Our Executive Team

The Honourable Saddam Hosein, MP, is a distinguished Attorney-at-law and public servant currently serving as the Minister of Land and Legal Affairs and the Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries for Trinidad and Tobago. With a robust background in civil and criminal litigation, Minister Hosein is dedicated to the modernization of land administration, the protection of tenure security, and the advancement of good governance through legislative reform.

Minister Hosein’s legal career is built on a foundation of academic excellence. He was called to the Bar in 2014 after graduating from the Hugh Wooding Law School on the Principal’s Roll of Honour. During his studies, he was recognized with the Justice Wendell Kangaloo Advocacy Award for his exceptional legal skills.

He holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill campus. His leadership qualities were evident early in his career, having served as the President of the Trinidad and Tobago Student Association during his university tenure.

Mrs. Nela Dwarika-Ali assumed duty as Permanent Secretary (Ag.) in the Ministry of Legal Affairs on September 10, 2025. Mrs. Dwarika-Ali is a highly accomplished and results-oriented public officer with over thirty-five years of distinguished service in financial management, auditing, and administration. She previously served in the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries (MALF) as Permanent Secretary (Ag.) from July 2024 to September 2025, and Deputy Permanent Secretary from February 2023 to July 2024.

Before transitioning into executive leadership, Mrs. Dwarika-Ali built an extensive career at the Auditor General’s Department, serving for over 25 years and rising through the ranks to become Audit Director in 2014. As the Head of the IT Audit Unit since its establishment in 2013, she led the modernization of audit practices across government, overseeing the audit of information systems within Ministries, Regional Health Authorities, State Enterprises, and Statutory Bodies.

Mrs. Dwarika-Ali is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (FCCA) and a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) with additional certification as an ISO 27001 Lead Auditor. She also holds an MBA in Digital Technology Management. Her professional development includes executive leadership training, as well as specialized training in IT auditing, cybersecurity standards, risk-based auditing, fraud and forensic auditing, business continuity, and project management.

A strong advocate for digital transformation within the public service, Mrs. Dwarika-Ali is passionate about leveraging technology to improve efficiency, governance, and service delivery. She has also contributed to capacity building as an IT auditing facilitator and participated in international knowledge exchange initiatives aimed at modernizing and digitalizing government systems.

Grounded in strong family values and spirituality, she remains grounded by the prevailing principle in her most treasured quotation:

Mr. Ric Javed Ali joined the Ministry of Land and Legal Affairs in October 2025 as Permanent Secretary, with primary responsibility for the Land portfolio within the Ministry. He is tasked with providing direct managerial oversight of the Surveys and Mapping Division, the Land Management Division and the Valuation Division, while providing technical expertise and advice to establish inter-linkages and an effective communication framework between these divisions and the other divisions that comprise the Ministry.

Mr. Ali began his public service career in April 2003 and over the past few decades, he has served with distinction in a range of technical, professional, supervisory and leadership roles across multiple Ministries and Departments across the Public Service, all specifically focused on land and estate management of real property within the umbrella of the surveying discipline.

Mr. Ali most recently held the position of Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (formerly Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries) and prior to that, he held the role of Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Planning and Development after serving in the capacity of Commissioner of Valuations in the Valuation Division for the period Sept 2013 to May 2019.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in Surveying and Land Information from the University of the West Indies and a Master of Science in Estate Management from the London South Bank University and he is a professional member of both the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and the Institute of Surveyors of Trinidad and Tobago (ISTT).

Outside of his professional responsibilities, Mr. Ali enjoys outdoor sporting activities and spending quality time with his family.