Four days ago I shared my concerns about how the government appoints committees to serve their agenda, so I was pleasantly surprised to see that in an article in today’s Sunday Express Newspapers titled, ‘A pacifier for public distrust’, Ramesh Deosaran, wearing his social scientist hat; expressed a similar view.
A long list was mentioned as examples of the government using this mechanism to distract, deflect and achieve the state’s end, but four were left out. The Barrington and Stanley John reports, which were conveniently leaked to the media, and which were basically hearsay, using terms such as, “it was alleged”, “it was rumoured”, “it is perceived”, and “we are told.”; drew a lot of public cynicism.
But perhaps the best evidence of the brazenness of their agenda, is the fact that one of the persons appointed to investigate the recent blackout, is the same person appointed to investigate Former PSC Chairman, Bliss Seepersad’s, Misbehaviour in Public Office claims, when she tried to remove a sitting Commissioner of Police, as well the similar allegation of Misbehaviour in Public Office of a senior government official, for directing Seepersad’s actions.
Shockingly, that individual heads PM Rowley’s security detail, and as such reports to him daily. This must surely also be of grave concern to all right-thinking and impartial citizens.
And in addition to this, given what Deosaran exposed, can this government be trusted when selecting persons to these committees?
As examples, did Stanley John and Barrington have the requisite skills and training to conduct those kinds of investigations?
And what qualifications, expertise and training does the head of Rowley’s security have to conduct both the Bliss Seepersad and high government offical investigation, as well as same for a national blackout?
Are these more red flags of a creeping dictatorship?
What the citizens demand and deserve is the assurance that persons are not handpicked because they are closely aligned to the government, to deliberately ensure that results and findings are to the benefit of the government.
This reassurance and these questions asked are the people’s questions; and they deserve an answer, so I challenge the media to do their job, and I look forward to attempts at responding.
By Gary Griffith