By Anthony Wilson

Sunday Guardian

August 24, 1997

Page 4

His doctorate, which was based on research in concrete technology, was the first PhD, awarded by the Department of Civil Engineering in 1978. He has four UWI degrees (two BSc's, the PhD and a masters) and is the first "completely homegrown" UWI graduate to have been made Professor in the Faculty of Engineering.

Suite is probably also the first and only UWI Professor to have been imprisoned by the State as a result of the part he played in what is now known as the Black Power Revolution of 1970.

Having received a BSc degree in Special physics from UWI's Mona campus in 1965, Suite was a secondary school teacher in San Fernando in 1970. He was one of the leaders of the Universal Movement for the Reconstruction of Black Identity who was jailed at the time of the April 21, 1970 State of Emergency.

Along with others like Michael Als, Winston Leonard, Nuevo Diaz, George Weekes and Winston Davis, Suite spent from April 21 to the middle of October detained at the State's pleasure. The first 23 days were spent on Nelson Island. He was charged with sedition for speeches made prior to the state of emergency, while detained.

Suite says he became involved in the Universal Movement for the Reconstruction of Black Identity because of his concern at the large number of unemployed youths that he was seeing in South Trinidad.

He was also concerned about the extent of racism in the society and the grim futures that the unemployed black youth faced.

Out of jail in October 1970, Suite started his second BSc in civil engineering at the St Augustine campus. Shortly after the beginning f the second year, he was again detained as a result of another state of emergency, this time over the Badger strike in the Pointe-a-Pierre area.

Suite says he had absolutely no involvement in the strike and was sitting at his brother's home in St Augustine looking at he late Prime Minister Eric Williams declare the state of emergency on television, when his niece ran in to tell him that there were policemen outside.

He was detained from October 1971 to June 1972 and studied his civil engineering lessons in the Frederick Street jail. He eventually had to repeat the year and graduated at ht top of his class with a First Class Honours Degree.

At 57, with his thick greying beard and his ponytail, the Princes Town-born, Suite retains some of the aura of the militant academic. He feels that his progress at UWI has been stymied as a result of his involvement in the Black Power movement.

"I was considered persona non grata even at the University ad some thought it would not be politic to hire me" in 1976.

Frustrated at being turned down by the institution, Suite, at that time finishing off the research for his PhD in the speedy time of two years, says he thought of destroying his doctorate by setting it ablaze.

Between 1976 and 1982, he worked with his brother, Nello, in the firm of Suite Engineering Services and during that time he completed a part-time Masters in Construction Engineering and Management (with distinction). In 1983 he joined the University as a lecturer in Civil Engineering and was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 1986.

He recounts stories of the obstacles put in his place by the "power brokers" at the institution and says there were many people who waged war against his appointment as Professor.

Without naming names for the record, Suite complains that his colleagues made statements about him behind his back, spoke out against him in promotion committees, absented themselves from key meetings and wrote negative reports on him.

He says those he describes as "cabal" control the institution's young academics by their influence over contract renewals, promotion and tenure. Those who have fallen out of favour can be bypassed as a result of the "shunting of information" on grants and fellowships.

"They demand obedience. They demand you to toe the line and they feel that they can reward those who toe the line and punish those who don't," says the Professor, adding that sometimes his "only comfort is being in the company of my students."

He says: "I used to feel that if I had left after my BSc and gone abroad to the United Kingdom or the US, I would have been promoted to professor long ago. If I had gone abroad and come back with a foreign PhD, I might have been viewed differently."

Asked if he feels angry at the treatment, Suite says he is more annoyed than angry at the fact that the institution has not grown up.

Although he has reached the pinnacle of his professional career, Suite is sure the opposition to him has not ended.

He says no magic wand has been waved which will stop those who "positively tried to oppose me clandestinely.

"You think my position has changed? You think those who are arrayed against what they consider to be the little upstart nigger who feel he has a right to say what he wants to say, will stop? "They may seek other fora."

Suite says the importance of UWI has kept him going through some of his "sadder moments," because "we can't make a mistake with it.

If UWI, conceived of at the time to give cerebral guidance and technical leadership tot he society, cannot solve the problems, who will - the international financial institutions?

During his term as Professor, Suite says he is committed to encouraging discussion between the staff and the wider society.

He will also encourage an evaluation of the construction needs locally and regionally in order to get the Department of Construction Engineering and Management involved in the development process in the region. He intends to reach out to the professional bodies involved with the construction sector, because "construction is much more than engineering."

Suite was the President of the Association of Professional Engineers in 1985 and has served as the chairman off the airports Authority between 1988 and 1991.

While declining to comment on the controversy involving Ishwar Galbaransingh and the previous board of the authority, Suite says that this country needs an airport that can take advantage of its location for transshipment purposes and for cruise shipping.

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