I cannot help but wonder at how we so often announce “what must the world outside think of us” even as we do nothing to make ourselves look any better.
Actually, it seems as though we strive to embarrass ourselves further! And this embarrassment does not stem from the actions of our criminals, or of “good” ordinary people who routinely commit minor offenses—driving, littering, noisemaking and the like. The greatest embarrassments we inflict upon ourselves come from our leaders—in politics, big business, and other spheres.
And, strangely, we bring important people in from “outside” to bare our souls, hearts and dirty linen before them, they actually being paid to listen to us embarrass ourselves, and to pass judgments of sort upon us.
We have two Commissions of Inquiry ongoing, both presided over by foreigners. Sir David Simmonds, from Barbados, leads the Inquiry into the July 1990 attempted coup, and Sir Anthony Coleman, a Britisher, is the sole Commissioner into the collapses of CLICO and the Hindu Credit Union.
And, strangely, we bring important people in from “outside” to bare our souls, hearts and dirty linen before them, they actually being paid to listen to us embarrass ourselves, and to pass judgments of sort upon us.
We have two Commissions of Inquiry ongoing, both presided over by foreigners. Sir David Simmonds, from Barbados, leads the Inquiry into the July 1990 attempted coup, and Sir Anthony Coleman, a Britisher, is the sole Commissioner into the collapses of CLICO and the Hindu Credit Union.
These two Commissions, following upon Lord Musthill’s Inquiry into the Justice Sat Sharma matter, and Professor John Uff’s Inquiry into Udecott, are demonstrating the embarrassing incompetence and pantomime pettiness we suffer as a society.
We have read what Musthill and Uff have said about us, and if we have not been embarrassed enough with those Reports, we are subjecting ourselves to further ordeal, “double-barreled” so to speak.
We have read what Musthill and Uff have said about us, and if we have not been embarrassed enough with those Reports, we are subjecting ourselves to further ordeal, “double-barreled” so to speak.
The Musthill and Uff Reports were indictments on our legal and court systems, and upon our inability to develop ourselves without becoming totally mired in the slough of corruption. But I fear more the comments to come from Simmonds and Coleman.
I have watched at times that wry smile on the lips of Sir David, as he puts a concluding question to witnesses, and they respond in the way he almost presumed they would, demonstrating without even realizing, their utter incompetence in how they dealt with the coup, and how they responded to Sir David.
I have watched at times that wry smile on the lips of Sir David, as he puts a concluding question to witnesses, and they respond in the way he almost presumed they would, demonstrating without even realizing, their utter incompetence in how they dealt with the coup, and how they responded to Sir David.
Maybe it is the seven years I spent at Lodge School, Barbados, which grants me this understanding of his clear bemusement. I await the Commission’s report even more than I await the testimony of Manning, Panday, Maharaj and Abu Bakr. But for these testimonies, I am beginning to believe I wait in vain.
The evidence coming out of the CLICO/HCU Inquiry is just as confused and contradictory. But this COI is far more relevant to most of us, in that it is almost current.
The evidence coming out of the CLICO/HCU Inquiry is just as confused and contradictory. But this COI is far more relevant to most of us, in that it is almost current.
What has intrigued me, and Sir Anthony, is the total lack of interest by all the “big players” who stand to lose millions, tens of millions, hundreds of millions and more in the CLICO failure.
The only witnesses to come forth have been those retirees who appear to have been conned out of their savings. So who are the people who make up the alleged billions which the taxpayers of T&T are going to “bail out”? Escobar? Calder Hart?
All of a sudden it seems that there are no big holders of the EFPA’s who are willing to come to the COI and tell Sir Anthony about their losses.
It seems that there are only two people who are concerned about this absence before the Commission of all the big investors. These are Sir Anthony and me. No one else is curious as to who all of these big investors might be?
It seems that there are only two people who are concerned about this absence before the Commission of all the big investors. These are Sir Anthony and me. No one else is curious as to who all of these big investors might be?
One would have thought that they would naturally step forward and describe to Sir Anthony, like the poor widows who lost $75,000.00, how they invested, and how they hope that the government, ie the taxpayers, would refund them. But no one is coming forward.
And there is a reason for this. I contend that most of that money represents undeclared incomes. And that is why they wait silently, under Permell’s umbrella, for the little people of this country to sacrifice wage increases, needed infrastructure and the like so that maybe Calder Hart and others can be “repaid” millions of dollars which they refuse to go and claim from the CoI.
And there is a reason for this. I contend that most of that money represents undeclared incomes. And that is why they wait silently, under Permell’s umbrella, for the little people of this country to sacrifice wage increases, needed infrastructure and the like so that maybe Calder Hart and others can be “repaid” millions of dollars which they refuse to go and claim from the CoI.
And this is why I believe, and I call again for disclosure, that the government must list the names of persons who the government intends to “refund” for CLICO’s failure.
But while we observe the pantomimes unraveling before Messrs. Simmonds and Coleman, we also put our political selves on display in their presence with our State of Emergency and the childishly hysterical behaviour of our politicians and labour leaders towards the situation.
The current reasons for keeping the SoE are now apparently a State secret, and the contortions of Rowley, Manning and Labour in the wings, so to speak, have all the ingredients of a Shakespearean farce.
Sir David, Sir Anthony, please be kind to us when you write of your experiences here!
But while we observe the pantomimes unraveling before Messrs. Simmonds and Coleman, we also put our political selves on display in their presence with our State of Emergency and the childishly hysterical behaviour of our politicians and labour leaders towards the situation.
The current reasons for keeping the SoE are now apparently a State secret, and the contortions of Rowley, Manning and Labour in the wings, so to speak, have all the ingredients of a Shakespearean farce.
Sir David, Sir Anthony, please be kind to us when you write of your experiences here!
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