crichlow for Arts

Dr Khamedaye Basdeo Maharaj for Dermatology

Dr Krishna Kumar Sundaraneedi for Public Health/Research and Development

Merissa Aguilleira for Sport (Cricket)

Navin Stewart for Sport (Cricket)

Dr Richard Clerk for Medicine and Community Service

Dr Ronnie Bhola for Medicine (Eye care)

Sr Roberta O'Flaherty for Education and Community Service

Prof Sanjay Bahadoorsingh for Engineering and Education

Stanford Callender for Public and Community Service

Solaiman Juman for Medicine and Research

HUMMINGBIRD SILVER (15)

Cindy Ramnarine for Education

Derek Phillip for Education

Duvone Stewart for Culture and the Arts

Maj (Ret) Edourd Wade for Music and Culture

Phillip Fraser for Education and Sport

Kathryn McConnie for National Service

Dr Jennifer Rouse for National Service and Social Work

Michael Bradshaw for Youth Development and Community Service

Nasser Khan for Education and Literacy

Naomi Adonis-Woodsley for Education

Roger Boothman for Culture and the Arts

Romeo Gunness for Education

Rhonda Jones for Community Service and Sports

Rhondall Feeles for Community Service

Zena Ramatali for Education

MEDAL OF MERIT GOLD (08)

Jacqueline Sampson Meiguel for Public Service (Governance)

Dr Janet Stanley-Marcano for Education

Nadira Maharaj for Health care (Medical Laboratory Service)

Narieman Hosein-Ahamad (posthumously) for Public Service

Raj Badhal for Public Service

Shaheed Allaham for Education and Community Service

Sonia Mahase-Persad for Education/Nation building

Stephanie Lewis for Public Service

MEDAL OF MERIT SILVER (1)

Fitzgerald Jeffrey (posthumously) for National Service

MEDAL FOR DEVELOPMENT OF WOMEN GOLD (1)

Rowena Martineau Pitt for Development of Women

MEDAL FOR DEVELOPMENT OF WOMEN BRONZE (1)

Giselle Granger for Development of Women in Agriculture