Head not connected to the body

THE EDITOR: Statements that seem to be obnoxious are made by persons wishing to have things done in a particular way before it becomes a policy or debated and thrown out. But the unwritten policy gets implemented.

The COSTAATT issue is a case in point. It has been reported by a daily newspaper that a senior lecturer at COSTAATT said, “The fact is, that affirmative action reflected in those documents, that policy about Afro-Trinidadian males, has been in practice for the past few months.” Other lecturers, heads of departments and administrative officials endorsed the lecturer’s statement. Minutes of a meeting are said to say that they have been on a recruitment drive in Arima, Laventille and La Horquetta five months ago. It goes further to say that meritocracy has been shot down for mediocrity.

The leader of that policy has openly stated that the document was not read or seen by him. But, his deputy openly said that it is a fact that Afro-Trinidadian males 17-24 were underachievers and they have put in that policy statement. How the head and the deputy have seen different documents tells that the head is not in charge or somebody tells blatant untruths (can I say lies?) with a stone-cold grin. How can we believe leaders saying that they have not read such an important document or say that they did not do a study on the effects of a gas price increase or make dumb statements to affect financial institutions and brush it aside as just a thought? You know the popular statement about a thought when you make a mistake?

LYSTRA LYTHE
Por-of-Spain