Two distinguished professors and the late former Tobago House of Assembly Chief Secretary are set to receive the Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (ORTT), the nation’s highest award, at today’s National Awards Ceremony.
The recipients, Prof Selwyn Cudjoe, Prof Kenneth Ramchand, and the late Hochoy Charles, will be honoured at a ceremony at Queen’s Hall at 6 pm.
Since the ORTT was introduced in 2008, it is the fourth time that three people have been honoured in a single ceremony and the third consecutive year the award has gone exclusively to men.
The ORTT, formerly known as the Trinity Cross, is conferred on individuals who have rendered “distinguished and outstanding service to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago”.
Prof Cudjoe, who was appointed chairman of the University of Trinidad and Tobago’s board last month, has been recognised for five decades of service as an educator and national leader.
Speaking with Guardian Media during a telephone interview yesterday, Cudjoe said a note from the President’s office on Friday morning informing him of the honour left him “deeply touched”.
Cudjoe said the recognition was about being acknowledged by his own people.
“It was a deeply touching moment. When you’re recognised by your own society for what you’ve done—profit is without honour in his own country—and when you’re honoured by your own, wherever you’ve gone to, whatever you’ve done, it always means something to you,” he stated.
He recalled the moment Nobel laureate VS Naipaul, a fellow Trinidadian, wept upon receiving the Trinity Cross.
“No matter what you achieve, you’re from Trini ... And as your countrymen say, ‘listen, you’ve served us well,’ ... it is always a wonderful thing.”
According to the Office of the President, Cudjoe is a literary scholar, cultural historian, and public intellectual whose work has helped decolonise the Caribbean’s intellectual tradition through the elevation of the Afro-Caribbean voice. He was also acknowledged for his skill in weaving together intricate and deeply humanistic narratives of historic and contemporary Pan African resistance through his widely lauded monographs, essays, public lectures, newspaper columns, and contributions to academia as a professor.
Prof Kenneth Ramchand, a renowned literary critic and author, will also receive the ORTT. He previously received the Chaconia Medal Gold in 1996 for his work in literature, education, and culture. Ramchand views the ORTT as more than a personal accolade. He hopes the award will inspire society to value the importance of reading, especially local books. He described a literary critic as a “very unique kind of animal”, not just a reader but someone who is “inspired to think” and become a “better person” through books.
“I wish the society would interpret the award in those terms,” he said, “that they feel the importance of the literary arts and the importance of reading books for themselves and feeling and thinking as a result of reading those books.”
The Office of the President described Ramchand as a “real literary critic” whose work, including the influential “The West Indian Novel and Its Background”, has had a transformative impact on Caribbean literature.
Meanwhile, Charles is among six individuals being awarded posthumously this year. The ORTT recipient is being honoured for his lifelong commitment to governance, community empowerment, and the advancement of Tobago. As a former chief secretary of the THA, the Office of the President stated that Charles played a pivotal role in shaping the organisation’s structure, advocating tirelessly for autonomy and equitable development.
Three people are being awarded for gallantry, with Akil des Vignes, whose heroic act of saving a child from a malfunctioning Ferris wheel, being honoured with the Hummingbird Medal (Bronze). Des Vignes said he was both “happy” and “thankful” for the recognition.
“I was nominated, and the nation had expectations that I should get it,” he said in a telephone interview. Des Vignes added that he is excited for the ceremony, describing it as a “big day”.
“This is a testament to who we are as a people, you know, to be recognised for this act. I feel a sense of pride for my country and just, you know, thankful on the whole.”
The list of awardees released by the Office of the President includes 29 names across five categories and 13 classes. A 30th recipient, the Trinbago Knight Riders, was announced by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar yesterday. Captain Nicholas Pooran will accept the Chaconia Medal Gold on the team’s behalf for their fifth Caribbean Premier League (CPL) title.
Several other figures will be honoured at the ceremony.
Dr Adesh Sirjusingh, Director of Women’s Health at the Ministry of Health, will receive the Chaconia Medal (Gold) for his work in medicine and public health. Kenny Phillips, producer, broadcaster, and media executive, will be awarded the Chaconia Medal (Silver) for his contribution to arts and culture. Phillips was appointed chairman of the National Academy for the Performing Arts earlier this month.
Ivan Toolsie, senior journalist at Guardian Media, will also be conferred the Chaconia Medal (Silver) in recognition of his decades-long career in journalism. Last year, 65 people received national awards.