TTHI director: No Nigerians enrolled for study in 2013 Radica Sookraj Published: Monday, December 15, 2014 Executive director of the T&T Hospitality and Tourism Institute Dr Patricia Butcher is denying that Nigerian students suspected to be involved in terrorism had enrolled for study at the institute in 2013. Her comments came the day after Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said she had seen a letter sent to former Minister of National Security Jack Warner, warning that 66 Nigerians, who were involved in military attacks against the Nigerian government, had enrolled as tourism students at the Institute. Butcher said she did not know what Persad-Bissessar was talking about. “I want to say categorically that no Nigerian students have enrolled for study at our school in 2013. The 90 Nigerians are the first batch of students we have taken in and they are participating in a short course entitled ‘Introduction to Hospitality and Tourism’ at TTHTI,” Butcher said. The course is running from December 8-17. She added, “I reiterate that this short course is being conducted over an eight-day period and we were told that the students are en route to Barbados, where they will be trained for nine months in various disciplines.” She added that it was common knowledge that Minister of Science and Tertiary Education Fazal Karim had pledged to help the Nigerian government build its human capital by having them trained in T&T. Butcher said the TTHTI is owned and managed by the Trinidad Hotels, Restaurants and Tourism Association. President of that association Arthur Welch has also scoffed at government claims that Nigerian terrorists were enrolled at the school, saying the entire allegation was “utter nonsense.” A news bulletin from the TTHTI in April 2013 said Nigerian students were enrolled to begin studies there from April 8 in culinary skills, hospitality, tourism and food and beverages, for which they would receive certificates and diplomas. Tertiary ministry liaises with Nigeria In 2011, the Ministry of Science and Tertiary Education signed a landmark agreement with Qess Consulting Inc (Qess) of Nigeria to train Nigerian students in maritime skills, culinary skills, environmental management, rig operations, automotive service maintenance, heavy equipment operations, maintenance, shielded metal arc welding and millwright. In January 2012, Karim announced that 3,000 Nigerian students were expected to visit T&T over a three-year-period as part of an exchange programme to meet the growing need for skilled workers in Nigeria. Most of the training took place NESC’s main campus in Pt Lisas, Couva. Contacted yesterday, Karim referred questions to NESC chairman Feeroz Khan, but he was unavailable for comment. Executive director of the National Operations Centre, Commander Garvin Heerah said intelligence and information-gathering on the involvement of illegal immigrant on transnational organised crime was ongoing. News Source:: Trinidad Guardian The post TTHI director: No Nigerians enrolled for study in 2013 appeared first on Trinidad & Tobago Online. #trinidad
Posted on: Mon, 15 Dec 2014 03:06:07 +0000