Citizens will not accept excuses of the past

THE EDITOR: Ken Valley has been put firmly in his place. Take that, bro! Too much fat talk will land you in the doghouse, so mind your manners. Yuh see, Ken, I is de borse and don’t you forget it! What did a former Prime Minister say — when I talk no damn dog bark! How demeaning that a Minister makes a statement and is slapped down, and no one dares to question why. How sad! It is just accepted as another political decision over which the citizens have no influence, and we stand helplessly by and observe the antics of the politicians. Some commentators are deliberately distorting the issue and focusing on the salary being paid to the executive chairman of Petrotrin, when the issue really has to do with procedures that should have been followed.

Even the Prime Minister acknowledges that the recommendations of the Cabinet Committee on Public Sector Salaries must be laid before Cabinet when he says that the matter was in fact discussed in Cabinet in Mr Valley’s absence. Does the government expect us to believe that the salary increase for the CEO of WASA required Ministerial approval but the setting of a salary for the executive chairman of Petrotrin did not? It is easy to determine what was discussed at Cabinet meetings by reviewing the notes brought to the meeting and the Minutes which certify decisions taken.

Further, there is the small matter of when the decision was taken and when payment of the salary commenced. Was the salary only paid after Cabinet gave its approval, or was Mr Jones already in receipt of the salary before the matter came to Cabinet? If it ever did, that is. The Prime Minister knows that he must be like Caesar’s wife, above reproach, so when it comes to employing his best friend he has to be scrupulously careful to ensure that there is no room for doubt. The procedures have to be even more stringent than if it were a member of the public. Manning is walking the same road as his predecessor, refusing to recognise that he is dealing with an intelligent citizenry that will not accept the excuses of the past, ethnicity notwithstanding.

KARAN MAHABIRSINGH
Carapichaima